Nothing is Standard

It's been a couple of beautiful and frustrating days here in Malawi. Once you get used to having water, it goes out; the same is true with internet and electricity and everything else.  It still is vastly better than what I remember years ago, but it is a great reminder of how things happen on their own time overseas.

This is the latest project I've been working on that has taken a week and a half to resolve.  My bed is too short and has a footboard.  Footboards are the equivalent of steel traps to tall people.

It feels like this.  Seriously.

So it was off to find a place that would construct just the perfect bed. We found it.

Now this is more like it. 

However, what we thought was standard, isn't.  Europeans and Africans use different bed sizes than those in America.  So I needed to first get a mattress custom made and then have bed made around it.

All the calculations we had to make.

Place where I put in the order for the custom mattress.

Random car accident that happened that blocked traffic to the bed place for a day and a half.

I finally made the deal for the bed with Franco Bizzaro at African Habitat.  He's a wonderful man, but I believe I just entered a handshake deal with the Italian Mafia (where he hails from).

He didn't have a card, so he gave me his wife's.  Hmmm....

Franco and I became friends.  This might be the only known picture of him. 

It took one week to get all of this done.  When will all of this be completed by?  Not sure.  For the mattress they are saying 2 weeks and the bed 2 months.  Those seem like guesses. Whenever it is, it will be worth it.

Old Town Market in Lilongwe and Dedza

On a Saturday, we went to the market and then hiking in Dedza all in the same day.  It was overwhelming, beautiful and exhausting.  

To get to the Old Town Market you have to take one of these bridges and pay a bridge troll a toll of 20 Kwatcha (5c) to cross.  And then you risk your life on the bridge. 

Two roads...which would you take?  I had doubts it could hold my weight. 

Amazing colors in the market.

There is an area of the market with old tee-shirts bought in bulk from overseas.  This is where donated clothes spend their last days. 

Of course, I had to see the largest cockroach I've ever seen there too.  They grow them big in Africa.

Views from the top of Dedza Mountain, about an hour from Lilongwe.

Minibus Ride in Malawi

Life at Home

Here is glimpse of what things look like at home.

Dorothy and her newborn son, Young.  Dorothy is the housekeeper.  She'll work all day with Young on her back like this and he just seems to love it.

Dan and, once again, Young; he's so cute it merits another picture.  Dan is married to Dorthy and is the gardner/guard.

Bacon, the dog.  He is a Malawian mutt Meredith adopted.  One of the kindest dogs ever.

There are 3 chickens as well that roam the yard.  I don't think they have names, which doesn't bode well for them..

This one is the predator.  Doesn't it look like a T-Rex?

The Malawian currency, the Kwacha.  $1 USD= 400 Kwacha.  This has to be one of the most unique sounding currency names out there.

The porch off of the living room

Porch looking into the yard.

Looking out to the right on the porch.

Living and dining room

Kitchen

The 2nd bedroom where I work and go online. Every bed here has treated bednets for malaria prevention.

Lake Malawi and Blue Zebra Lodge

The day after arriving we decided to head to Lake Malawi and have a night in luxury.  We had to take a boat to get to the island where Blue Zebra Lodge is.  It is in an environmentally protected area and is sublime.

These awesome kids just wanted the boat driver to gun it so the waves would rock the boat.

Fishermen on the way out to the lodge.

From the day earlier at a nature reserve.

Our tent cabin and the view.

Unreal views from the main area of the lodge.

26 Hours To Africa

Means a lot of pain for someone 6'4".  I could be just getting old and creaky as well, but I swear those seats in economy are getting smaller with every trip.  Good luck trying to get your seat to recline with me behind you.  It was one of the toughest trips I've ever had.

All I could keep thinking about is, "I'm leaving for a year!? My whole life turned on its head for a while and reduced to 3 bags.  Man, am I looking forward to this." Lack of sleep and emotions running riot made for an interesting last few hours as I called people that final time.

The outgoing flight

I had 10 hours in Amsterdam and was able to get some nice photos.  I needed to keep moving because if I didn't, I would fall asleep.

The Kenya Air flight to Nairobi.

And from Nairobi to Lilongwe, we were able to fly by Kilimanjaro.  I will be climbing up to the peak this year.  Hopefully, when I'm there, I'll be able to look out and see these planes flying by.

Upon landing, they put everyone through a health check.  All people who arrived had their temperature taken with what looked like a laser gun aimed at the forehead and their passports checked.  Clearly this was for Ebola and they were taking air travelers seriously; that the other entry points into the country have the same scrutiny is also my wish.

The guy with the reflective vest is taking temperatures.