Miss Lily

 

The days in Malawi is up and we are heading towards Tanzania. I am trying to write the blog posts on the truck on my phone but most often I don't have wifi to transfer my notes to my email so please bare with me.. It will be random updates these weeks and pictures will come later most likely. But those who waits.. :)

 

Malawi has been very different in atmosphere and nature. It is the poorest countries in Africa except for Chad and we were told to keep a look out for our bags at all times. Our camp sites have felt very safe and taking away the boys on the beach trying to invite you to their shop all the time I have enjoyed my days here. We went snorkeling in the lake and saw many pretty and colorful fishes and climbed up on an island where I saw monitor lizard. 

 

Some of the others went on a village tour and found it very disturbing as a lot of the tour consisted of asking for donations both to the clinic and school. I am glad that I didn't go as some of us were really upset about the way it was handled. The children are being taught by the teachers to beg for money and pens as soon as they see white people. It is disturbing but of course no one can blame the ones having nothing seeing us who has so much. It is in my opinion the white people's fault from the beginning coming in with aid in the way the westerners have done in so many African countries. The population will never learn how to take care of themselves when they know aid will be on standby all the time, that's what has gone wrong already from the start. Teach the man how to fish instead of giving them fishes, I wish more organizations and individuals understood that. You are only helping them short term and after the resources are gone, then what? 

 

Two of them were so upset about the situation that they declined the second half of the village tour so I went in their place for a dinner in the village that night. We got to sit outside on a mat with only the moon, stars and one candle to give us light and it was a beautiful meal with sweet potato soup, rice, beans, eggs and spinach cooked by the guide and his family. A wonderful experience even for me who is used to the village life by now. 

 

Malawi was a bit disturbing with the children always asking for things instead of waving and screaming hello like we have had in both Botswana and mostly Zambia. But the nature is magnificent! Green lush hills everywhere and like in Zambia sunflowers and sugar cane everywhere. I love sitting on the truck and watching the banana plants and landscapes swirl by while taking in all the different smells of the countries we pass. Not all of them are good but that's part of the deal. :)