The Voyage to Zomba: Five Traumatized, One Dead
Trip Start
May 29, 2007
1
16
41
Trip End
Jul 18, 2007
Zomba,
Malawi
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
We went with Mahata, a nephew of Dr. C. Mahata is a wonderful pleasant man who always keeps a big smile. I didn't notice his overuse of the horn on our trip to the national park Sunday, but today it was evident. His hand would instinctively migrate to the center of the steering wheel, like he was addicted to the sound.
Hearing 1,308,435 honks over a span of 1.5 hours gave me the urge to jump out of the ambulance and into oncoming traffic
Aaron, Mark, and I
. At least I wouldn't be able to hear, I thought as I day-dreamed disaster in a good way though. Finally, the grueling first half of the journey came to an end. We arrived at the base of the Zomba plateau and began climbing. Once on the plateau, our first stop was the Mulunguzi Dam. Mulunguzi means God in Chichewa. You may find my description a bit redundant. I apologize in advance.
As we approached the dam entrance we were greeted by a guard carrying a gun. The dam area was surrounded by a fence. According to the gun-equipped guard, to gain access inside the dam area, you had to pay a fee. This fee was inordinate, so we decided to take some pictures from the road. The view was beautiful.
The next stop was the Sun Bird Lodge. This was a beautiful resort located at the highest point of elevation on the plateau. The lodge was complete with restaurant, bar area, and recreation area. It was beautiful. Its architecture boasted beautiful red brick work and the occasional black wooden beam. Each doorway arched like a perfect inverted parabola. A night's stay at the Sun Bird Lodge costs 18,000 kwacha ($120.00). Jimmy, Dr. C's grandson, said 18,000 kwacha is a handsome annual salary in Malawi
Another Dam View
. I was particularly impressed by the lodge's gigantic chess board. The board was 10ft. x 10ft. The chess pieces were carved wooden statues that were about two feet tall. Why a board this large is necessary I don't know, but it was cool to see. The highlight of the lodge was the ping pong table. I like table tennis. It sounds fun right now.
Fifteen minutes was spent at the lodge before be began our decent back down into the city. This came as quite a shock, because we heard there was day's worth of sites to see on the Zomba platueau.
A short time later we reached the bottom. Food was needed and we began looking for a restaurant. Several nice-looking restaurants passed by, except we didn't stop at any of them. Mahata, our driver, seemed as though he had a place in mind. We pulled of the main road and onto a series of bumpy paths. An earthquake later, we stopped.
I looked around and thought, "Why have we stopped?" There was no indication of any restaurants in surrounding area, meaning, no food signs and no aromas of food
Balaka Clinic
. Mahata exited the car and began walking. Instinctively, we followed. We passed though a large doorway to find a large room with wooden tables and blue plastic chairs. At this point we were so hungry the restaurant didn't matter. In the corner of the dining area there was a television playing a Nigerian soap opera. Immediately after ordering, the TV channel was switched to the film 'You Got Served.' I hope none of you ever have to endure the agony of this film. The movie features an intricate and well-written plot (NOT) about a dance gang and the 'dance battles' they 'fight' against other dance groups. The two main characters are fellow dance team members and sell drugs for a living. One of the guys even dates the other character's sister. Whoa, now... don't make this too creative... The director deserves an Oscar... right... more like slap in the face.
Like most things I find idiotic, I ignored it. For the first 10 minutes of waiting I was successful. As it turns out, our food would take over an hour to come from the kitchen. Consequently, everyone in our group began watching out of pure boredom. The film was utterly painful to watch. Every five minutes I contemplated slamming my head against the table in front of me. Watching an hour of this movie has made me less intelligent
Balaka Sunset
. Sorry about that angry outburst. I just had to get it out. You know, for health reasons. After what seemed like a decade our food came out. We ate quickly and departed. I figured the torturous dining experience would be the end of our troubles for the day. Again, I bite my tongue.
The drive home would be a blur of dangerous speeds and erratic weaving, trumped by the misery of unending horn use. It was really exciting though
Normally, Mahata's cruising speed was 90mph. Keep in mind we are driving on African highways. Meaning the road is wide enough for two compact vehicles and is bumpier than a brick road. Okay, the brick road thing may have been an exaggeration. But it was bumpy. About 13 miles from Balaka, we approached a small village. In America, a typical speed limit would be 35mph in this area. Recognizing our entrance into a residential district, Mahata promptly reduced his speed to 70.
While screaming through the village, I saw two baby goats in the road a few hundred feet away. Mahata immediately began blowing the horn without end
Chess Board at Zomba
. We approached the goats rather quickly. 20 ft. in front of the two goats, Mahata came to the realization that the goats weren't going to move and began braking. To make matters worse, a large bus was approaching from the opposite direction. One goat escaped the danger. The other was not so fortunate. Impact! Flattened by both tires, the innocent baby goat ceased to exist. WHILE DRIVING THOUGH A VILLAGE WE MURDERED A GOAT AT NASCAR-WORTHY SPEED! Mahata showed signs of amusement. The passengers felt like criminals. One dead... five highly traumatized. We may need therapy. Haha!
Earlier in the trip, I discovered that killing someone else's goat is a national crime in Malawi. It's the equivalent of a felony in America and is punishable by up to 6 months in prison. You may want to lay low for a while, Mahata. Luckily, the camera was rolling again. Good timing Phil.
Today was the first of its kind. We saw some beautiful scenery and visited an awesome city. Sure enough, traveled to and from safely. Thanks Mahata! The journey is still unfolding. More to come.
Comments
Hi Phil
Sounds like your having a very memorable trip. Your pictures are great. You will have to bring them to a church social when you get back so we can see all of them.
Glad the first part of your entry was only a dream. I really enjoy reading your comments. Keep them coming.
Shirley Purdy