For all the buildup and tension, last night was very quiet and uneventful. I had an hour long Skype call with the Save directors in DC, after which I went out with Chris (Malawian) and Marcus (South African), two of the Save staff from the Lilongwe office who were staying in Blantyre for a few days for meetings (one of which I have in a just a few hours with them this morning). I hesitated to go out at first, given the circumstances of the day, but felt confident that Chris knew what he was doing and wasn't going to put any of us in harm's way. My thinking was correct - it was the opposite of what I had expected based on all the previous articles and threats. The streets were eerily silent, with few cars or people moving about.
We grabbed a taxi just outside the hotel doors and proceeded to drive a couple miles away, up a mountain, to a small hideaway called 'Chez Makay'. It was an inn, and its handwritten sign and paucity of lights would cause many to drive right past without ever seeing it or wondering what it looked like inside. I feel sorry for those who do; it was breathtaking. After a quick walk through "the lobby" (essentially just a room with a folding table and chair for the front desk) we arrived on an outdoor patio overlooking the valley below and an adjacent mountainside about a mile away. Lights from cars, houses, and streets twinkled in the distance, and as we sat, I almost tripped on my chair attempting to crane my neck so as to take it all in.
Not long after we sat down, the owner, Makay himself, came over to greet us. He was a tall man, with long thick dreadlocks down to his waist and dressed as though he was headed to the beach. He welcomed us and I immediately countered with how beautiful his establishment was. "No no, it is not mine," he quickly responded "it is not mine. It is yours.This is your place now. Enjoy it to the fullest." I have no doubt that was not the first time he said that in response to someone, but it was very cool nonetheless. I ended up eating the Chambo (a Malawian fish) at the suggestion of Chris, and I was not disappointed. Every bit of it was delicious.
About a half-hour into our dinner, another Save employee, who was here in Blantyre assessing a program and staying at the Chez Makay, came and sat down to join us. Her name was Eleanor and she she had been in Malawi for two weeks, and was leaving the next morning to head back to Italy. The four of us ordered a round of drinks and starting swapping stories from topics including alcohol (Chris: "What IS Whiskey, James?"), driving (Elanor: "Beirut - Worst drivers in the world, hands down"), and of course, the lack of demonstrations at any point throughout the day (Marcus - "Look at us - we are clearly not fighting much of anything right now"). We laughed, got serious, shared stories, and learned from one another. A Malawian, an Italian, a South African, and an American.
Very cool indeed.
