Malawi

And into Malawi we go.  Unfortunately due to changes in visa rules, it was not a quick process.  But eventually we all got visas and headed to our first stop on Lake Malawi, Chitimba.  A beautiful campsite on the lake.  Although it doesn’t look or feel like a lake, more like a beautiful beach with a freshwater sea.

Lee & Tony with the Egg Man

Then to our next stop, Kande beach.  It is supposed to be a beautiful, relaxed beach area.  However, on the day we arrived it was Mother’s Day.  Which in Malawi is one of the biggest celebration days in the year.  We could see the cultural differences in how Mother’s Day is celebrated straight away.  Rather than buying a bunch of flowers and taking your mum to a nice restaurant for lunch, Malawians descend on the beach en masse and get very drunk.  I think the West could learn a few things from the Malawi culture! 

Mother's Day, Malawi style

On the way to Kande I had promised everyone that I would source a pig so that we could do a spit roast.  I had tried calling my contact to arrange for a pig to be ready for viewing on arrival, but his phone was always switched off.  I was beginning to get a bit worried that I had made promises that I couldn’t keep…. We stopped at a local wood carving market a few kilometres from Kande and a guy approached me and said “Hello Em”.  I was racking my brains trying to work out where I might know this guy from.  Then he explained that he was the man I had been trying to call.  He had had a problem with his phone, but somehow word had got around that I was looking for a live pig, so he arranged for his brother to sort it out for us.  Problem solved!

Andrew and dinner

Our BBQ pig

As well as having a spit roast pig the following day we also had a Punch Off.  Where Team Em & Ciara, Team Wilma and Team Andrew each made a punch and went head to head to see who would win the best punch award.  It was judged that Andrew made the best punch, Team Wilma had the best presentation, and Team Em & Ciara had comedy value.

Andrew and his winning punch

The winning punch

Em & Ciara sampling the competition's punch

Roberta, or is it a fruity Princess Leah?

The group having a serious game of Fussball...  in the dark...

And then to our last stop in Malawi, Senga Bay.  Once again on the shore of Lake Malawi.  We arrived just in time for our Irish contingent to watch the rugby match.  Sadly, Ireland did not perform as well as hoped that day and they were knocked out of the tournament.  We also watched the Scotland Australia match that evening, where Scotland played the match of their lives.  Sadly, they too were knocked out of the tournament because of a very questionable decision by the ref – They were robbed!!  But I suspect Kirsten will delete this section of the blog, as being Australian she does not agree! ;-) (editor's note - in the spirit of free speech I have allowed this to remain, however I have only one thing to add - C'mon the Wallabies!!)

And for those following the exploits of Rolandia the Rat, we can report that he met his demise in Malawi.

Team Rat Catchers in Tanzania (unsuccessful)

Em & Steve, the Rat Catchers, in Malawi (successful)