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With several unexpected side trips into Zambia & Mozambique
My first visit to Malawi was to mark a travel milestone for me. Malawi was to become the 60th country I had visited legally. There have been numerous others where I have crossed frontier borders and ended up in another country without formal crossings. I could probably add another dozen countries to my list.
Lake Malawi was a great surprise and a beautiful and peaceful place. It is also known as Lake Nyasa in Tanzania and Lago Niassa in Mozambique.
I arrived in Malawi on a Friday afternoon and was transported to a resort on Senga Bay, located on Lake Malawi northeast of the capital Lilongwe.
I was surprised to see that the waves were rough and this lake looked more like the ocean than a freshwater lake... Over 200 miles long it is one of the world's largest.
The lake is a major tourist attraction in Malawi, with several small, beautiful, eco-friendly resorts located along the shore. Although it is known to tourists, I find it to be very quiet and the resorts to be very non-invasive, fitting into the landscape very nicely.
The locals are often seen away from the resorts on remote beaches using the lake waters for bathing and washing clothes. Considered one of the Africa Great Lakes located in the Rift Valley, the lake is also a major source of freshwater for the region. Lake Malawi forms part of the natural borders between Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania
My "hut" on the beach was extremely comfortable and well-appointed. With a large bathroom, closet space, air conditioning, wi-fi, and a comfortable bed, the sound of the waves on the shore was all I needed to have a great sleep experience for the time I was there.
Sitting on my porch during the day and looking out onto the lake provided me with a beautiful setting in which to enjoy my stay as I prepared for my work here. Suffice it to say, I wasn't roughing it!
The area was as pretty as one would hope for. The weather was perfect and I was able to enjoy the other perks the resort had to offer. A large swimming pool, outdoor buffets, and a great restaurant serving a large breakfast were all I needed!
The only downside of this setting was that this place seemed to draw many weapons dealers and mercenaries. I would often overhear conversations with some very interesting characters doing their dirty work. Being located on the borders of three African countries that have some internal conflicts, Malawi seemed the natural spot for this type of business.
The view from inside my hut wasn't too bad either!
I was taking photographs along the lake when I met these children who were playing on the large rock formations on the shore. As with children around the world, the camera seems to be a magnet and they followed me around wanting me to take photos of them. I finally stopped and assembled them on this abandoned fishing boat for several posed photos.
Like kids everywhere, they wanted to play around and have their pictures taken. I gladly obliged and had lots of fun kidding around with them. They showed me several small passages through the rocks that they were playing in, and several followed me around wanting to pose for more photos.
I stepped into a small tribal village south of Senga Bay while exploring the area one afternoon. I eventually came across several local Chewa and Ngoni tribesmen who were woodcarvers. The Ngoni tribe ranges from northern South Africa to Tanzania. The Chewa are a Bantu people of central and southern Africa and the largest ethnic group in Malawi.
Fluent in English I had the opportunity to speak with them about their work, particularly the wood they used. They showed me several pieces of ebony and mahogany wood that they carved their pieces from. There was a large hippo leg bone on a table that they were going to make items from too. They shared with me that to obtain wood they must first sail across Lake Malawi to find the wood. They also shared with me that they must have a permit to cut and transport the wood.
While I was there they invited me to join them for lunch, Nsima, a form of cornmeal made into a soft dough. You roll the Nsima in your hands and then dip it into the "relish" of tomatoes, onions, and beans...quite tasty and very generous of them to share.
Check out the hair of the guy to my left!
I was able to spend quite some time with these fellows and had some very interesting discussions regarding their lives in Malawi. As we were talking, they asked me if I was interested in seeing their work and buying anything. I said that I would like to see their work, but wasn't interested in much to buy except authentic masks, which I collect. They responded that they had several carved wooden masks that they used during their tribal ceremonies. I asked them if they would be for sale and they said that they would need to get permission from the tribal chief. They sent one of the men to speak with the chief, and within half an hour he returned with three beautiful, authentic, tribal ceremonial masks!
After some inspections and lots of bargaining, I purchased two of them for my collection. They explained to me that the ones I purchased were used during the ceremony when a new chief was chosen. One was the "caller" of the community, and the other was the "fastest runner" who was to go out and bring the community together for the ceremony.
Months later, after my return home, I saw this fellow again on the television show, "The Amazing Race", welcoming the participants to the shores of the same resort I had stayed in. I guess his outgoing personality and hairdo must have impressed the producers, too.
Here is one of the Ngoni masks I eventually purchased! It is rather larger than what I normally find and, as you can see, has many pieces of material on it, making it seem even larger.
They explained to me that when a new chief was to be chosen this character was the person who called the people to the meeting. One of them placed the mask on and began to beat the drum and call... Worked for me. Great marketing! It now hangs in my house!
Traveling in this part of Malawi took me to several other nearby countries. I was able to spend some time in Zambia, where the border & immigration agents never bothered to ask for my passport or seemed to care. Coming back to Uganda was the same.
A few miles southeast of Chapewa, I crossed the long, porous, unmanned frontier border with Mozambique, drove into the country for a while, stopped at a small village where I purchased bottled water with some Malawian Kwacha currency, sat with some locals, and eventually returned to Malawi.
Driving one late afternoon from Mchinji I saw the people of a small village avoiding these two who were moving up the middle of the street. My driver told me that the people were frightened by the Nyau, or "zombie people". He further explained that they were an evil "Kampini" "witchdoctor" that the people associate with bad, evil, and death.
I asked my driver to stop so I could take pictures, and he looked over at me with an expression of fear. He said that the Nyau were evil and that they would not wish for me to photograph them. I convinced him that we would be fine, that I would not be the only one photographing them, he would! He looked at me with a funny, almost frightened look, and he stopped the truck in the middle of the two-lane road.
I quickly got out of the vehicle and began walking toward the Nyau. The Nyau spotted me, turned toward me, and stopped in the street. The locals also stopped in their tracks and seemed to be looking at a crazy white man walking toward the Nyau...
Well, I did take several photos first, and then, to the horror of my driver handed him the camera and asked him to take a photo of me and the Nyau. He hesitated and took several quick ones... the Nyau behaved themselves and seemed to play along.
In researching them, I later found that the Nyau is an old cult society, restricted to men, who have a belief in their dead ancestors. They are part of the Chewa tribe.
When I returned to the vehicle my driver looked at me and started calling me "Ju-Ju man Vincent"... Guess I am now the good witch doctor?
Driving into a small village I saw these two young bulls fighting for dominance. This battle went on for quite a long time and as I left the village over an hour later these two were still at it.
Each village had a unique feel to it. I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit and meet wonderful people who welcomed me to their village and inside their homes.
I witnessed poverty here, but the strength of the people and their determination to survive their hardships always amazed me.
International Border marker at Mozambique
...and back into Malawi
Border Malawi & Zambia
I am always amazed at the wonderful places that I have found to stay while visiting countries. This small house served as my home for the time I spent in the capital of Malawi, Lilongwe. Located just a short walk to the outdoor markets, I was to enjoy my time in this small African capital city.
Flying to Malawi was the longest flight I have ever taken. Leaving the States, I had to fly a 17.5 hour non-stop to Johannesburg, South Africa, first. That only got me to South Africa. Eventually, I made my way to Lilongwe, the capital city of Malawi, and continued on my journey. To say the least, I was not looking forward to that return trip and another 17.5-hour non-stop flight!
Unfortunately for me, while staying in South Africa, I was to have my work phone disappear. I had taken some photos on it and those are now lost forever.
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