Malawi: Some photos from the districts

Pictures paint a thousand words so I will just let these photos tell their own beautiful stories.These photos were chosen at random but at the back of my mind, what it is a selection to prove that Malawi is not the dry, arid land that most would imagine.

1. Mangochi

Some women washing clothes in Cape Maclear, Lake Malawi.

2.  Dedza

Dedza bus depot: I think this is the least stressful bus depot I've been to in Malawi. Not much hawkers and buses do not linger for a long time.

Cow traffic along the Dedza road

               

St. Joseph Church in Dedza 

3. Dowa

Some kids playing at the Dzaleka refugee camp.

New Plaza restaurant at the Dzaleka refugee camp. I have not actually tried the food so I cannot vouch for it.

4. Lilongwe

The Game Centre in Old Town.

One of the many coffin shops along coffin alley.

A chip vendor at Nkhoma, Lilongwe.

A minibus waiting for passengers along the road in Malingunde.

5. Nkhotakota

One of the park rangers of Nkhotakota Game Reserve staring at the waters of the Bua River.

6. Salima

Ducks in formation at the Kuti Game Reserve.

A parked boat along Senga Bay, Lake Malawi.

7. Mzimba

Getting ready to paddle my canoe at the Luwawa Forest Lodge Dam.

8. Zomba

Zomba plateau, taken along the way to see Chingwe's Hole.

Mulunguzi dam

9. Chikwawa

A giraffe and a zebra at the Nyala Game Park.

10. Kasungu

Overlooking the expanse of Kasungu National Park.

11. Machinga

Towering baobab trees at Liwonde National Park.

Livingstone, Zambia: Dining with the locals

So there I was, wandering on my own at the Victoria Falls. I visited the place on the third week of October which was not the best time of the year to do so. It was summer and water levels were low. That goes without saying that I did not get to see Mosi-o-tunya (the smoke that thunders) at its best. The thunder was definitely there. I can still hear the waters crash and roar as they plummet down the gorge. The smoke wasn't. Just as I expected.

I was a bit disappointed, really. I have been planning the trip for so long. Having had to cancel plans twice due to unforeseen circumstances, I made sure to go  when the next opportunity presented itself. Nothing was stopping me--not the summer season, not the guys at the border office and definitely not the two bus breakdowns on my way to Lusaka.

Visitors, to be able to see the grandeur of Mosi-o-Tunya, should visit on the early days of the rainy season (January or February) or right at the start of the dry season (May-June). That way, the falls would still be visible and not hidden by the mist.

Still, what I saw of was impressive. What more if it was the rainy season? All that water flowing down the precipice spanning at least 1.7 kilometers, straddling two countries.It would be a magnificent sight. My friend who visited the place on April, right smack in the middle of the rainy season, had to wear a poncho because of all the spray. It is no wonder it is considered as one of the seven wonders of the natural world.

Anyway, it appears that the highlight of the day was not the falls itself but the fact that I got invited to dinner in a complete stranger's home. How did it happen, you ask me? There I was at the view deck all by my lonesome self where I was joined by a lady with her two nieces. Being the Filipino that I am, I needed a photo of me with the falls in the background which she obligingly took. I then offered to take their photo and that apparently broke the ice. In no time at all, we were chatting and I was invited for dinner at their place. Call me cynical but I would never ask somebody whom I met for the first time to my home for dinner. Maybe, a shared meal at a restaurant or a fastfood but never at my home. It still baffles me that it happened to me. How can people be so trusting? Well, humanity never ceases to amaze. At the end of the day, it was just me and the family cooking together, getting to know each other and learning about each other's culture. Not even Mosi-o-Tunya can beat that experience.

Zambia: 111 meters of big African air

It has always been in my thoughts--bungee jumping. Finally, I got my chance to do it at the Victoria Falls bridge. A hundred and eleven meter leap into big African air. Third highest in the world. It was a solo travel but  lucky for me, a hawker volunteered to hold my camera and take photos of my historical jump (historical for me, at least). Not wanting to take my chances, I also signed up to have my jump video taped by the crew. It was not cheap but what the heck, it just had to be documented properly.

