Travel
IMAGINE THE NIGHT!
On a Roadway in Malawi … There are few paved roads in Malawi, and even fewer without dangerous pavement breaks along the edges of the roadway. Most roads are narrow, and most are rut-carved dirt roads, with an abundance of potholes. Even being on one of the decent roads, it is still dangerous. Large trucks…
Read MoreRATTLE, RATTLE, WHO IS THERE?
I looked up from the desk to see a 5-foot-tall baboon sitting on the other side of the room looking at me a bit puzzled. He wasn’t alone, I had failed to close the door to the deck of our chalet overlooking the South Luangwa River, and while I was looking at my computer screen…
Read MoreMay I Borrow Your Lane?
Traveling Near Dedza on M-1 in Malawi… We are traveling south of Lilongwe and as usual, it is alarming for Americans to see what looks like someone driving on the “wrong side of the road.” This is not the case. In Malawi, they drive on the left side, while in the U.S. we drive on…
Read MoreBLANTYRE
The city of Blantyre is located in the Blantyre District in the Southern part of Malawi. Before Malawi became a nation, Blantyre was already there. The community was founded in 1876 through the efforts of Scottish missionaries. It derived its name from the hometown of David Livingstone, the famous Scottish missionary, who was born in…
Read MoreDEDZA DISTRICT
The Dedza District of Malawi straddles Highway M-1 and is situated directly south of the Lilongwe District. It hovers along the Zambian border to its west and contains Dedza Mountain near its center. The mountain rises 2,198 meters or 7,200 feet above the valley floor. Walking to the top requires an estimated 2 hours. The…
Read MoreLILONGWE DISTRICT
The Lilongwe District of Malawi is located in the central region of the country on the Lilongwe River, 58 kilometers (36 miles) east of the Zambia border. It is host to the nation’s capital city of Lilongwe with a population of 1,227,100, while the district records 1,346,360. There is the only city in Malawi with…
Read MoreCARS, CARS, AND MORE CARS
Lilongwe, Malawi … Only a few years ago there were few cars in Malawi. In fact, only the very rich could afford to operate one. Suddenly in recent years, there has been an explosion of cars in the major cities. The creation of a middle class is developing and families in the city have sufficient…
Read MoreIT’S NOT YOUR GRANDFATHER’S AIRPLANE HANGER
Lilongwe, Malawi … To be honest and maintain full disclosure most grandfathers did not have an airplane, nor did they have airplane hangars. Now, mind you, we are not talking about a hanger that can hold a 787 Dreamliner with a wingspan of 197 feet, or even an older model 747 at 211 feet 5…
Read MoreTOP TASTE IN TEA
While sporting one of the smallest land masses in Africa, Malawi comes in number two in the production of tea. Only Kenya, with a land mass nearly five times as big, produces more tea. Malawi’s tea industry dates back to its meager beginning in 1878. It blossomed in 1891 with the coming of Henry…
Read MoreMAWAI’S COMMERCIAL CENTER – BLANTYRE
The southern city of Blantyre has one foot in the past as the oldest European settlement in the country, yet another foot in the present as a bustling center of commercial activity immersed in 21st-century activity. The Blantyre Mission was founded in 1876, and named after the Scotish village where explorer David Livingstone was born.…
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