Christmas with 'Family' at Zulunkhuni Lodge, Ruarwe, Malawi

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Our Cabin - the Stone House overlooking the lake

Greeted by Sally and Charlie from Zulunkhuni Lodge on the beach to calls of "Hello Rupert and Sabrinha", we were confused but I guess they didn't get the message that we were coming, but were expecting the other couple who were no shows.  Since it was already dark, Charlie suggested we take the Stone House room, that was set up for R&S, at camping prices.  His enticement worked like a charm, as we decided to stay in the lovely cabin on the rocks over the lake for the duration of our stay.  Time to pamper ourselves a little for Christmas!!  And, we had a bed!!!!
Waking up to the sunrise over Lake Malawi was beautiful, and we would fall asleep to lightning storms over the mountains in Tanzania across the lake.  What a wonderful spot!!

View from the Stone House at Sunrise

Since the lodge is very isolated, they have no power, and no phone service.  We had no communication with the outside world, and it was fab.  Rather invigorating actually.  One issue though, was with the fuel shortage, they had trouble getting gas, and were unable to use the stoves, and more importantly, were unable to use the fridge.  Therefore, NO cold drinks, and no meats, etc.  We were going to have to go veggie for the week, but no worries….it turned out that the food here was delicious.  I especially liked the veggie burgers!!
We did exactly what we planned to do here at the lodge - VERY LITTLE.  It was about relaxing and taking a nice break from the daily stresses and frustrations of travel.  Days were filled with plenty of games, occasional meals, warm drinks, and refreshing but not very cold swims in the turquoise waters of the lake.  The shore is quite rocky, and the snorkelling was actually quite good in the clear waters. 

Our Cabin at Sunrise over Lake Malawi

We often would have a morning snorkel, then head for breakfast.
Charlie had also built a jumping platform about 9m (30ft) above the rocks, and there was a great jumping rock in the lake about as high.  I tackled both these jumps in my time here.
Sally and Charlie are both English but Charlie has been in Malawi for 14 years or so.  Sally is more recent here, but they will be married in the very, very near future.  Sally's Mum Gill was also at the lodge, and was spending 6 weeks in Malawi to attend the upcoming nuptials.  She was on the other end of many games played.  There were only a couple of guests here and there, and a couple of local volunteers staying, including Georgina, a doctor from England who was working in Ruarwe. The staff were lovely too, always greeting you with big smiles.  And the dogs, one very friendly called Gondross the Destroyer, and one aptly named Chicken as he was scared of

Martin and Charlie 9m Rock Jump for Christmas

everything.  Also, the local wildlife and bugs were interesting, including giant snails, a bug they call "Thing" and a special Christmas appearance of a chameleon.
Michelle and I did visit the local village, approx. 20 minute walk away to see the new community centre there that the volunteers were at.  Cool spot and a very interesting a impressive library.  Of course, we got tied up playing with the local kids and meeting new people in town.
On Christmas Eve, we were busy making some snowflake decorations, whilst listening to my extensive Christmas Song collection, when a special delivery arrived……..STEAK.  Charlie's brother had sent it from Nkhata Bay, so we were very excited about the prospect of X-Mas eve steak sandwiches.  WOW, they were tasty!!
We all enjoyed our 'family' meals, and it was so nice to be included with them for their celebrations.  It was what we really needed for Christmas and we couldn't have picked a better place to be.
Christmas Day was no exception.  We had bought some little locals presents for Sally, Charlie, Gill and Georgina, and we woke to some stockings hung up.  We all had a good laugh opening small presses, and drinking some Amarula's.  In each of our stockings was a local thing they call sachets. 

Christmas Slip'n'Slide with Charlie, Georgina and Sally

Basically a shot of cane spirit in a little airtight package.  We all downed our sachets, but with a few gag reflexes!!
Since the staff had the day off, Charlie and I started cutting wood for the oven, and we all helped out with prepping and cooking the Christmas beef in the clay oven.  Whilst the food was cooking, we had a good swim and rock jumps, and also a go at Charlies Slip and Slide kids toy!!  All good laughs, then a sit down for a delicious dinner and chocolate cake for dessert.
Then, the Christmas songs came to an end and we put on some classic and spent the next few hours dancing on the bar and having a wonderful end to our Christmas.  It was off on the ferry the next day, but we were so happy to have a new family experience for such an important day.  We were treated so well, and also invited to the upcoming wedding on Jan 9th - we will see if we can make it or not!!!   *Stub

