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| Me and mum sitting on top of Zomba Plateau at Queens View |
Mums dutch directness, comments and general thoughts on
anything will always blow me away. I instantly took her to my friend’s slightly
better more upmarket house for dinner as I knew she would be a bit shocked to
see my room and outdoor facilities.
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| My room has mum in the doorway |
The long list of questions shot and flew around the room
considering she had been on a tiresome long haul flight from England. It was
all very humorous, she threw comments like:
‘Wow, you have electricity in your home’ which confirmed her
inner thoughts about Malawi.
I understood she was on holiday but similarly knew it would
be a good change for her to see the communities, hard work, happiness and
achievements. We went to the 2 building sites within the Landirani Trust and
she observed the work while I made her shake hands with every single person on
site. This was the general Malawian greeting and living in Malawi I soon learnt
how important it was to say hello to each individual and ask them:
Mulli bwanji? How are you?
Ndilli bwino kuyinu? I am fine how are you?
Ndilli bwino. Zikomo. I am fine, thank you. It seem’s very repetitive when you start
but as time goes on you realise the significant importance. After greetings you
then start the day’s work, checking the activities of people, making sure
experienced people were teaching younger people and moving some people around to
make certain priority jobs faster.
Our first stop was building a rammed earth office in Njewa.
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| Adobe bag guard house |
Nothing was ever going to be normal that day, many spontaneous things happen
all the time in Malawi but these actions were definitely exceptional. The
spiritual tribal characters of the gulu wankulus were running up the road.
Fully clothed with different rags I thought it best to take a picture as a
memory for my mum.
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| Gulu wankulu's |
They saw us taking the photo and immediately surrounded our car and banged on
the windows for money. I had never once been in this situation in my whole 2
years living in the chichewa central region where there were large numbers of
gulu wankulus. Some say they are: spiritual ancestors that rise from the dead. Others
have described them as a tribe that forms in the woods for boys to assemble and
celebrate the turning from youth to teenage years.
The literal translation of gulu wankulu means a big dance.
Any ceremony in the village will collect these gulu wankulus’ to perform at the
wedding, funeral or child to adulthood celebration. People will dance with a
mask to hide their identity.
The different jobs on site and mums interest to help pump water
into the ladies buckets at the borehole ended in chaos as a typhoon swarmed
across the village behind the site.
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| Everyone collects at the water borehole |
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| Typhoon sweeping the village |
It built up in strength and the thatch from people’s rooves
was seen in the air. The ladies at the borehole were shrieking in one tone
raising their arms in an act to try and calm the storm. The wind had destroyed
5 houses in this 1 village where all of our workers lived.
After reiterating some main pointers about the adobe earth building
we left for the next Landirani project 8km from the Lilongwe Kamuzu
International airport. More greetings and new faces came into contact. Mum
struggled with the greeting phrase after greeting more than 36 people that day.
I faced facts Chichewa was not such an easy language for beginners!
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| Workshop filled with frames ready for current our current builds |
The holiday then began. We hired a car to allow us to go and
investigate Malawi. I had never seen far south so this was my opportunity to
take mum to places I had never been. Our first stop was Zomba. I was very
impressed with the trails of light coming through the tree plantations on the
mountains.
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| Zomba plateau forest |
There was a beautiful landscape. I enjoyed being very active in the
mornings and planning things me and mum could do while she was asleep then
going out with her and doing them. This worked well as my energy levels would
balance when mum rose. We were very lucky to step into the 50
th year
anniversary of Haile Salaisie having visited Emporers view on the top of Zomba
plateau.
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| Ethiopian visitors at Emporers view |
There was drumming and many rastafarians gathered from all
over Malawi for the important day. This was also a great time to visit as we
didn’t have to walk so far. We managed to find space in a car both up and down
the plateau although we then realised we had missed the Queen of England’s arrival, Queen Elizabeth had arrived at Zomba Plateau in 1957 so they specifically named the spot Queen's view.
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| Mulunguzi Dam |
Our next stop was Liwonde National Park. I had never been in
such a peaceful place.
