Cape Maclear

Sunday, September 8

I had noted that in Nkhoma there are chickens everywhere.  I mean everywhere. Like the kitchen, the hospital wards, your closet,.... But I have not heard roosters.  They are not a part of the morning racket at Hope’s Inn. I mentioned it to Hanna last weekend and she assured me that at her house she heard plenty of them.  Well, at Cape Maclear, there are plenty of roosters. I had been excited for a long sleep in but that was not in the wildlife plan. The birds and rooster were so loud by 6:30 that it had me laughing.  Ridiculous loud!

I went ahead and got up and headed to the lake.  The wind was chilly but the sun was bright and the sky fairly clear.  The local people were already at work by the lake. It was a beautiful morning for a long quiet time.  I am sad to miss a day of church and the singing but some solitude for a short time is nice as well.  

I took some pictures and greeted people. I read and journaled.  Hanna was up and ready for the day soon and we ducked inside the little restaurant for breakfast.  The hot French press coffee was delicious and it was nice to sit and hold a hot mug in the cool air.  Most mornings I leave my hot tea only half consumed as I head for the hospital. We sat looking at all the little stalls that the craftsmen were opening up.  It is so funny the draw to buy things to take home to let people have a part of your adventure, fully knowing that they are much less interested than you are and the things will go largely unused.  We decided it was still a great way to enhance the economy and we are sticking with that plan for today. We enjoyed a lovely breakfast. My Dutch friends use “lovely” a lot and I think i will encorporate it in my frequently used words as well. 

The others were a little slower to the breakfast table.  By the time they came some clouds had rolled in. Hanna and I went to the wood worker the have some keychains and back pack pulls made for friends.  I headed to the lake for more pictures and then we set up on chairs to read. At one point, it was truly cold and even had a few sprinkles. However, within thirty minutes the sun was out again with the girls happily soaking it up.  We had another great few hours of reading and calm.  

We got some sandwiches before we hit the road.  I traveled in the middle of the back row on the way home.  It was an intense core workout to not smoosh the girls on either side of me as we drove through the winding mountain roads.  Again, the scenery just does not get old. There is so much to see. The goat activity on the roads was profound.

We made it back way before dark which we were all happy with.  As it turns out, Nkhoma was without power all weekend up until the hour before we arrived,  It was also cooler here for the weekend. We all had sweatshirts on and zipped to our chins before dinner time.  It was nice to catch up with Nicole and Melissa and the kids. The weekend had been a little stressful with Amelia still adjusting to her new place.  I am still hopeful all of that will calm down this week and that this week will bring good news for both moms.  

I was also able to chat a little with Chase, although kids kept interrupting us in silly ways as we talked.  I did run down my phone data to almost nothing so tonight’s post will not go up until tomorrow. Hopefully, I can buy some more outside the hopital gate tomorrow.  It is odd that not having the data makes me feel a little insecure. I suppose I like the idea of being able to call for help if needed.

I am so thankful for a weekend that was restful but also allowed me to see more Malawi.  I am also loving the opportunities to grow relationships with new friends. We finished the night cooking and teasing and I am heading to bed early mainly just to be under the covers.

Extra pictures from the weekend. Can you see what the guy in the boat is doing?