I checked into my lodge here in Zomba late last night and instantly realized that what I had experienced the first couple weeks in Malawi was nothing like what I was about to experience for the next four. The lodge is nestled at the foothills of the Zomba plateau and if the sights did not immediately shake my senses, the temperature surely did. As I exited the pickup truck (whose fuel gauge was so low it emitted a warning sound that was equivalent to a fire alarm for the entire hour drive from Blantyre to Zomba) I noticed the crispness in the air and a cold breeze met me. Even in the dark I could see the lushness of the foliage and trees around me, a far cry from the barren landscape of Blantyre and Lilongwe.
The check-in process went smoothly and the front desk employee assured my I had the best view of the lodge. I excitedly responded and though tired, was curious to see what my accommodations would look like for the next month.
It is going to be a long month.
What the front desk told me wasn’t incorrect, just my interpretation of it. See, when I heard best view of the lodge, I assumed what he meant was the room, within the lodge, provided the best view, most likely one of the gorgeous plateau nearby. This was not the case. Instead, saw that he actually meant precisely what he said: I had the best view of the lodge. Open my window, and what did I see? Well, of course, the lodge itself. An unobstructed, straight-on view of the lodge. Can’t call him a liar now can I?
The evening and this following morning have proceeded in interesting fashion. I have fought away two hornets (I think they were hornets), killed a healthy amount of mosquitos, told a lizard he isn’t welcome in my room, and awoke to the world’s biggest raven squawking outside my door (I swear this raven had known the raven that visited Poe, and then, in a moment of gluttony, ate that raven and doubled its own size in the process – it was that big). I have experienced no internet (making me wonder why in fact I am writing this blog, and if any of you will ever read it), had dinner with a group of Chinese Math Education professors from, of all places, Depaul University in Chicago, and lost electricity a half-a-dozen times in just under twice as many hours. Oh, and it is raining now. Hard. The rains, I am told, do not start until November. Apparently Zomba plays by its own rules.
All in all, I am doing well. Work has halted for the time being as the lack of fuel makes it impossible for me to get anywhere around town or out into the field. In fact, now that I think about it, the rain doesn’t do much help either, as the dirt roads will quickly become mud roads if this lasts much longer. I have begun writing much more, and hoping to work on a few projects that have been hanging over my head for quite some time. Computer battery life will become tricky soon though (as I have no electricity to charge it) so my cut-off-from-the-world status may soon increase even more.
Of course, I will keep you informed when I can. Cheers.