It was a most liberating experience. You know when you just stand there at the edge of the ramp trusting that a piece of rope will keep you safe and then, you let go of everything. It is a case of accepting one's mortality and jumping to freedom. The feeling is indescribable.  Such an extraordinary release and an extraordinary high afterwards.

Some useful information:

1. I took the Big Air combo package which is a combination of three activities:  the zip line/slide, the bungee jump and the swing.  It costs $210 per person.



The Slide

The zip line starts from the Batoka Gorge going to the end of the Victoria Falls bridge at the Zimbabwean side.

The Bungee Jump

5,4,3,2,1 Bungee! For a while, I felt like my heart was about to stop breathing and then.... release! Freedom.

The Swing

Then you jump again, feet first this time. The view is just awesome. Above you are the people cheering and shouting. Below is the frothy waters of the Zambezi. Bliss!

2. A separate fee of $50 is charged if you want a video of the whole experience.

3. The bungee jump location is the bridge connecting Zambia and Zimbabwe. You need to bring your passport.

Zambia: Lilongwe-Lusaka-Livingstone journey

Lilongwe-Lusaka aboard Kobs bus

I had this trip figured in my mind. The plan was for me to board the Kobs Bus at the Lilongwe bus depot that goes to Lusaka. Spend the night in Lusaka. Travel the next day to Livingstone to finally see the Victoria Falls and bungee jump.

As usual, it was not as easy at it sounds and it did not happen as I planned.

Firstly, there was no bus departing from Lilongwe on the day I decided to start my journey. I should have double checked the day before. I didn't. End of story.

Not wanting to be deterred from my much-anticipated holiday, I implemented Plan B. Take minibus to Mchinji then a shared taxi to the border. Have my passport stamped with my visa. Then, get another bus from Chipata to Lusaka.

Well, as it turns out, the bus situation is the least of my worries.

Big problem! I can't get my visa at the border. Had to go back to the big city that is Lilongwe. (You can read about it in an earlier post.)

Two days later with visa troubles sorted. I was cheerfully making my way to Lusaka.  The first hour at least. Even before we reached the border, we already had a breakdown in Mchinji. Woke up from my slumber thinking that we were already at the border only to find out that we were having mechanical troubles. Fortunately, the driver and the conductor with the help of the locals got the problem sorted and we continued with our journey. Spent about 45 minutes at the border where we all have to get off the bus and walk to the immigration office to have our passports checked, visas stamped for the others, exit cards filled in for the locals. Got back on the bus and then we headed to Chipata where we had another bus stop.I thought it would only be for a bathroom break but we lingered waiting for more passengers. Started off again after more than an hour. Then in the  middle of nowhere, another break down. I couldn't believe it! I was beginning to think the trip was jinxed. Another two hours of the journey spent sitting idly on the bus wondering if I will ever reach Lusaka. Good thing I had enough supply of biscuits and water. Help eventually arrived in the form of another bus that delivered the necessary spare parts. Relief!

Watching the scenery change from my bus window while trying so hard to ignore the gospel music that was blasting from the speakers, I noticed is the stark economic difference between Malawi and Zambia. On the Zambian side, things seem to be happening. Roads are better paved. Transport system is in better order. There are none of the overcrowded minibuses looking like they are ready to fall apart, more houses with corrugated iron roofing. But again, what do I know? I was just passing by. Things are not always what they seem to be in the surface. I will let the economic experts be a judge to that.

 I  arrived at Zambia's capital in the middle of the night. Six more hours before I have to take another bus to Livingstone. Back home, I would have just lingered at the bus depot and waited for the next bus but here it is not happening.

A lone female stranger in a strange land's dimly lighted and bustling bus depot is a magnet for crooks, I think. So off I headed to Lusaka Backpackers hostel where I had a few hours of snooze time and a shower.