Christmas Dinner

Christmas Bar Dance - Georgina, Sally and Michelle

'First Class' Travellers (Eventually) on the Ilala Ferry, Lake Malawi, Malawi

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Along with Georgia, Arek and Charlie (who we now affectionately called Charrie, since the local Malawians cannot say the 'RL'), we ventured on our way to Monkey Bay.  Somehow, on a brief stop in Mangochi to change minibus, Michelle managed to extend our Malawian visa for another 30 days, so now we had the time to get lost or stuck on the islands in Lake Malawi, if we choose, or if the only boat breaks down again.  Apparently, it was broken down for a couple of weeks, but there is word that it is fixed now, and hence our visit to Monkey Bay - the Ilala Ferry's starting port.
Monkey Bay is a pleasant little local town, but not a lot going for it.  We camped on the beach at Mufasa Lodge and enjoyed the time there, but also picked up another couple of friends - Jose and Andrea from Chile.

8 hour line with the gang

The now larger group, trudged over to the ferry ticket office at 8AM, in preparation for the 10AM departure.  But this was not to be.  We were told to wait 10 minutes, but after an hour or so, they came and pulled the curtain over the window and closed the ticket office.  NOT a good sign!!  And, so we waited and waited and waited, with occasional updates saying that there was a problem with the ferry.  It didn't end up leaving until 5PM, but we were happy to get going.  We had spent the last 8-9 hours sitting in line, drinking some beers with the gang and playing some poker.  Could be worse really, and it was nice to have good company for the wait.
The ferry was a nice change from traveling by minibus.  We had the upper deck/First Class ticket, and pretty much had free range of the boat.  We didn't have a cabin, and would just sleep up on deck, under the stars - but in the blustery wind.  The second night we decided to just set up our tent on the deck, and that worked well.  Especially after we had rats eat into some of our food bags the first night. 
They had a bar and restaurant on board, which was cheap, but limited selection, but Francis took care of us.  We also used the restaurant for our poker games, which we used a varied selection of bottle caps as poker chips, and listened to Lady Gaga's song Poker Face!!  It passed the time nicely.

Tents on board the Ilala Ferry

The trip itself was enjoyable and very scenic at times.  The lake is actually about 365 miles long, so the journey took us 51 hours, and that wasn't even the entire length of the trip.  We made stops along the way, then in Mozambique, and also on the islands of Likoma and Chizimulu.  Here we said goodbye to Charrie, Georgia and Arek.  Unfortunately, these stops always involved a lot of commotion and noise, even when in the middle of the night.  You couldn't get a good night's sleep, what with all the ruckus.  At each stop, the boat was too big to go to shore, and they would send the lifeboats in to drop off people and supplies, and pick them up on shore.  It was all a bit messy, and especially when the wind was blowing hard, and waves crashing against the boat.  It made for a dangerous situation.

Swarms of Lake Flies

Another bizarre sight we saw from the ferry were swarms of lake flies.  Apparently, this phenomenon only happens on Lake Malawi, and you see dark funnels of flies in the distance that look like mini tornadoes.  There must be millions, if not billions of the little flies to make these swarms so visible.  I want to see what it looks like on shore, when these swarms drift into town!!
We finally arrived in Ruarwe in the dark, and weren't sure where to go, or how to get there.  A boat appeared and we loaded on to the roof for a dark ride to shore, being waved in by flashlights.  So, we finally arrived at our Christmas destination, Zulunkhuni River Lodge in Ruarwe!   *Stub

A Victorian Style Safari in Liwonde National Park, Malawi

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Sunset Viewing Platform w/ Peiter, Ang, Arek, Georgia and Charlie

After yet another battle for price in a minibus, we arrived in Liwonde - gateway to the Liwonde National Park, and Malawi's best game park.  Luckily, we chose well on a guest house, and ended up at Liwonde Safari Camp, with a happy South African named Pieter.  Pieter and his business partner, Frederik from Holland, were excellent hosts, and very generous.  I will sing their praises to all heading that way.  It seems like a lot of places are out to make a buck…… fair enough.  But these guys seem to just want to share the park and wildlife with you.  They just loved being there.  It was very refreshing.  We came for one or two nights, but it was only after four nights that we finally managed to leave.  It was just too relaxing, and a fun place to be.

