weekend lake

Rushed home in order to have lunch and jump on a minibus for the lake. Isabelle (works in the eye hospital) was doing follow-ups after cataract surgery in salima and staying in senga bay…we planned on spending the weekend there (she worked Friday and Saturday) and all driving back together on Sunday as she had a vehicle. No problem getting there—made very good time for public transport. Immediately into the lake to make sure we knew we had made it…beautiful. Great dinner of Kampango (fish) and garlic potatoes.

Up early for the sunrise (as always when camping, and going to bed so early it isn’t hard to get up that early). Said bye to isabelle on her way to finish her follow-ups and spent the day lounging. It was very windy all day and the lake was so rough it looked like being at the ocean and felt like it when in the water (other than it wasn’t salt water at all). it was hard to get out of the water—current trying to keep you in…then we found out that Isabelle had broken down on her way back. She had to wait (almost 5 hours) for a driver from Nkhoma to find out that the problem (timing belt came off) couldn’t be fixed right there and they were going to have to tow it back to Lilongwe. Which they decided to do that night. She came back to pick up her stuff and I decided to return with her as that would be much more pleasant than going back in the dark by herself. (I’m assuming that my company was agreeable). Back to the broken vehicle where the hospital driver attached the ropes and off we went. Had to keep alert to navigate the car and apply the brakes so as not to ram our tow but other than that it was not really a stimulating drive. We enjoyed ourselves with stories and music and random observations and made it back in good time as there aren’t usually many people on the roads after dark.

So while my weekend at the lake was cut short I had a relaxing Sunday in Nkhoma. The rest of the crew had spent Sunday morning on the beach and then come back…most of them sunburned, so I considered myself lucky for coming back early.