Lusaka to Livingstone aboard the Mazhandu Bus 

Five o'clock in the morning, my taxi driver the  night before whom I have arranged to pick me up came to the hostel on the dot. Impressive. I think he kind of overcharged me considering that the hostel is so close to the Intercity Bus terminal but I reached my destination in good time so I just shut up and boarded the bus.

The trip was uneventful. Mazhandu Bus was way much cleaner than the Kobs bus I boarded the day before.

Arrived in Livingstone after eight hours and checked in at Fawlty Towers, a nice, clean and quiet hostel right in the middle of the town.

Malawi to Zambia: In Quest of Elephants

My friend wanted to see giraffes. Me, I just wanted to see elephants. So much so that in my list of things to do while in Africa, on top was "see elephants". I did not care for lions, not leopards--just elephants. In my mind, these huge, majestic creatures would either be reaching up with their trunks on some branch or just slowly walking along the riverbank.

Well, as it turns out it is not as easy as it sounds. Not as cheap either. Imagine this, our students at the college who are born and raised in Malawi haven't even seen one. It's not for lack of want to see one. It is just expensive. Sad but it is reality. You see, the animals are in the national parks or game reserves. One has to spend to visit these places--the travel, the park entrance fee, the game drive--these all add up.

It took me two years, two countries, three national parks and 2 game reserves before I finally got to see one. No doubt, there were elephants in the places I've been to. Thing is, I just did not research and plan enough.  It was mostly a case of being in the right place at the wrong time but once, I caught a glimpse of these animals, it was really worth it and just as I had imagined.

Yep, that is an elephant reaching up with its trunks for a tree branch. Just as I have imagined. (photo taken at Victoria Falls National Park, Livingstone, Zambia)

Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve

My journey in quest of elephants started in Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve. Considered to be the largest game reserve in Malawi, it is located in the central region, north of Lilongwe.

I took a solo trip during my first Easter holiday in the country and booked myself at the Bua River Lodge. Since it is the largest game reserve, I just assumed that elephants abound and they would just be wandering around. So naive of me. In short, I saw  no elephants.Two reasons for this apparently. First, vegetation is thick because of the rainy season. This makes it difficult for the elephants to be seen. Second, water was abundant everywhere so there was no need for the elephants to go to the river.

I did go on an excellent walking safari the next day and saw monkeys and baboons but that was about it.

For all it's worth, I had for myself some me-time, more like a retreat really since I was also the only guest at the lodge.

That is the park ranger who escorted me on my walking safari. We were standing by the banks of Bua River when I took this photo.

Nyala Game Park

Behold the nyala from whom the game park is named from!

Nyala Game Reserve is not really the place to go to see elephants. First, it is just a small game park located within a sugar plantation which is located in the southern part of Malawi. The area is too small to support elephants but it was big enough for other wildlife. I consider my visit to this place as time and money well spent.

My friends and I just happened to visit the park because it was more convenient for driving and it was a cheaper option. It was another spur of the moment decision motivated by our desire to see and do as much as we can while we had the chance. Our purpose to the city was a workshop for our project but since it was our first time to be in Blantyre,we decided might as well maximize our visit and resources before heading back to Lilongwe. Our friends based in the city volunteered to drive us around and since they have been to the place before, they thought that the experience would be something for us. How right they were!

During our game drive, we were able to see a number of giraffes, zebras, kudus, bushbacks, impalas and several others whose names elude me at the moment. Compared with my Nkhotakota experience, this was really something. Game was just everywhere. I was like a child on a day out.

As for elephants, there were two options here in the south to see them. There is  Lengwe National Park  and the other is Majete Wildlife Reserve.

Lengwe has a good number of them. Management even have to try controlling the numbers.  Last I read,some have been relocated to Nkhotakota Game reserve.

