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Monday, Aug. 03, 2009 - 11:00 a.m. Last Wednesday, Nana, Katie and I got into the 4x4 around 11 am and headed to Lake Malawi. We stopped in Nkotakota for lunch (about ½ the way to our final destination) where it took a wicked 2 hours for lunch, coffee and cheesecake. But Nkotakota is also on the lake. So we went for a walk along the beach and enjoyed the lovely sunshine. After a long lunch we headed further north to Nkata Bay, our resting place. Katie and I slept most of the way. The beach is lovely at the lake, white sand beaches for a few miles. We arrived just after 5 and headed to our rooms. At the hotel we were staying at, you are right on the lake. Literally, your “backyard” as it were is practically on the sand, give or take a few feet. We were greeted with lemonade at our room while we did a bit of unpacking. We were the only ones at the hotel that evening, but there are only 10 rooms available. We went for a walk along the beach before supper since we were sitting the majority of the day. It was fun playing in the waves like you were 6 again. We had a nice dinner that evening with two of Nana’s colleagues, James and Alice. The food was delicious but the lemon-meringue pie that we had for dessert was so incredible. Real meringue and really lemony filling. Yum. Two pieces filled the five of us easily. The next morning we woke up, after falling asleep to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore the previous night, and went for breakfast. Katie and I had not had cereal in months so we had large portions of granola and cornflakes. It was yummy too. We headed out around 10:30 to go see a project that Canada help fund and a hand over of one of the school projects as well. We met Mr. Aleke Banda (Retired MP of Malawi government, lovely man) and he showed us around the training facility and then invited us to his home, just down the way, for lunch. His home is right on the lake as well. Beautiful property. Nice big trees and a massive garden. The pictures from their yard are quite astonishing. We had lunch (Katie and I had nsima) with the Bandas and talked about the afternoon’s festivities ahead. Oh and Mr. Banda says that he would wake up from time to time and see a hippo walking down to the water from his back porch area! Mr. Banda has done a lot in his life time. He was a Minister of Finance for Malawi in Portugal a number of years back and he met Neil Armstrong and the other astronauts (we saw the photograph). Lots of knowledge and very good stories we heard from that man. He has done a lot for this country. After a filling lunch, we headed to the village that had the two school blocks that Canada helped fund. Nana received a warm welcome and was handed the key to unlock the doors. We then took our seats and heard speeches of thanks from teachers, students, women and other important faces in the village. The photographs are really great. After many long speeches and translations, we left but not after being crowded as I took pictures of the children. Lots of posses, even the karate ones! We went back to our hotel, where we had a nice swim in Lake Malawi and had dinner, just the three of us. It was nice :D The next day, Katie and I got up early for the sunrise, which was absolutely incredible. Then we had breakfast, and then some swimming and beach combing. We then got back into the 4x4 and went to our next hotel, in Salima. That is where Dylan and Mike were, not the same hotel but that area-ish. We had a small, almost cottage like home which had 3 beds and 1 double bed. We are all able to say together! It was funny though, they were going to give us two. One for Nana and another for Katie and me. We had another swim the same day. We then had showers and enjoyed the lake from our balcony and read. We had a nice dinner at 7 down at the restaurant. But Katie couldn’t help giving off her charm and attracted the very rotund chef. He asked to come back to Canada with her After dinner which was filling and Katie’s boyfriend gave her a second slice of cake :P, we went back to our little cottage and went to sleep. We woke up on August 1st and had some breakfast and then went for a swim. We also had a kayak race on the lake, where Katie just beat me. Nana arrived as a very proud 3rd. We checked out at drove back to Lilongwe where we spent a lovely and quiet afternoon with Baba talking about our trip. Richard and Jesse made me an extraordinary birthday cake from scratch and brought it in with their entire family. It was really incredible. We had a nice dinner followed by lots of cake and sparkling wine! Yum. Baba and Nana got me my first real pieces of grown-up jewellery, a bracelet and a stunning necklace. Nana also got me a hippo from the lake and Baba a new pack of playing cards :D It was lovely all the way round. Thank you for those who sent me birthday wishes, I don’t think I have ever logged into facebook with 44 notifications before. And also to those who called. It was very nice to hear your voices especially being so far away from the rest of you. Thank you everyone, it really means a lot. Well that seems like a long enough entry I do believe. The next one I do judge I will be writing in Canada about Amsterdam. We arrive in Canada on Sunday. Hope to see you all very soon. I send out all my love, even though some of you don’t need :P, and hope that you are excited to see Katie and I, much tanner that is :D Cheers, BOL |
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