Tolkein's Tree - A Massive Baobab 3800 yrs

The place had only been open for 14 months, but seemed to have a following.  Where other camps have had very few clients over recent weeks, Liwonde Safari Camp seemed to have a steady stream coming their way.  One of the friendliest there was a German stuntwoman named Angela, and her large dog Paul.  A recent project of hers was working in the Quentin Tarantino film - Inglorious Basterds!!  Very cool.  We had a good laugh with her, and then an unlikely Spanish/Polish/Irish trio arrived.  Georgia, Arek and Charlie were also a fun crew, and the whole group gelled and had a good time together.  Part of the reason we stayed longer. 
With a free game walk in the mornings with Pieter, we got a small glimpse of the park.  One highlight was an approximately 3800 year old baobab tree.  Apparently, JRR Tolkein's father was a missionary in Malawi, and when JRR was a teen, his father would preach underneath this massive tree.  It is very easy to see that this tree could be his inspiration for the 'Living Trees (I forget their name)' in his Lord of the Rings trilogy.  We were also in an area called Shire, with the Shire River running through, and plenty of Misty Mountains around.  Coincidence, I think not!!
We would also take to drinks on the viewing platform for sunset nightly.  Unfortunately, only once did the elephants arrive, and didn't take too kindly to Paul's barking, as other guests arrived.  They charged towards the platform, trumpeting their presence known!!  Scary stuff.

Angie Dressed in White for the Safari

Even around camp, there was a bit of a mini safari.  There were tons of bug species, from scorpions, to giant grasshopper things, to scary centipedes, to swarming termites - you always had to watch where you walked.
While sitting around one night, Pieter decided that when we did our game drive in the morning, it was going to be Victorian style.  So, the girls had to dress up all fancy, with make-up, and the boys needed to shower, shave and wear their best.  Even Pieter was going to pull out his khakis, like a true guide.  It was pretty funny heading out in the morning, with the girls in white dresses, heading into the mud.  Just like the old days!!  If we got stuck, it would be a bit of a laugh! 
Thankfully, we didn't get stuck but had a fun time.  We didn't see any spectacular wildlife except for a running hippo, but the views of the park were great with the Shire River and some peaks in the distance.  It sure was good company though, with some great laughs!!  One freaky sight was a baobab that was hollow - it was used by local tribes to throw the lepars in to as a hollow grave.  Lots of bones in the bottom!!

Georgia, Angie, Charlie, Arek, M, and Kitty on the sunset boozy Safari

That evening, Pieter enticed us to stay another night with mention of a free game drive into the park for sunset.  They just wanted to head out and be social, so this was a real treat.  I would imagine other places charging a good price for an evening drive, but these guys just wanted to share!!  We all took some drinks for sunset and chilled out by the river.  We picked up a cool hippo skull for the lodge, and I managed to sit on the bumper seat, as spotter for the ride back.  I managed to find us a hyena, but was a little nervous at my location on the vehicle.  Unfortunately, the hyena looked like it had been caught in a snare, and was missing a front paw.  It still looked quite healthy though, and must have scavenged well. 
That was our last evening at Liwonde, and we enjoyed the time with our new friends.  Georgia, Arek, and Charlie would be joining us on the drive up to Monkey Bay in the morning, so we had good company for our next leg.  *Stub

Sunset in Liwonde with Frederik, Arek, Angie, Georgia, Charlie, Peiter and Kitty

A Ride in the Ambulance, Zomba Plateau, Malawi

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The evening after our 4 days of hiking, we found a good little local guest house called NdangoPuma, pleasant and dirt-cheap.  Finally, we have come to a country where our money goes much further!  A bed was only about $1.75 per person, and the guesthouse was filled with nice locals. 
Since we were planted in the middle of tea fields, we thought it might be interesting to visit a tea factory.  We had heard from Leason, that one called Esperanza, was actually owned by Prince Charles. 