On the other hand, the more popular Majete Wildlife Reserve boasts of having the Big Five- elephant, lion, buffalo, the leopard and the rhinoceros. Not all are endemic to Malawi so some have to be flown in from neighboring countries.

I intended to visit Majete before leaving the country but unfortunately, I no longer had the time nor the resources to do so.

Kasungu National Park

They look rather small..but those are hippos sunning themselves from across the river.

Kasungu National Park is Malawi's second largest national park. The time I was in Nkhotakota, my friends were here and they saw a herd of elephants crossing the road. A neighbor, who also visited the place, took a video of a bull casually walking past the camp.

Myself, I visited the place in June, which is the start of the winter season.  My flatmate wanted to try her luck in finding leopards so I joined the trip. I thought I would be much luckier than her. Really, we had more chances of seeing elephants than the elusive leopards. Well, we were both disappointed.

Upon entry to the park, I had my hopes up. There were so many signs of elephant existence. Broken branches. Gigantic piles of dung. Elephant footprints. So that night, we signed up for a game drive. We drove around for like two hours--nothing. Not even a bushback. Just a lonely rabbit scampering on the side of the road. My flatmate remarked that it seems the animals decided to have a party somewhere and did not invite us. Seemed to be case.

Slept with the grunts of the hippos echoing from across the river.

Next day was not so lucky either but we had a view of the magnificent sunrise up on a big black rock. Now, I know what tequila sunrise looks like.

My friend and I on the peak of the big rock overlooking the vast expanse of Kasungu National Park.

The descent from the big rock with our trusted park ranger.

 Liwonde National Park

There is the elephant..from a distance.

Located along the Shire river in the southern region of Malawi, this seems to be the popular destination. It is easier to access and has more options in terms of accommodation. More budget friendly as compared to Majete and one has more chances of seeing the animals.

Definitely, there are elephants here. I saw them but from a distance while standing at the viewdeck, so it does not really count. Problem is we arrived at midday and the elephants were already gone from the watering hole.

Since we were just passing by on our way from Zomba to Lilongwe, we only managed to have one game drive. Saw several other animals though, including a fish eagle.

Warthogs..

Fisheagle..

Victoria National Park, Zambia

Finally, after two years, I got to see elephants. Such a gift to see them that close. I've got one word to describe the moment--awed.

More elephants...

Wildebeest

A family of warthogs...

A day at the US embassy

(More like... from the outside looking in)

So what does one do while waiting for someone to finish his interview at the US embassy? Here are some ideas:
1. read a book
2. do some crosswords
3. chat with those sitting beside you
4. watch people pass by and observe humanity as they go on with their lives
5. check out Facebook
6. check your text messages
7. plan for things to do at work
8. check emails and get updated with things at work
9. stare blankly into space
10. walk around a bit

Well, you get the drift. I did all of those stuff but mostly I just sat there and let my mind take in the conversations happening around me.

I was appointed by the family to assist my uncle while he processes his migration papers to the US. It is as simple as accompanying him to wherever he has to be, cross checking his requirements (which is a lot) with the checklist provided, and just being there just in case something else crops up that needs attention. Truth is, I just needed to be there for moral support. That's all.

It has been a long wait for my uncle. The petition for him to migrate was filed a decade or so ago and it is only  now that it is starting to progress.  Apparently it is the case for most petitions for siblings even for families. Entering Uncle Sam's land of milk and honey as an immigrant is not that easy. I heard lots of stories from petitioners who were there with me waiting for their parents and siblings to finish their medical examination.

So what happens after an immigrant visa case is scheduled for an interview?

1. The applicant has to get medical clearance at the St. Luke's Medical Extension Clinic at Bocobo St., Ermita, Manila. (Originally, we were all set to go to St. Luke's at E.Rodriguez in Cubao. A good thing I mentioned it to a friend and she asked me to double check the address.)

