Short holiday at Lake Malawi

February 24, 2008

I posted 2 earlier blog updates since we just got back to where we can do the internet again for the first time since February 6^th when I dropped the bomb about having Malaria.  I got so many messages from so many of you, and appreciate all the healing energy coming my way from all of you, and wanted to post one more while we are in internet range. 

We just got back from a 2 day trip to Lake Malawi with 3 other people volunteering at Livingstonia.  We had a trip planned to the Nyika Plateau and National Park, but were strongly warned off doing that by the Malawians who told us how bad the roads were.  It’s 4 hours from Mzuzu on dirt roads, and with the rains, they said they had friends who had been on the road recently and had gotten stuck 4 times in the mud. 

So the day before we were going to go, we changed our plans and decided to go to Chinteche on Lake Malawi.  It was someplace I had really wanted to go anyway, and it would only take a little over an hour from Mzuzu on paved roads.  The other appeal was that the University driver who would be taking us would be able to take us to Chinteche, go home and come back for us 2 days later, where he would have had to stay with us in Nyika, and since one of the drivers had broken his hand, they were literally short handed.  We were concerned that we would be seen as taking off with a car and driver on a foolhardy trip and causing a lot of trouble and inconvenience for the University because we wouldn’t listen to the advice of the locals (who should know better than the mzungu/white/europeans on this matter). 

It was exactly the right thing to do and I’m attaching one of the photo’s we took.  The Inn we stayed at was beautiful; the weather was decent with almost no rain.  It was 15 – 20 degrees warmer than Livingstonia, which was a nice break as well.  John got to swim so he was thrilled.  And the food was fabulous!  I don’t think I completely appreciated how tired I was of stewed chicken or beef and rice. The fish from Lake Malawi is really good, and even though Livingstonia is only 20 miles or so from the lake, no one seems to bring fresh fish up the escarpment.  The chef at the Chinteche Inn was very imaginative, and they had top quality ingredients, so it was a real treat.  Plus the bed was a king sized and very comfortable with the sound of the waves just outside our window – just a really luxurious treat overall, and very relaxing and beautiful.  I’ll attach a photo for the blog.

Lastly, a little follow up on the Malaria.  A lot of people asked if it is possible to develop immunity to it, or at least a resistance.  The answer is no to both, which I guess is part of the reason they can’t develop a vaccine, or a more effective anti-malarial.  As I said earlier, no anti-malarial is 100% effective, so it may be just a coincidence that I got Malaria the same day I forgot to take my anti-malarial for a few hours – and Dr. Mkandawire was quite sure being late with the dosage was not the reason I came down with it that day since the incubation is 7 days.  Also, unlike what I remember thinking (and what some of you were concerned about) based on all those spy novels, and movies about Africa, I won’t keep getting it back again and again.  According to Dr. Mkandawire there are 4 types of Malaria, and there is a version of Malaria in West Africa that does keeps coming back after you have gotten it one time, but that is not the kind they have here in Malawi.  People here get it repeatedly only because they get bitten and reinfected.  With this Malaria, one gets cured, but can get it again later because they get bitten by another mosquito since you do not develop resistance or immunity.

Hope that makes all of you feel better – I know it made me happy to learn it.  I’m hoping to have had the full experience now with no need to repeat it.