Mr Fawlty, Bicycle Taxi in Mulanje Tea Plantations

We hired ourselves a bike-taxi each, Michelle's was named Mr Fawlty, which I thought quite funny.  Basil!!!!  They cruised us up to the plantation, but it was too late to enter.  That was fine though, because the journey through the plantations was really our destination.  There were plenty of locals about and the setting sun was beautiful casting some great light over the beautiful green plantations.
Around the corner from our little Guest House was a restaurant/bar called Rob Wills, and we had a decent local dinner out. 
The Malawian couple at the next table wanted to chat with us, and we invited them to join us.  Well, Amon and Esnut were having a weekend away, and at this point, Amon was quite drunk.  His wife Esnut, was the calming voice of reason, but he got increasingly more and more drunk.  They were very generous, buying us drink after drink, even after we declined, hoping to get away from what might be a bad situation.  But the drinks kept coming, and he got a lot more grabby which made us a little uncomfortable.  Eventually, we got away, but I think their intentions were genuine and friendly.  So much so, that we called them the next morning to accept their invitation of a ride back to Blantyre.  I was taken aback, when Amon asked if I could drive, thinking he was still drunk, or too hungover to drive.  Luckily, neither was the case and we enjoyed a free ride back to Blantyre, before continuing on to Zomba.  An interesting meeting, but I think all intentions were sincere.

Hitch-Hiking in the Ambulance

In Zomba, we were in town to try to head up the plateau behind it of the same name.  Again, the fuel shortage reared it's ugly head, and the taxi drivers were trying to charge 3000-5000 Kwacha ($15-$25) for a ride 8km up to the plateau.  We rejected all offers, and eventually found a surprise backpacker lodge (Pakachere) in town that had only been open 2 months.  We decided to cut our losses, and spend the night in town.  The manager Roos, was very helpful, and Michelle met a really nice German lady named Diana, and didn't stop talking with her for about 5 hours.  More about Diana later.
Morning came, and we attacked the drive up to Zomba Plateau again.  This time, our plan was to hitchhike, and offer some money for fuel.  We set a final time of 10:15, to start looking for a taxi, and after 2 hours of waiting, we were just about to find a taxi, when an ambulance drove by.  We had good luck with the ambulance in Mulanje, and once again in Zomba.  This time though, it was a mechanic, testing his repair job, and with 300 Kwacha, he took us almost to the top.  Lucky us again!!   We walked the rest of the way to Trout Farm, and set up camp just before a torrential downpour.  We were

With Our Guide Stanley, on Zomba Plateau

scheduled to go on a walk to the viewpoints, and were lucky when the weather broke, hiring a happy old gentleman, named Stanley, to show us the way.  It was relatively unspectacular, but the Emperor's View (named after Ethiopian king Hailie Selassie's visit) and Queen's View (named after Elizabeth 1st visit) gave us wide vistas over the lowlands, with pointy hills popping up all over the place.  Also, in view was Malawi's second largest lake.  I think the hike would have been more enjoyable had our legs not been soooooo tired from our Mulanje hiking.  I think both of us just wanted to be back in the tent laying down, and that's what we did as soon as we got back!  Not even enough energy to make dinner, and we crashed out early. The next morning, we packed up and went to visit the Ku Chawe Hotel.  I was expecting a rustic place on top of the mountain, but it was very modern and far too fancy for us.  It did provide us with some help though, because before we could even sit down for breakfast on the roadside, one of the hotel's guests drove by and answered our 'thumbs'.  A kind Zimbabwean couple gave us a ride back to town, and we celebrated with a delicious COLD Coke, which has become somewhat of an addiction for us here!!  It tastes SOOOOOO refreshing!!!   All in all, I think Zomba is very nice, but I don't think we did it justice by doing the small hike that we did on the plateau. I think to really enjoy Zomba's full beauty, we would need to spend a few days hiking and exploring. Also, it's hard to compare it after just hiking Mulanje which was just so amazing. *Stub

Four Days on Mt. Mulanje Massif, Malawi

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Michelle and Leason starting out through the tea plantations

We didn't know much about Malawi except that our good friend Phil Rinn, had attempted to climb Mt. Mulanje massif, and in particular, Sapitwa Peak in the south.  He was doing this to raise some money for a charity he was working at in Malawi, called Ripple Africa….. and he highly recommended the climb. 
A long, but beautiful bus ride gave us a taste of the spectacular Malawian scenery, as we came off the high plateau of Lilongwe town, down to the lowlands in Blantyre.  Some amazing peaks and rock formations along the way, with some large plateaus poking up high above the flats.  I must admit, it was a beautiful drive, and I was able to enjoy it more as the bus driver was actually a decent driver. 
In Blantyre, we had a quick turnaround at the local supermarket, to stock up on food for our hike, then we were off to Mulanje town by minibus.  I'm not sure if many of you know, but at present, Malawi is having a major fuel crisis, and we hear about it everywhere we go.  It is definitely a reality, but used as an excuse everywhere we go to charge more money for anything, especially the minibuses. 

