lake of stars

This weekend was a big music festival at the lake so we got tickets and headed down. it was in monkey bay and it was a very good thing that it was at the lake because it was really really hot this weekend. Friday was a public holiday (mother’s day) so after a ward round (rhona sees the patients and tries to discharge them if she can) we packed up and took off. Leaving nkhoma around noon with a quick stop in dedza for a bank and some groceries. Down one of the steep windy roads called the galimoti road which on a clear day gives great views of the lake and surrounding countryside…right now it is too dusty to see the lake and everything is brown and dry but still beautiful. And the temperature rose as we descended the hill.

Arrival at Nanchengwa lodge where we set up our tents and decided on a swim (ok no decision really just the next step). Weedy but the water was cool and therefore worth it all. I even thought I didn’t need to go to the festival…I was at the lake…I’m good. But then of course we had to check it out. Another large group had arranged a bus to go and we would all just split the cost and we could even arrange for it to pick us all up again at the end of the evening. So on we went and away we go another 15kilometers to the festival grounds.

Things we found strange (but good):
 The food prices were not inflated as at home—we could get fish and chips for 600kwacha ($4) or curry for 800K ($5.50) and drinks-$1 for soft drinks and <$2 for beer.
 Once you paid for parking it was for the whole weekend…not day by day.
 Advertised shuttles didn’t actually exist. Well I guess that isn’t too strange we are in Africa. (and not so good)

The music was good. Lots was African along with some british…Oliver Mtukudzi was a great performer…really loving the energy and dancing. There were Burundi drummers who put on a great performance as well. Also heard were Tinashe, Marko Sadiki, AlyKeita, Nomfusi and Khethi, Peter Mawanga (rasta xylophone player) and many more. It was a great atmosphere right on the beach and music going on all night. We didn’t know that and weren’t prepared (mentally) so we packed up and headed back to our tents and sleep each night. We didn’t really get to sleep in though as many people came back in the early morning hours and made lots of noise. There were also some dogs who didn’t like the “intruders” and the sun that heated up the tents to saunas by 730. only one bad sunburn between the 7 of us and it was a very bad sunburn (she fell asleep on the beach and was awakened by concerned strangers offering sunscreen).