The process takes at least two days. The first day is for the physical examination. The second day is reserved for vaccinations. Luckily for my uncle, he only needed two days. We arrived at the clinic at around six o'clock in the morning thinking that we were there early. We were wrong. He joined the queue and already there were 181 applicants ahead of him. Well, to be fair, the clinic also processes applicants for Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

Companions are not allowed inside the clinic since there is not enough space. I just stayed outside and chatted with others who are also doing the same. One was a petitioner whose wife has to take DOTS for TB. Another was an applicant. He was telling us that they were migrating as a family but his sister was not given medical clearance so the process for the whole family was delayed.

I was listening to all these stories and I just hoped to the high heavens that it would not be the same for my uncle. By 10:30, he was done and was instructed to return the next day for his vaccinations. We did not know it then but since that was the only instruction given, it meant that his medical examination did not reveal any ailment, no other procedures were requested. The second day was just breeze. After another four hours, he was done with his vaccinations and was given a sealed envelope to bring with him during his interview and a CD (of his medical check up) to bring with him to the US.

2. The applicant has to prepare all the necessary documents which are usually emailed and can also be found in the embassy website. Instructions are very straightforward. They just look intimidating at first.

3. Register for a courier delivery address in the US embassy website. The address provided will be where the visa and passport will be delivered by the chosen US embassy provider. In the case of the Philippines, the US embassy uses 2Go. I had difficulty registering my uncle at first but after several attempts, I managed to get it right.

How about the interview?

1. Since the interview time is provided, there is no need to arrive at the embassy very early unlike in the case of the medical examination. My uncle was scheduled at 10:10. We arrived there at 9:55. He was instructed to go straight to the table reserved for immigrants. After signing in, he was allowed to enter the embassy.

2. Security is strict at the embassy. Have you seen the place? It is like a fortress--concrete fence, CCTVs everywhere, floodlights, security guards, barbed wires in some areas. They've got the works. I am sure there are K9s somewhere.

No cellphones are allowed inside. Neither are big bags.

There is a waiting area a few meters away from the entrance. It is not really a waiting area but you know Filipinos. They sort of made it into one. At first I thought it was really THE waiting area since there are chairs scattered around which I took advantage of. It was only after I sat down that I was approached by a lady collecting my payment of thirty pesos for using the chair. Well, it seems some enterprising Filipinos saw a business opportunity and grabbed it--people need to sit, provide the chairs and collect payment.

For the next four hours, I sat there and observed. It is an organized enterprise. The lady who approached me is in charge of the chairs. Others sell pens (only ordinary black pens are allowed--not sign pens, not gel pens). They even keep phones and bags safe. The ladies have ziplock bags with numbers. If you give your phones to them, they give you a  claim tag which you return to them later. Same for bags. The rate for the safekeeping of phones is 50 pesos. It costs more for bags which is understable. They have to carry it around with them. (With what I have seen, they are trustworthy and have been there for some time. They can explain to you the procedures and they have lots of stories to tell if you manage to talk to them and they do not get distracted by newly arrived applicants)

By noon, it started raining... out came the umbrellas that they are also peddling. It is pretty impressive. They cover everything applicants need. I am pretty sure that they also sell cellphone credits.

Anyway, I sat there together with others under the rain waiting. My uncle's interview took hours. There seems to be some problems with the birth certificates. He was required to present a request form to the Philippines Statistics Authority (PSA) main office in Pasay. Since it was only two o'clock in the afternoon, we decided to make a run for the PSA office. Thanks to the LRT, we managed to make it before the offices closed for the day. We again filled in the application for the necessary documents, got interviewed, paid 350 pesos for each birth certificate we were requesting for and were instructed to wait for further instructions from the embassy. They explained to us that it would be the embassy personnel who would pick up the documents requested and we just have to wait for communication from them.

Once again, we have to wait. That is the only thing we can do.  Wait and hope for the best. We'll see.

TAZARA train journey: Dar Es Salaam to Mbeya

All good things come to end they say.

Stone Town is a great place but we cannot stay forever. What we had was a holiday and a chance to get a fleeting glance of how Stone Town evolved from being one of the largest slave trading center into a melting pot of culture owing to its great location in the map and its rich history. 