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| Liwonde National Park |
We had to catch a boat to the middle of the island and we
were instantly engrossed watching all the wildlife, hippos, crocodiles, impala,
baboons, warthogs and hundreds of different exotic birds.
Everything sat in harmony: the wild animals
grazing on the bottom level, some raised timber platforms above where we would
sit lavishing on delicious food and tea.
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| Liwonde wildlife |
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| Liwonde wildlife |
The timber lodge huts glistened with
the reflection of varnish and the elephants joined us one morning. It was
unique and what seems now like pure serenity.
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| Elephant on our veranda, morning alarm clock |
Every good time must end and from then on I explained to mum
that was a treat and she musn’t compare anything to that up market place! After
taking our time to see HELP school in Liwonde we crept into Cape Maclear after
dark. I managed to drive into the wrong turning and the people in the village
again enclosed around the car. Unlike the gulu wankulus’ it was due to lack of
space on the sandy roads. We had to wait for a car to move which took about 10
minutes and I could sense mum was anxious. During these times I must reiterate
there was never any problems or reasons for discomfort. It was just the chaos
going on in a compacted unknown environment that seemed so dissimilar and
diverse from the normal scene on a UK street. This energy among the people gives
me a buzz that I want to try and hold on forever. I could tell my mum was
somewhat confused with my choices in life.
Apart from the power cut on arrival everything turned smooth
sailing. We rested on the famous Lake Malawi for 5 days. We were both hooked on
our books and met some lovely people at Gecko lounge. After a trip to Thumbi
Island, catching fish, feeding fish eagles, snorkeling and all other activities
I could tell mum was more relaxed.
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| Fish eagle sweeping the Cape waters |
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| Me |
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| Mum |
Slowly
we crept out of tourism and into the village behind where I often stayed with
my boyfriend, Winston. He got to meet the first family member who had come out
to Malawi. I could tell this was a very big event for him as he treated my mum
like a queen!
It was great for reality
to set and for 2 such important characters of my life to meet.
This was another type of paradise for me as
happiness spread through all activities.
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| Winston |
Our last stop was Ntchitse Forest Lodge. It was slightly out
of the way but this biodiversity girl Jess had explained this was one of the
most incredible places because of the section of rainforest, the last one here in
Malawi. She was right, the vague directions and unsure decisions we had to make
while racing the time of sundown was worth it. As we arrived, this time just
before dark, the layers of orange and misty mountains prepared me for the thick
forests and views the next morning.
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| Ntchitse Forest |
Again I chased the orange rising of the sun at the crack of
dawn and found joy climbing and dropping down the steep screes of the forests.
There was a great sensation when I stepped over many unmoved tree trunks that
had collapsed and stayed in their natural setting, still, where they had once
fallen. Untouched.
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| The last rainforest in Malawi, Ntchitse |
I had lived in the city full of dust but with communities of
lively friendly people, but now I realised the potential and just how beautiful
Malawi (what we would call) countryside really was.
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| Walking Ntchitse Forest |
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| Natural Beauty |
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| Forest colours |
My highlights have got to be:
Mum’s views having spent 2 weeks in Malawi : saying Malawi people were relaxed, friendly,
peaceful, laid back, resourceful and content.
Taking a photo of some guys selling African sausage on
sticks, on the side of the main road coming into Lilongwe. I didn’t have any
change so I knowingly gave them a larger note, their excitement and smiles made
my day. And yes, they are mice.
Mum’s spontaneity going to Ntchitse Forest Lodge last minute
as she did not want to stay in my boys quarters room!
Mum bringing over PG tips triangular English tea bags
And ofcourse mum managed to find a classroom with headteacher training. I could tell she was in her comfort zone once again.
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| M' Bangombe Headteacher training run by a Goverment official |
Thanks mum, it was a great 2 weeks and I hope you can
encourage the next Rowsell rabble (as my dad would say) to come and visit. This is Malawi, if the photos don't make you want to visit I don't know what will. (perhaps the strength of the english pound is a bonus for you all too!)
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| Sundown at Liwonde National Park |
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| Beautiful baobab tree in view leaving Cape Maclear |
