Today was Saturday so in the village it is always a lazy day. Gordon and I decided that after breakfast we would walk up to the lodge and use the internet and make a plan for the day. Since we have been walking so much I asked Scott if I could borrow his car and drive us up instead of walk. He wasn’t planning to go anywhere so he gave me the keys. We went up and sat having a coke and both ticking away on our devices. It’s a treat to get online for an extended period of time so there isn’t much talking. We both got caught up and then made a plan for the day. We decided that in the afternoon we would hire a taxi and head into town. Gordon wanted to see what the city was like and shop for some curios. I also had a few things to buy so it seemed like a great idea.
At Adziwa there is a daycare where kids who aren’t old enough for school stay for the day. They don’t have any toys so I also wanted to purchase some toys and games for the children there.
Anytime you hire a taxi here it’s an adventure. This particular taxi had no breaks…it was a stick shift and the driver used the hand break every time he needed to stop. He was the slowest driver I’ve ever driven with probably because he knew he couldn’t stop quickly if he needed to. We were sure to buckle up and lucky for us we didn’t have to go to far. We got dropped off in the middle of town and walked over to the wood carvers market. A swarm of vendors began approaching. A few of them know me and once they get close enough to me or shake my hand they recognize me and we can say hello and they ask who I have brought with me. Gordon wanted to buy a few gifts so off he went with a gaggle of vendors behind him. I stayed close, but just watched. I also needed a few gifts and now seemed like as good a time as any to get those things purchased. I bought a bunch of things from one man and then all the others began telling me that it was only fair if I shared the business. I said there is no way I can share the business with all of you! There are probably 50 vendors. That didn’t seem to matter and on and on I kept being asked to come buy just “one more thing”. I hate to get firm with anyone, but eventually I did have to just say “No more! Done!”. Gordon seemed to be having fun talking price with the locals. After all that’s 1/2 the fun.
After the curio shopping we went back to the large store that is fairly new here called Game. It’s a South African chain similar to Target or Walmart. I picked up a few balls, some colored paper and some matchbox cars for the kids at Adziwa. I wish there had been more to choose from, but the toys were hard to find. I wanted to get blocks or linkin logs, but no luck.
We hopped in the cab and headed back to the village. Saturday is volleyball day so the courts were full and I went to watch for a bit. I had skipped lunch so I was starting to get hungry. I ordered a burger and chips from the kitchen and then went and got Gordon so he would know I was going to eat. Didn’t want him to think I was eating without him 😉 he came up also and we sat and listened to the band play and ate our dinner. A few people were in the village left over from volleyball and eventually a big group came down to play games. Gordon and I were invited to join and we ended up playing Catch Phrase for a few hours. This was great fun and good also because it kept me awake. At about 7:30 I was ready for bed, but knew going to sleep that early would mean waking up at 3am with nothing to do.
Finally around 10 we all headed to bed. The generator was still on so I had about 3 min. to check the floor of my hut for little friends. All clear so jumped into bed and got my net all put down around it. I had my iPad in with me and was watching a show with one earphone in when all of a sudden I heard what we rarely hear here in the village…..hyenas! I stopped my iPad and listened for a bit as they barked and whooped in the distance. Before long they stopped and I went back to my iPad. I started scrolling through pictures so I could continue to listen and see if they would yelp some more. Sure enough about 10 min later I heard just one hyena making noise. It to me sounded very close. Noise travels here in a funny way especially at night. Since it’s so so quiet you can hear music and people talking from miles away, but to me this hyena sounded like it was here in the village and not far from my little hut. Eventually I drifted off to sleep knowing I was safe and locked in for the night. I did however make a decision that I wouldn’t be going to take a potty break until morning 😉
I’ve been up now since about 7 and Gordon and I have enjoyed breakfast together and some conversation. He is leaving on a 1:30 flight home so this is his final few hours here. He has gone to take a shower and pack up. I have enjoyed his company and so enjoyed learning from him this week. He has an adventures spirit that I really have admired. I couldn’t be more thankful for the fact that he has come to Malawi to help push forward our program here. I know that many people have benefited from his decision to add the warm heart of Africa to his itinerary this summer. Safe travels Gordon and I’m sure I’ll see you again!