I'm singing in the rain...

25^th November

 

And the rain rain rain came down down down. I wish I had put something out to see how much came down, but wow did it pour. I watched a wall of it come over the hill by our house. It then marched across the field next door and at one point it was raining four houses away but not at our house. And then the heavens opened. It only lasted 20 minutes of so but that was enough. We are not into full blown rainy season but we are at the start of it. All the farmers, which in Malawi is everyone, have been planting the maize in the fields, which in Malawi is anywhere there is soil.

 

The week did not start very well for me on the work front. One of my site managers had his finger ripped off by a 360 excavator. I was not there at the time and have asked my safety officer (who is little more than a storeman) for a full report. But by the sounds of it a truck was stuck in the mud and as the chain was being attached the driver was a bit too keen. He has lost the fourth finger of his right hand upto the first knuckle.  I am trying to implement new safety measures out here but it is difficult. I will not give up though.

 

Friday night we were invited to Pam’s consultants for a braai. We met some expats who knew all the other expats and were told about all the different parties and groups that hang out together and have been invited to another party next week. Not sure if we are going or no, it is fancy dress.

 

Pam had a good attempt at washing all our whites. Trying to remove the dust and yellow stains of deodorant. She succeeded in turning some of the whites pink. We are not quite sure how as all that was in the cleaned bucket was bleach and clothes. And the other mystery was some have gone all pink, some have pink splodges and some are untouched and are white – still with yellow stains. If anyone has any answers please feel free.

 

In order to get some peace and quiet we took a trip to Liwonde National Park this weekend. Staying in a thatched chalet on the banks of the Shire River. We took a game drive in the afternoon, with more expats who knew the expats from the previous night – it is all very insular here. We saw a big herd of water buffalo and lots of antelope type stuff. There were three big herds of elephants, but too far away in the river for us to get to. Pam made do with telling me all the different types of birds that were flying around. We also took a big detour on the way back and all we saw was the African Tree Squirrel. No-one had the heart to tell our guide that it looked very similar to the more common grey squirrel that are treated like vermin in the UK.

 

After a very nice communal three course meal we had a few drinks and then off to bed. Only I was woken up in the night by the number of Mosquitoes inside the net. Oh my life. I tried to ignore them but the damn things were buzzing in my ear. So Pam woke up to me jumping round the bed trying to kill as many as I could with the lamp on. Despite her protests she joined in until we got them all. Not before I, diving heroically to get a particularly evil looking mossie, managed to split my pyjama bottoms right up the crotch. Well naturally that made it all the more imperative to get them all!

 

The next day, having broken sleep, started at 5.45 for our canoe safari. We were informed that in the river there would be hippos and crocodiles. For those that know my recent history with rivers and canoes can understand that , and no joke here, for the first 45mins I was petrified and every time the bloody thing rocked I grabbed the edges. But eventually I grew to deal with it and manned up so that I could enjoy the birds, the ruddy big hippos a mere 10 metres away. Crocodiles that slithered into the water from the bank as we paddled past ( I say we, the guide in the front paddled and the boy who stood at the back poled).

 

We did see the elephants in the far far distance but the guide told us it was too dangerous in that area. The crocs were too big. But he either changed his mind or didn’t care as we paddled right up to them. When he suggested we could stretched our legs on the bank next to them the boy behind rattled off something to which our guide suggested we stayed in the boat. A good thing too as we then heard the sounds of an elephant eating a baobab tree. My confidence in the guide to a bit of a dive.  But we lived to tell the tale and I can say I managed to stay in the boat this time!

 

And so I have picked up my new bike. It needs a bit of tinkering, but I will soon be charging around the mountains of Malawi once more sweating my arse off!

 (This is the Wolf Spider that was in the house).

 

STATMAN

 

Amount of compensation for finger – 16,000MK ( about £30)

Number of Mosquitoes killed at 2am – 12

Number of bites Pam suffered – 24

Number of bites Christopher suffered - 5

Number of animals seen at Liwonde – 15

Elephants (biggest herd was around 50), hippos, crocodile, (bloody scary when they disappeared) buffalo, kudu, sable, impala, water buck, bush buck, yellow baboon, mongoose, warthog, monitor lizard, wolf spider and the African tree squirrel.

Number of birds seen at Liwonde – 30

                                                                                Canaries, pin-tailed whydah, blue waxbills, village weaver, marico sunbirds, greater blue-eared glossy starlings, tropical boubou, rock thrush, pied crows, southern ground hornbill, lilac breasted roller, pied kingfisher, giant kingfisher, ring necked doves, francolin, African fish eagle, brown snake eagle, guinea fowl, crowned plover, African jacana, spur winged goose, glossy ibis, African spoonbill, openbilled stork, cattle egret, little egret, great egret, squacco heron and reed cormorants. There were lots of LBJs as well. (Little brown jobbies).