After a few days, we once again had to pack our bags and hit the road taking a few mementos with us and lots of photos to document the great time we had in the the exotic island. I make it a point to visit museums everytime I go somewhere but this time, unfortunately, I was unable to. The museum was under renovation and was closed to the public.  We also had no time to hit the beaches up north but maybe one day. Who knows. 

We had to go back to Dar Es Salaam, for the next day the train would be waiting to take me back to Mbeya-- that is, if the timetable did not change. Upon arrival at Dar from Zanzibar, we headed straight to the train depot to buy myself a ticket. You know, just to make sure if there would really be a train tomorrow and that I get a seat. I have learned from previous experience!  I bought myself a ticket for the first class coach, meaning I would be sharing a cabin with three other ladies. Unless you are a family travelling together, the TAZARA train does not put together males and females in the same cabin.

We spent another night in Dar Es Salaam with a lovely missionary family. After an easy morning with my friend who decided to stay behind, I started off early in the afternoon. The train was scheduled to leave in the early evening but I was warned of Dar Es Salaam's horrendous traffic so I just had to be sure. Traffic was not as bad that day so I arrived at the depot early which I did not mind.  Early is better.Waited for a bit with the other passengers carrying all sorts of luggage. Most of them traveled from wherever they came from to purchase wholesale goods (mostly textile) at Dar Es Salaam which they would then sell back home at retail prices. 

I was the earliest to arrive in our cabin, so I had dibs on the bottom bunk. Shortly after I got settled, a young Japanese traveler came in and occupied the bunk opposite mine. The top bunks were soon claimed by two Zambian ladies who will be travelling until Kitwe, Zambia. It seems like in our group, I will be the first one to alight.

Our cabin. It has got bunks for four people.

The hallway

After the goods were all packed in the train, the passengers were comfortably ensconced in their bunks, the train blew off its horn and started chugging its way out of Dar Es Salaam.It did not start off exactly on schedule, but it was good enough. Not early enough for me to see animals at the Selous Game Reserve, though. We crossed the park in the dark of the night. To make up for it, the lovely ladies and I shared dinner and a couple of beers and just swapped stories. I still find it amazing that strangers when put together in closed confines would always find something to talk about. We went on for hours; I guess it was past 11 when we decided to turn in for the night but before we did, we had to make sure that the windows are tightly shut. We heard stories about robberies happening in the middle of the night when locals would just reach out through the windows and get whatever they could reach.

Woke up in the morning, to a motionless train. Some technical difficulties which sounded Greek to me. I just spent the time watching the landscape. Once in a while, we would have young children dangling through the windows some of the goods that they are selling--maize in a cob, chips.

A village we passed by...

Another village

And another!

The rest of the trip was uneventful. We passed by Tanzanian rice fields with mountains from a distance. It is not actually that different from what you see in a bus when travelling in the lowlands of the Philippines. Impressive landscape. 

Lush greenery along the way

Rice fields

The train's restaurant

Our Zambian friends got tired of staying inside the cabin and wandered off to the restaurant. Us Asians, we just came to the realization that it was the last day of the year. We had barely enough time to mark it with a photo when I realized that we reached Mbeya. Once again, time to get off and board the bus to the border. Luckily, the bus was right there waiting at the train depot. It is not the one that goes straight to Malawi, it just brings us right at the border where I have to transfer to a different minibus. Another long journey but it's fine. Bus rides are always interesting.

Breakfast on the train. It is unappetizing as it looks. Very dry bread, too salty sausages, lukewarm coffee. I am not really complaining. It is either that or the chips being sold by the locals through the window.

Marking the end of the year.  By New Year's eve, I will be back in the warm embrace of Mama Malawi.

The end of the train journey for me. Two more bus rides to go. I hope to reach Songwe border before it closes at 5. Otherwise, I would have to wait in the morning before I can exit Tanzania.