I thought I would start off with how my work is going or not.
Well the begining of last week Herman and I finally have somebody (Gillian) who we sort of report into and is trying to help fit us in.
Basically the role were supposed to do has a project start date of March, yes were here to early.
So Gillian has asked to do Database preparatory work, which is still difficult as they have no organisational reporting charts.
Were still waiting to be introduced to the Ministries Board and management team.
Whare we work is a little surreal to Malawi. We work in an area called Capitol Hill, which it is literally.
A hill with about 8 identical building blocks, each one housing a Ministry plenty of gardens. Next door is a big building for there Parliament with an adjoining masive conference centre both just recently build by the Chinese.
This is all out of character with the rest of Lilongwe and Malawi.
Pictures below show some of the buildings and one of my office which I share with two locals MacFarland and Loyce, me eating in our canteen.
Pictures below show some of the buildings and one of my office which I share with two locals MacFarland and Loyce, me eating in our canteen.
Pictures below show some of the buildings and one of my office which I share with two locals MacFarland and Loyce, me eating in our canteen.
Pictures below show some of the buildings and one of my office which I share with two locals MacFarland and Loyce, me eating in our canteen.
The weekend before last Herman and I drove off to Zomba about 170 miles south to meet up with David, Fiona and Mirian whom we had flown out from Heathrow together. So was really good to see them and catch up with their stories. We were staying in a backpackers lodge at the bottom of some very steep mountains. So on Saturday we went trekking. The first part was climbing 600m of very steep track in mostly trees which gave some shade from the sun, which is blistering hot when in it. Temperature around 32c so we were all soaked with sweat. We then got to a massive plateau with more peaks all around going upto about 2200m, in away a lost world. As seem all over Malawi there are always loads of colourful birds.
We were told there were some waterfalls another 200m up, so we made it there and had a dip in the water. The falls and pools did not have much water, so no swimming but the laying in the pools to cool down was very welcome.
The view from the top will have to wait another time they were another 700m up, time was running out and I think some of the party had run out of steam. David has said he will take me up another week as the views should be spectacular.
On leaving Lilongwe to get to Zomba are little black car only had half a tank of petrol. No where in Lilongwe had any. We had expected to fill up on the journey but everywhere was empty. This is about currency exchange and the government releasing exchange for the petrol companies to bring it in. It's a different economic situation here. The government has no money. If Greece was not in the Euro and had the drachma. Greece could be in the same situation that nobody will trade with you. A different world.
Anyhow David is lodging with a local lad called Ordin (spelling may be wrong) he is in the pics, as he acted as our guide. He new somebody who new somebody who had some black market petrol from Mozambique so we were able to buy 20ltr but at twice the price. Petrol/Diesel is about the same price as in the UK. That's very expensive for the locals on their earning.
So we made it back but as with going we kept to a max of 50mph to preserve fuel.
There are pics of the country side on the trip. Were on the main highway which is tarmac. very few other roads/track are.
Basically it all very open bush, but hopefully you can see in the background the sudden sharp volcanic mountains.
Most of the inhabitants build their huts with local furnaced bricks and then put a tin roof on if they can afford it otherwise it's a sheet of plastic with straw on the top. Not certain how it copes with the heavy rain.
Well next door Dens and Regie have brought a Christmas tree ( small artificial one) and the supermarkets have decorations for sale.
However I have to say being in 32c it does not remotely feel like christmas.
Next update probably after Christmas so a happy Christmas to you all.