Night View of Chisepo Hut and Sapitwa behind

Apparently, the good ole president has spent far too much of the foreign exchange currency on things like helicopters, jets, inland harbours, and probably more frivolous things, and now there is no more For-Ex money left to import fuel to the country.  This is quite difficult to imagine, but it is definitely a reality, as you see massive lines of cars at fuel stations, most of them waiting days for the fuel truck to arrive.  Given this, most of the fuel is bought on the black market at exorbitant prices, hence the increased pricing of everything.
Well, it turned out that this minibus to Mulanje didn't have enough fuel to make it there, so just stopped in a town halfway and told us - only fate about 20 minutes - to hop out.  Luckily, we did catch another, but this meant we would be doing something we did not like to do - arrive after dark!! 

Chisepo Hut in the Morning above a bed of clouds

Because of this, we got dropped off at the wrong place and had to spend a night at a pretty dingy little place. We decided not to  move on with all our possessions an stayed put.
It could have been worse though, and the next morning we hitched a ride in the local ambulance, back to the small town of Chitikale, to the mountain office, where info-man Richard got us all sorted with a route, guide and porter!!
After a final shop for veggies and fruit to load down our poor little porter, Limbani, we were on our way.  Right out of the back of town, it was a beautiful walk.  We started through the large, rolling green tea plantations, before starting up the massif.  The fields were lovely, especially with the huge wall of Mt Mulanje behind.  From the base in town at 650m, we were to head to the first night's hut at about 2000m (1400m/4600 ft vertical).  A big day, and the climb was steep.  Saving grace was, that even with the intense heat, there was good wind that kept us a little cool. 

With Limbani and Leason on the Summit of Sapitwa

Without the porter, this one would have been a hell of a grunt with all of our food, as it was straight up!!  On the way, we hit some nice cooling rivers, to lower the body temperature.  The views on the way up were amazing of the tea plantations below, and the different peaks in the distance as far as Mozambique.  Just as we arrived at the plateau, the clouds rolled up and in.  It was nice and cool to be in the mist, and we finished our first day with a final hour in the rain. 
The CCAP hut appeared suddenly out of the mist, and we were well taken care of there, by the aptly named 'caretaker' of the hut - Boniface. He built us a fire to cook on, and boiled water for us to have a bucket shower with.  After a good feast of tuna pasta we hit the sack early, as things start so early in the morning here.

Martin on Sapitwa with Chambe Peak in the Background

We woke up to more fog, and hiked the entire day under the shroud of mist. Cooling to walk in, but no views to speak of, but still, it was atmospheric and had a beauty of its own. Even at our destination, the Chisepo Hut, we were socked-in.  At the time, I imagined how impressive the views must be from here, but we would have to wait and see. 
We met with two brothers, Fellipe and Fernando from Brazil, who in honour of their good friend, Gabriel, were climbing to retrace his footsteps. Gabriel died on the mountain in 2009, after fog rolled in and was lost for 3 days before passing.  He had decided against a guide, and that turned out to be a big mistake.  A sad story for sure, but Felipe and Fernando  were here for a bit of closure, and to bring some items for  his memorial at the top. 

Sunset Near Thuchilya Hut

That evening, the clouds cleared and we could see lights of the town, now about 1600m below.  Also, the stars and almost-full moon lit up Sapitwa (the peak) from behind giving us a good feeling about the day to follow. 
A cool night's sleep on the cabin floor near the fire, and we awoke early for our summit bid, to clear skies above and a sea of cloud below in the valley.  I love being above the clouds, and this was definitely no exception.  We set off at 5:30 and were quickly greeted by the steep rock face that was going to be our escalator up.  It was all on the toes and balls of the feet up, but thankfully it wasn't wet, as it would have been extremely slick and dangerous-going.  Upon gaining most of the vertical, we then had to traverse across to the 3001m summit.  It was up and down on big boulders, and even though the summit was in sight, it took some time to get there.  We both enjoyed the surprise golden field of grasses near the summit. 

