Working in Malawi

A good working week to report.

Busy all week preparing and then delivering a 2 day business planning workshop to local businesses, all of whom are involved in the grain trade in some way. Many were large companies with estates, some were smaller and buying and selling grain and others were small farmers. They were all members of a trade association, who engaged us to do the training, and seem to be very positive about helping the sector to progress. I had been co-opted on to the team as one of the local consultants was taking an external exam on the second day of the workshop.

It was a tiring 2 days, but the team, expertly led by fellow Brit Mike Mytton, did a good job of engaging the various types of businesses there. From a personal perspective it was good to be able to do some client facing sessions before the end of my time out here, which is now fast approaching.

Amazingly I have less than 4 weeks before I complete my Malawi Malarkey. It seems in many ways that I have been here far longer as the routine seems normal and, whilst certainly not at the stage of being 'old hat', the first excitement of being in a vastly different place has worn away a little.

In other ways the time has flown past and I seem to have been busy since I got here, with different types of ways to spend my free time than I have experienced anywhere else. I'm lucky in that I've managed to do all the things I set out to complete, with the exception of visiting a tea plantation, but I hope to rectify that on my last weekend here. However, if I don't manage to get to the tea area, I will not worry as Malawi has given me more than enough to remember it by already!

It's a small world!

So another holiday weekend here in Malawi, but plans for an overnight stay at Majete wildlife reserve were thwarted due the lodge undergoing maintenance work and being shut. Frustrating for us but I think they are concentrating on being ready for the high season for game watching which, I think starts about July when the grasses have died back and viewing is easier.

However, being typically English people my fellow consultants and I decided that we would not be deterred and planned a day trip. Inevitably it meant being out in the midday sun, and Noel Coward was absolutely right, as we were the only people out in Majete during the day.

We booked a game drive, in a 4 wheel drive vehicle with raised seating, complete with driver and scout, who was incidentally the same guy who had scouted for us one month earlier and set off to spot game. After a slow start to proceedings we started to come across the usual array of antelopes, although the Impala were fewer than when we visited before. We discussed whether the planned introduction of lions and leopards had been brought forward, causing this demise. However, we were assured it was just too hot.

We soon spotted a herd of Zebra in the bush, quite difficult to see as they are superbly camouflaged against the various branches and leaves of the bush. An excellent example of how something seemingly so striking just seems to vanish. Nature at it's finest! I was able to get a few photos to prove we had seen them but it was a challenge that the automatic focus on the lens was only just able to cope with.

 I think this illustrates the point fairly well!

One of the certainties at Majete is viewing hippos, as they tend to just lounge around in the river all day. We arrived at the viewing area on the river bank and there were, indeed, about 15- 20 hippos in the water. Much closer to the bank we were on, was a solitary hippo who had obviously been sent to Coventry, as most of the other's had turned their backs on him. He did not seem to worry, but did take a keen interest in a bunch of Mazungu, [white European] tourists interrupting his wallowing. After much blowing of bubbles and splashing of the water, by the hippo not me you understand, we decided to move off. Just as we turned away, I caught him starting to move, quickly turned back and was rewarded with this classic hippo shot.

Definitely one for the family album.

So we traveled onwards, and visited a viewpoint looking over the mountains of neighbouring Mozambique, and to the eponymous Mt. Majete. We then returned to the main gate, feeling we had already seen a pretty good variety of game considering the time of day. However, one last surprise was in store for us. John, our scout, suddenly spotted an elephant about 40 or 50 feet away, busy defoliating a tree. We stopped and watched for a while, and once full, the elephant turned, flapped an impressive set of ears and departed back in to the bush. A great way to end the trip and we then made our own departure having had a great day in the sun.

As you may have noted, the title of this blog has nothing to do with the content. However, I could not pass this sign, near Blantyre, without taking a picture.

So you see, it is a small world!

Another day another 'green'

Well, not having posted for a while I think an update is due.

Work has suddenly got busy as we have just got 3 contracts that are starting at the same time, and all with fairly short completion dates. Obviously better than being too slack but it would be easier on resources if there was a bit more time available. Oh well, having spent a fair part of this weekend working I guess that will be the norm for a few weeks.

The 2 new consultants have settled in quickly but it seems to have put too much strain on the house. First my air con unit packed up, then one of the loos filled with boiling water, destroying all the fittings and leaking all over the floor. That was 3 days ago but still no repair. Then this morning awoke to a power cut and not hot water as it's pumped. So off to work after a cold wash and a moan because the generator has not been fixed. We've been asking for the repair for as long as I've been here, although threatening to pack up and go to a hotel and then home if it was not fixed seemed to focus minds. Repaired but no petrol, but at least we’re a step closer.  It's frustrating because it's the small things that help keep the sanity intact.

Still that’s enough bitching from me.

We had a great get together last Friday with most of the people from work. It was good to meet in a social setting and to have a few drinks and get to know a little more about everyone. We used the braai, [bbq] that we had got from the local market which worked well, although we could have done with the meat being in the marinade for a while longer as some, especially the goat was too tough. Still there was a good supply of 'greens' the local term for a bottle of beer, as 90% of all beer here is brewed by Carlsberg, and comes in green bottles. Simple really.


More Malawi Malarkey sometime soon.