Day 34: yoga, trip to mzuzu, joy's place

9th August:

I woke up before my alarm at 6:30am and enjoyed the rising sun over the gorgeous view before an open air yoga class held at Mushroom at 7:30. Best thing ever!


I had their special coco banana bread, and they gave me two whole mini loaves!! My belly was conquered with just one, so I packed up the other loaf in my little sick-bag saved from my flight a month ago! (They'd run out of little plastic bags)
 
The lemongrass, ginger, lemon juice and honey tea - I swear this place is like 5* for backpackers!

I left around 1pm after paying (with my visa card- whatttt they take card!!!!)
I was ready to start the 2 hour hike down to the bottom of the mountain to the town of Chitimba but as I started I got picked up by a mini open-back truck. I was in the back with a few elderly women, tens of boxes of empty drinks bottles and loads of luggage.

I felt bad that one of the elderly women was standing up and I was sitting. But soon into the journey I realised I had pulled the short straw, perching on the side of this open backed truck, half hanging over the edge of the cliff, dodging a few branches to avoid getting beheaded/decapitated!

And then the driver started talking to someone on his phone while I'm in the back with the ladies being thrown around like clothes in a tumble drier!

There were a few holes in the side of the road where it had crumbled away and we got worryingly close to a few of them. There were quite a few moments I feared for my life!

As we got to one of the bumpiest sections of the journey we drove past some baboons on the side of the road, and so of course the driver sped ahead in fear of them jumping onto the truck and 'keeping us company'... Im going to wake up with a big lot of bruises tomorrow!

We then came across another truck going the other way and they loaded a huge tyre onto the back, even though it didn't fit! The poor little old lady definitely got squished but she didn't seem to care she was happily bobbing along.

 (This was the better part of the road at the bottom)

 

We finally got down an hour later and as soon as I got off there was a swarm of kids around me 'the mzungu' (white person), offering me their wares, from usipa to bananas to boiled eggs.

I managed to argue the price of the minibus down from 3500 to 3000. I knew I was still being slightly overcharged, but I wasn't exactly gonna walk all the way to Mzuzu with my big backpack so I didn't have much of a choice.

There was no physical space in the minibus, not even for standing or crouching, so the driver took me round the other side of the vehicle and pointed to the drivers seat... The the guy in the passenger seat pointed at the space in between him and the drivers seat. For half the journey I was sat nearly on the drivers lap with my legs either side of the gear stick! Thank the heavens it wasn't a manual otherwise things could have gotten very awkward!!! Hahaha!!


Later into the journey a few people got off and I moved into the back. It stank of B.O and usipa (like sardines) and it was more squished than the way here, but I was thankful for a space to park my bum!

I realised where the fishy smell was coming from: by my feet was a huge basket of usipa! 

Someone just farted... Muggy, fishy, farty, squishy, sweaty. No words... 

When we made another stop and people got off a guy came and sat next to me and started up the usual small talk. He's a 21 guy called Daniel from just north of Nkhata Bay studying at Livingstonia Uni. He picked up that I spoke a bit of Tonga and started trying to teach me a few more phrases. A man sitting behind us then introduced himself- Christopher. He told me he runs a youth organisation in Karonga and told me a bit about what they do. He then asked if I would help him by contacting uk charities and asking for support or funding. I got his details off him, although he doesn't have an email address which is a bit tricky. I said I'd do my best at finding him funding because he seemed really passionate about the work he was doing. Usually when I meet random people on buses I just keep it to polite small talk, and if they ask for more I tell them- just because I'm a mazungu it doesn't necessarily mean I can help them. But in this case with Christopher I felt I could help him. He doesn't have the means to contact these NGOs that might actually fund his project with the local youth, but I do. And what's a few emails here and there. It might not come to anything but what's the harm in trying!

When we got off the bus Daniel asked for my number, I politely refused to give him my uk number, saying there was no point and it's too expensive. I ended up just giving him my Malawi number which I barely use apart from booking hostels, and keeping in contact with AJ and my boys from Nkhata bay. But then I get a few missed calls from him and the following texts:

Where are you? Would you mind to go home with me now?

It's Daniel

I don't mean in Nkhata bay I'm actually meaning here to my grandfathers house. Where are you going to spend your night?

(He kept being very persistent despite my firm replies, until I finally made up that I was "having dinner with my boyfriend" to try and push him away)

Okay that's great its ok. I thought you are alone cause I feel sorry you being a friend and alone so have a great time. Thanks

(That did the trick!)

Went on a mission to find an ATM in town that accepts MasterCard. It took over an hour going from one ATM to the next, trying to actually find them in this maze of a city! It would've been fine had it not already gotten dark, and of course there are practically no street lights! Luckily I didn't get hassled and I walked very quickly. But on the walk back to Joy's Place I was holding about 200,000 kwacha in my handbag! That's over £200.

Back at Joy's I sat with a group of American uni students for dinner, who were all doing internships in Mzuzu. One girl was working in the water and sanitation department and another guy was working in the human rights office or something along those lines. All of them had very interesting stories to tell.

Got into bed around 11pm and nearly everyone else in the dorm was in bed. Some cheeky bugger has stolen my pillow!! Lucky I have my little travel beanie cushion and some rolled up clothes to substitute.
My last thought before I go to sleep: the dude in the bunk below me snores like he'd trying to rev up an engine. He's been at it for a solid half hour and there's no signs of him stopping... On that note, goodnight.