Thuchilya Hut

After 4 or 5 hours, we finally summitted, and had the panoramic 365 degree views all across Southern Africa (or so it seemed)!!  Maybe just a prelude to our Kilimanjaro climb.  It was a special scene up there, made even more emotional with Fellipe and Fernando, as they spent about 2 hours up there remembering their good friend, and celebrating his life in quiet reflection. 
The way down was even tougher, as those steep rock faces now created difficult footwork, and our legs got super-sore from pointing straight down for hours.  We were satisfied, but exhausted when we got back to Chisepo Hut about 1:30PM.  But because of a little poor planning, we had to quickly cook and eat lunch, then head on to our next hut,  Thuchilya.  We could have easily just parked ourselves at Chisepo, to receiver, but the plan was to hike 3 more hours across what was supposed to be flat-ish terrain.  It was reasonable, and again stunning, but we were so tired upon arrival, we ate and went straight to bed falling asleep before our heads hit the pillow.
In the morning, we again awoke to sunshine and wonderful views back to the peaks and to the flatlands below. 

The Descent down Elephants Head - Sapitwa on Left

Today was down, down, down, and quite quickly.  My legs were not happy about this, because I would much prefer the slow slog of uphill, vs. the strains of going down.  The leg quads will hurt tomorrow!!!   Finally reaching town, we had some fun with the locals, whilst our guide Liaison and porter Limbani kept watching over us like good responsible chaperones.  They were also trying to arrange a ride back to Chitikale in the minibus to finish the trip out in style - yep, crammed into yet another minibus on some bumpy roads, with some friendly albeit, a little-smelly locals.  This time, our body odour probably matched theirs and we really didn't care. 

Things Michelle will remember:
1. The intense vivid green of the rolling tea plantations that went on for what seemed, forever.
2. Walking in the fresh thick mist at the top of the plateau when suddenly (and thankfully) the CCAP hut came into extremely-welcome sight only about 80 feet away.
3. The painful ascent walking on the balls of our feet.

Martin in the Wheat-like Grasses high up Sapitwa

4. The amazing colour of the tall golden wheat-like grasses contrasted against the cornflower-blue skies - so tall that you could only just make out each other walking through it!
5. The stunning views of the (20+) peaks of the massif.
6. Waking to something moist and moving on her neck on the final night - which turned out to be a 2 inch millipede. Eeeeww.
7. Having fun with the locals as we came into the village at the end of the hike: Signalling to an older lady with a variety of things balanced on her head, if she wanted to join in a photo. Without a second thought, she literally threw all her stuff to the ground and ran over not wanting to miss out on such an opportunity, and before we might change our minds! It was great to see her child-like spontaneity and the joy other face as she saw herself on the screen afterwards!
*Stub

Another Border Crossing - Now to Malawi

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Martin Playing a Huge game of Boa with locals

Another border crossing into Malawi, and we have started to keep track of our countries visited.  Martin is now at 58 and Michelle at 56.  The race is on!!!
Loida. our connection here in Lilongwe, was one of the girls that jumped into Devil's Pool with us at Vic Falls. She welcomed us with open arms and let us stay in the spare room at her rental place (special thanks to Frank).  After getting spoilt by Diana with a lunch, she even dropped us off at Loida's work - the UNICEF office in Lilongwe.  We noticed there were a lot of fancy vehicles there!!!
Touring around Lilongwe the next day was basically to find out info, and get a few chores done.  Lilongwe is a pretty nondescript place, not bad, but not great.  But the people seem very friendly and a highlight of the day was when I joined in a large game of BOW with a bunch of local men.  Instead of just a small wooden board, they actually had all the holes dug in the ground and the board was about 20 feet long.  The 'champion' was quite animated when playing his moves, and when I joined in an imitated his actions, all the men got quite a laugh!! 
Seeing as though we had heard the Malawians were very friendly, we were surprised to see a fist fight break out, about 2 feet outside our minibus window, on the way back to meet Loida.  I think most people were a little shocked too, as they all watched with alarm.
That evening, with Loida, her friend Leslie, and Frank, we went to a Christmas carol thing at the Four Season's complex.  We had no idea what it was all about, and given that it was tough to imagine Christmas is right around the corner given the extreme heat and summer-like conditions, we walked in and were all quite shocked.  It was a picnic-like atmosphere, with some decent singing along with some very chalk-board scraping shrill tones, but the biggest surprise was I think that every white person in Malawi was there.  We hadn't seen such a big congregation of whites since we had been in Africa, and we found it a little strange.  Luckily, Leslie came prepared with a bottle of wine (she's a good Canadian), and shared it around, before Frank treated us to a wonderful Indian curry.  That's about it for Lilongwe, as we got up early to tackle the bus journey down to Mulanje on Saturday morning.   *Stub