Day 15: Plastic Bags of Water

We are in Malawi having left Phoebe’s house in the dark this morning to drive to the Entebbe airport. Airports in these countries amuse me. Our luggage goes through multiple security machines, some mere feet from each other. I can’t imagine what we could have done to mess with our possessions in that space but we did as we were told and unloaded them from our carts and reloaded them back onto the carts again. Then there’s the number of times we showed our passports and yellow fever cards. I wish I had counted because it’s truly unbelievable. We are through security, have shown our documents at the various checkpoints but just to be sure they ask again. Even getting off the plane AFTER having completed the flight, they insisted on seeing out boarding passes…..but we’d already boarded AND unboarded. I wonder if all of this just creates more jobs. If that’s the case BRAVO lots of people are putting food on their tables. We just laugh and figure it’s just part of the whole adventure.

Olipa was there as we walked out into the open air. What fun to see her again. After hugs all around she took us to exchange money. I love this too. We give her about 3/8ths of an inch of US dollars and then she disappears and later brings back 20+ inches of Malawi Kwacha. It can’t possible fit in my wallet so I carry it around in a plastic grocery bag until I can hide it somewhere and only take small stacks that I can fit in my backpack. That being done and our extra suitcases dropped at her house we were then ready to drive to Mthuntama, where we are staying with our old friends Andy and Alice.

I loved driving through Lilongwe after not being here for a year. I forgot things like water being sold in clear plastic bags tied in a knot at the top to secure the liquid. In Malawi all those fabulous African fabrics you see all over the continent are wrapped around waists and worn as long skirts. You see them everywhere in every color and design you can imagine. I like the handmade brooms sold on the street and wonder why they prefer a short handle that insists you lean over to use it instead of the long ones that save one’s back? Fruits and veggies are carefully stacked into colorful pyramids and there are people everywhere talking and hanging out. It’s an ever changing scene and is truly a feast for your eyes.

We got to Mthuntama in the dark but Alice had food ready and hot water for bathing. After hot airplane travel this was luxury supreme. Night everyone!