The Children of Cape Maclear
Trip Start
Jul 12, 2008
1
11
25
Trip End
Aug 04, 2008
Cape Maclear,
Malawi
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
As we had switched to be on a later boat, we hung out in the communal area, playing the local version of Mankala (Bao) the way the bartender had taught us. This version involves more strategy than the way we play at home. The rules are also more confusing. According to Pam, each country in African seems to have their own version ... and each village, again, seems to have a variation on that. Still, as long as both parties agree to the rules, then everything is fine. We also worked more on our progressive story. And Paul and I took a hike up to pod rock, to enjoy the quiet and watch the fishermen in the water below. They seem to come out in large boatloads, with a dug-out canoe strapped on
Cape Maclear, from the lake
. When they reach their destination, a few climb into the dug-out and go closer to shore. We've seen others using nets from the lager boats. In any case, the method is clearly labour-intensive, which undoubtedly supplies much-needed employment.When we returned from our hike, the group from the orphanage, who will take over the island tonight, had arrived. We ate our lunch ,then went down to the beach to await the departure of the boat. (Still overcast; still windy - and the whitecaps suggest it will be a bumpy ride to shore.)
The crossing was indeed rough but we survived. We were transported by boat to Cape Mac Lodge, as all the vans were out on the road. After receiving our rooms, we finished our story, then went out for a walk through town. We walked all the way to Danforth Yachting on the far side.
The village is the same from the ground as from the van: dusty road, a few mud-brick buildings called "tea rooms", a few souvenir stalls, all selling stuff made out of dark wood, a tomato stand, a dried fish stand, one or two stands called "grocery" selling packets of milk, tea, rice, and other staples, goat meat stands, women sitting together, working, weaving straw, children playing football with ..
Cape Maclear, beach
. a tennis ball, a collection of rags wound into a ball, playing hoops, doing handstands, saying, "Hello!" The children were very friendly.We chatted for a while with the owner of Danforth Yachting - would be nice to contemplate a charter on the lake. He told us about how they brought the catamaran to the lake - overland from Durban. At one point, he had to purchase all the trees along the side of the road and cut them down, in order to get the yacht through. (Hope that wasn't as big a waste was it sounds...) As he said, "I used to have money."
On our return through the village, we picked up a few children - they all knew how to say, "What is your name?" and "My name is ..." They hopped, so we hopped. They skipped, so we skipped. They did cartwheels, so I did cartwheels, which amused them to no end. As we walked back along the beach, we lost our original set of kids but briefly picked up another set. These weren't as persistent - but only one, out of both groups of probably ten or twelve, for the whole time we had the kids with us, said, "Give me money." (And that one left quickly when Paul told him No.) The rest just seemed to want to be entertained.
Upon our return to the hotel, we had drinks at the bar, played another game of Bao (or Bawo), then rested under the mosquito netting, as the bugs seemed to be out in force. Had dinner, then retired. It's been a very relaxing, enjoyable time in Malawi.
