Farewell to Malawi

So here I am. Sitting alone and wondering what to write. As most of you understand, this will be my last post from my stay in Malawi. Before I take my conclusions I can tell you a few things that has happened recently;

- I have, with my Malawian friend Wilson, visited Kuti Game Reserve. This is a small reserve located close to my local town. There we saw all the animals which is present there. That included Zebra(we got very close before they walked away), Sable Antelope, Giraffe, Camels and Ostrich's. A very nice trip.

(A camel, the guide and me at Kuti)
- I attended a conference together with the youth of Senga Bay Baptist Church. We travelled to a place called Nthonje, which actually means cotton. Understandable since there was a lot of cotton farming in the area. Nthonje is a quite remote place and it took us quite some time to get there. All electricity(for lighting and power to the speaker) was supplied with a generator. At the conference I witnessed a slaughter for the first time since the leaders of the conference bought a goat which we would later eat.

(Drinking tea at the conference with some people looking at Azungu)

- 2 months ago I had a nightmare experience at the barber shop. I asked the guy if he could leave some hair on my head, not take everything away, but he didn't understand English. He just asked: 1 or 2. I had no idea what would be the best so I just said a number(I don't remember which one I choose). It then ended with me walking away with so short hair that everybody(me included) that that I was very sick. Luckily my hair is grown out now, but it was a terrible experience

- Travelled for two days to an upmarket place inside Liwonde National Park. This was a very nice holiday. I had 3 course dinner and had dessert everyday. It was a bit expensive, but it was a beautiful stay. And I got to see a lot of elephants, I think maybe 50 in number. As we where travelling in a boat we could get really close to the animals.

(Elephant in Liwonde National Park)

- I have travelled to Mzuzu(city in the north of Malawi) for the second time. It was freezing cold in the nights. There I spent some time with my mentor who lives there and also with the volunteer that is working there at the moment. After me and my mentor had finished with our meetings/conversations Jessica(the German volunteer) and I travelled south towards a place called Kande beach. There we tried horse riding for the first time. It was actually quite fun. When riding in the forest it's a part of me that is expecting an ambush. Maybe I have watched to many movies. At that time I did not understand why horse riding is considered a girls sport. After riding in the forest they(the workers) took of the saddles and we proceeded to the lake. When sitting on the top of the horse with no saddle I suddenly understood why horse riding is considered a girly thing. That was very painful. In the middle of my pain the horses walked towards the lake, and guess what: horses can swim with people on top. A very fascinating experience.

After the horse riding we drove northwards towards a national park called Nyika. The road was good for an hour, but after that it was quite bad. We planned beforehand to sleep in the car when we where closing in on the gate to the park. Sleeping in the car is not very good, but it's an interesting experience. Early next day we started of again. After a long drive we finally reached the gate of the park. After some further driving we ended up at the Chelinda camp and lodge. This is an upmarket accommodation which has a view that is very beautiful. After taking some pictures and looking around we headed back to Mzuzu. Unfortunately we had a flat tire. Since Jessica hadn't changed a tire before, she wanted to do it. Therefore I only assisted in telling her what should be done firstly and lastly. After arriving in Mzuzu, my trip to the north was finished

(Chelinda Lodge in Nyika National Park)

- Travelled to Lilongwe to say goodbye to most of the people there. We had a nice dinner together even though it was a bit difficult to realise that this would be my last time(at least for one year or more) to see some of those people

So this was some of my experiences until now. As my stay goes towards an end I will summarize a bit:

After being in Malawi for 10 months I have learned a lot and experienced a lot. I have got to meet a lot of good people and seen many beautiful places. I have missed my friends and family at home some times, but most of the times it has been a very pleasant stay. I have come to know a lot of the Malawian culture and traditions.

I have come to know the people, culture and traditions. I have understood more and more that it's all about the people. What is an experience if you don't share it with someone. Therefore I have to thank Margaret(my host), Goodness(my boss), Wilson(my best friend in Malawi), Abusa Nyika with family in Lilongwe, the people at the clinic where I worked, the people at Senga bay Baptist church, the people at Kairos in Lilongwe and the people at SETIYO in Senga Bay. Without you this stay would be boring and without meaning. Thanks a lot for making my stay so pleasant.

(My father, my host mother(Margaret) and me)

And now I am preparing to travel home. I have missed a lot and when I go home I will miss a lot from Malawi. A part of me really wants to stay in Malawi, this has become my home now, while a part of me really want to go home.

In my stay in Malawi I have come to know God much more than I did before, and I'm very grateful that he called me to travel to Malawi. I have experienced a lot that I will take with me everywhere I go. So God is the one who really deserves my thanks, bringing me out of malaria, doubt and so many other things.

So this is my last post from Malawi. I'm sorry if this post is a bit back and forth and confusing, but to be honest, that is the way my head is at the moment. Hope you enjoyed the ride, I certainly did. Goodbye for know.

God Bless

(Music under the forthcoming journey: Ozzy Osborne - Mama I'm coming home)