Blog

I had a house in Africa, with 3 bedrooms, 2 ½ baths a car port for a car we do not have.  Most people in Malawi do not have cars or a cooker (stove) or concrete floors.  This house is a mansion by Malawian standards.  We spent the day moving in, hanging curtains and mosquito…
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Jacarandas are large trees that are all abloom with purple flowers that line Kamuzu Boulevard near our new house.  They were falling off the trees on Mount Pleasant street, where we had been living, leaving a carpet of purple petals. Last week we went to the Jacaranda orphanage on the outskirts of town.  You may…
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Leaping Lizards In the tropics there are lizards everywhere.  You will find them indoors and outside.  They tend to blend in to the background colors outside and you can see them when they move.  Mostly they are a tan color here this time of year.  We saw a big one with a blue head climbing…
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  In Malawi football is soccer and it is big!  The guys here follow the local Malawi teams, the teams of Africa and the British Premier League.  Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool seem to have the largest following.  There is a big game this afternoon and another tomorrow.  The guys like to get together and watch. …
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  The main food stable of Malawi is a corn flour that is cooked by boiling and resembles grits or polenta.  It is plain and served with something else to add flavor and nutrition.  It is a source of carbohydrates but does not provide all the needed amino acids or protein.  It tastes a little…
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We spent an evening at a lovely villa on the Shire River.  It is a guaranteed place for viewing hippo.  We sat at picnic table drinking a coca cola and watched the hippo in the river.  They open their mouths and look quite menacing.  They are far away at the other side of the river…
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The town next to Liwonde National Park is called Balaka. It must be the bicycle capital of Malawi.  There were bicycles everywhere.  When you get off the bus, guys offer to ride you on the back of their bike to wherever you want to go.   You know the way your parents told you not to…
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How do you hide an elephant?  It is amazing how quiet and elephant can be.  If it lies down and is still it looks like a gray stone.  A large one for sure but they are not so easy to see.  When they are moving in a big group they are easy to see.  One…
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Came back from town and said hello to the keeper of the guesthouse.  He is a kind man who cooks and fixes almost everything. (He is like a family doctor for the house.  Takes care of over 90% and calls for a specialist for the other issues that require specialty training.)  He greets you as…
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Think tank The guest house hosts doctors and other professionals from all over the world.  During the first week we had meals with a physical therapist born in Zimbabwe, now working in South Africa, an anatomy professor from Dar es Salam Tanzania, a pharmacist from South Africa, an OB-GYN from Cameroon an the UK and…
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