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After arrival at Kande Beach, we will spend the next 2 days enjoying the Lake Malawi. In the morning, we will go on a guided village walk in order to meet the local people and learn more about Malawian life.
We drove through Mzuzi, which is fairly large, and we were all dropped off at an internet café. I found a bank and thank God the Royal bank VISA worked - the debit didn't but not because of the bank. One hour turned out to be three because they needed a new battery for the truck. This was unfortunately as Kande beach is really nice. I was also able to upgrade to a room - for only $9 per night. Lake Malawi is 500km long and fresh water. The bottom is all sand, no rocks or anything else what so ever. So I swam for a while as the water is so warm. They fish here, 3 kinds - the 2 I remember are catfish and boda.sp?
After a great dinner, we gathered at the bar and I put on MY tunes. That got the party going! We danced till midnight; blowing off some well earned steam from the long last couple of days….it was very fun.
Jan 18 - The next morning was beautiful. After breakfast, we had all paid to go on a village tour activity. The walk to the village was hot and long and we were each 'escorted' by some of the boys - giving information and yes again, asking us to buy their art. Along the way, we saw a water pump donated by the government of Canada - nice. The children just glommed onto us, wanted to hold hands, be carried and so on. I think it was a ploy. We went to the guide's house - pretty simple, bed so small, and the kids shared a bed with no mattress and all the peoples clothing was filthy and ripped. Barefeet is the main footwear. They grow a lot of Casava which is a main staple, and it needs to be grown in mounded dirt, so everyone's feet are dirty, really dirty. Then it was off to the school, 1km away, to see a very simple classroom for grade one with only 124 students. Perhaps our teachers should come here and teach for a year, they wouldn't feel hard done by afterwards. School is free up to grade 8, and then school fees start. This school had 8 rooms, one for each grade, with over 100 children in each class. The class room books and supplies were old, old, old. The teacher made a plea to donate for supplies and school uniforms - he was really good. Everyone gave them some money, me $12 for 'a uniform'. The same happened at the medical facility, which was pathetic - delivery room filthy, sheets on beds dirty - didn't really look used. Again, there was the same plea for money.
On the way back, we each had our same escorts who then told me that the teacher and medical facility guy take all the money for themselves. We double checked with some others at the resort bar and they confirmed. Man, I don't mind giving some money to help the school and kids but I do not like being bamboozled. Not sure what to do but I will say something later to the company. How about a refund...not! L. The kids also told me, as have others, that the whole country and village are very corrupt. The people harass terribly to buy their stuff and then beg - very uncomfortable.
In the afternoon, Valerie and I went on the sail boat as the weather turned; windy, choppy and raining. It was fun and the water was so warm. I swam a bit afterwards but was cold so had, thankfully, a nice long hot shower. I had bought some bubbly white which was in the bar's fridge so we shared that - had another couple of glasses then dinner. The cook, Nikyi roasted a pig so it was delicious. I faded around 8:30 - in bed by 9:00pm. Another interesting, fabulous day!
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