Blantyre here I come!

What a journey!!! The ride to Blantyre from Lilongwe took me about 4hrs in a Pick up truck. I got collected by a woman from the Malawi College of Health Sciences and a driver at about 11a.m. Helen, another volunteer also going out to Blantyre came with me because her car (a different employer) was full. Her husband Mike and the other couple Olli and Jess went in a different car with the College of medicine. They all are going to stay in a Guest house for now as there is no house for them yet. But for me there is a house and I was so excited to finally see it. Was good to have some company on the way there but Helen is not the chatty type of person which was ok for me, I was stuck to the window anyway. After picking up 2 matresses from VSO and fixing these and my luggage on the loading space we were on the road. The way out of Lilongwe was already so exciting. As much as Lilongwe seems so laid back in the city centre as much you get the action coming out of it. A stretch of about 10km, like marbles on a chain, one shop/stall after the other is lined up along the motorway. One selling chairs, the next tables, the next pots, the next coffins, the next sofas, the next doors, then baskets, then loos, then gates and so on. After that the fabric stalls, amazingly colourfull, with all you need from scarfs to curtans and second hand clothes. After that the vegetable markets with fruits and veggies I´ve never seen before shining orange, yellow and green! All the goods spread out on the sideway. In between people and bikes and more people. The main street out of Lilongwe is like a major vessle full of all you need to live..
After a while the road becomes more quite and we´re out of Lilongwe. Now the countryside starts and as far as you can see there is dried out grassland and bushes, and a lot of trees. Especially the ones blooming purple are sticking out of the rest.Out of nowhere some rocks appear looking like neat sand hills as if someone had
piled them up carefully. Weaved into this red and occre looking country are villigas with huts made of wood and grass. Some are made of stone with grass roofs, the air smells like burned wood. You see a lot of women with a babies on their backs, fixed on with a scarf so just the little head and the tiny feet are hanging out. They
carry water or washing clothes in the river. The men and young boys are carrying huge piles of dried elefant-grass or firewood, some on bikes, some on the head or shoulder. But you also see a lot of people sitting together in the shadow of a tree, or on the porch. What are they talking about I wonder? I wish I could be a mouse and have a listen in..
Further down the motorway again markets, outside town mostly vegetable or cattle markets. The motorway is used by everyone. People walking or on the bike, loaded with goods they want to sell or just bought. A bike full of chicken in baskets, a boy urges some cattle along the way. Laurrys loaded havily and so slow that I could walk beside them, pick up trucks transporting more people then anything else. I´ve seen one with about 20 well dressed people in the back, laughing and chatting on the back. The driver tells me they´re going to a wedding. Of course its saturday!
We stop at a veggie market and as soon as we climp out the car there´re people everywhere trying to sell us mangos, papayas, potatoes and so on. "Muzungu" you hear the people say - "white people". They all call you sister or madam. But all smiling, friendly, funny. I take some pictures and buy some bananas. In that time Miya and the driver managed to buy at least 5kg potatoes, some carrots, onions, garlic and a whole lot of cabbage. We have trouble getting it all in the back. So the journey continues. I talk briefly to Ling on the phone. She got picked up about 2 hours before me, then I saw her again at the place I picked the matresses up because already out of Lilongwe she got a call from VSO that they have to pick up her furniture. Good they came with a small transporter, they had to fix, sofas, a bed, table, chairs and a fridge on the back. After leaving Lilongwe towards the north they had a tire puncture wich costs them again 2 hours. On the way the driver stoped for firewoods, some shopping, fuel and so on. To Rumphi, where she is placed, its an about 5 hour journey, hers took at least 10hours, poor thing!
I arrived in Blantyre at about 5 p.m. The first impression was poor, many people, quite dirty and not as chilled out as Lilongwe. But the outskirts are overpopulated and very poor. Further into Blantyre its getting a bit better. The centre itself is small and excists of 2 main streets. I´m sure I will find my way around fast. We went around to pick up Beatrice, the cow as the other volunteers call her because she´s the one having everything under control. SHe had the keys to the new flat.
My flat is huge but very basic. It is a two-story house and I´m on 2nd floor. Underneath me there is an american guy with his malawian wife, they seem quite nice. Next to them a young guy, propably a student. Next to me must be also young people, I can hear loud raggea music, ya man! But whats maybe most impressive is that I live only around the block from the malavian vice president! WOW!
I have enough space for one or two more people. So anyone who wants to come visit, more then welcome! When you step in you´re in the living room/dining room with a huge window front and balkony towards the back overlooking the garden. Off this room around the corner in the right is the kitchen. Big enough but only two plugs and no cooker or oven. The fridge was also missing but they brought that around later. No pots or anything in it. Opposite the kitchen is a hallway with lots of store room leading further down to the bedrooms, the toilet and the bathroom. There are two bedrooms - one bigger one with two beds and a smaller one with one bed, which I took because it has curtains and feels more cosy. Its also towards the front so easier to see who´s comeing and at night easier for the guards to see whats going on. The other one will be the "guest room" and I will leave the door closed as long as I´m on my own. For some stupid reason that room scares me, maybe because its the darkest shadowed by trees outside. First of all I felt like crying because there´s nothing in this flat but 3 old beds, sofas, a table and 4 chairs. I felt scared being all on my own even Beatrice was with me but it is all so new and I dont know anything or anybody. But now I´ve unpacked my bags and met Nikki who´s here for 8 month already. She is also a volunteer with VSO as a clinical nurse instructor
so exactly what I am supposed to be just for nurses. She´s from the south of england and will give me a bit of a hand to get everything started. She took me around to her flat wich she´s sharing with Hazel (scottish) and Pauline (kenian). They have a huge house with a beautifull terrace and garden. Also a dog and two cars they´ve bought for themselfes! In another house in the garden lives the housekeeper and the guard with their kids. Interesting this constellation!
Nikki gave me a few basic things like a cettle, light bulbs, candles, toaster and some cottlery. Now it feels a bit more like home. In the evening we went to Doogles around the corner to meet another volunteer couple from Belgium. All very nice people and all here for quite a long time already. So I´m the newbe and feel very welcome. Good to know you´re not alone even thogh I´m alone at home, but they just live about 10min away by walking..
Now I´m sitting on my bed which is a bit burned on one side - better not to fall asleep while smoking! I listen to the kids playing outside and the birds. At night you hear no birds but frogs! I had a good sleep in my first night here. Today I´ll get some more things for the house, Nikki will come and pick me up soon. Then there is a BBQ in their house so I will be there and hopefully able to use the internet so I can post this.
So good morning Blantyre!!