Since Devon has been busy and is yet to post an update on the why and how of Malawian politics, as a follow up to our investigative journalism take on the dark underbelly of life here, I'm here today to post a brief update of our lives in the past month. I promise that he's hard at work on a lengthy and well thought out follow up, and that it will be in your inboxes soon.
(Right, honey?)
It's been a hectic month. Or two. Since our last submission (confession?), I've started a new job, Devon's continued to take on more and more at his preexisting job, and we continue to dream up new adventures and ideas at every turn. Many of which we actually intend to do, which can make things rather, shall I say, awkward.
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| some of the less work-shaped adventures have led us to new climbing routes |
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| while others have had me out during harvest day in local aquaculture communities. Tilapia galore! More on this later. |
One of these things that we leapt at with great enthusiasm six or eight months back was running the annual Lilongwe Half Marathon. We'd both never run a half, had entertained the idea here or there, and so we thought hey, why not now? It'd be good incentive to run more, would help get us into a semblance of ski-worthy shape for our trip home over the holidays*, and accomplishing something new is never a bad thing.
And then the months ticked by, I broke my toe by dropping the motorcycle on it (those things aren't light), and we remembered that November is the hottest time of year in Malawi. The last item being the most concerning. Running in 40 degree heat is more than miserable, it's probably a health concern. I know, I know, try telling that to the crazies that run ultra marathons across the Sahel, Sahara, or the like, but for mere mortals it's not something to be taken lightly. The solution? Early, early training runs, or late, which here with equatorial day/night periods means anytime after 6pm. We thankfully live on the outskirts of town (literally, 10m from the end of the paved road), so within 20-30 minutes through a nearby village we are beyond the riff raff, roads, and out into the relative wilderness beyond Lilongwe. While it may not be the trail running of home, it's the closest we're going to get.
Basically, imagine a hotter, drier, flatter Baden Powell, with random villages interspersed along the route. Villages where masses of small children chase you and proceed to yell at you and your dog in a language you don't quite understand, and where you can't seem to effectively communicate that said 30lb canine is
not at all a threat to their lives.
But to get to the point, we successfully completed the run, and both of us within our goal of two hours or less**. More importantly, before the sun reached it's ferocious worst after about 8am. Thankfully the event began at 6...And, considering the shock (and often outright laughter) we get whilst running/biking/climbing/what have you (literally, I've got the pointed finger and a "Haha! Exercise!" on more than several occasions), we were surprised at how many locals came out.
Random tid bit: it's now Mango Season! The time year when fruit that would sell back in Canada for multiple dollars per unit becomes the cheapest thing available. The time of year when you eat as many mangoes as you possibly can,
just because you can (or because you accidentally bought three dozen ripe ones for the equivalent of 50 cents). It's a time of plenty (of fruit flies, and wasted fruit), of sticky hands, sticky faces, and....of mango wine! It's true. On Sunday we purchased a few hundred of the finest fruit and filled the back of the truck for just under 1000 kwacha (or about $3). This Sunday, we'll hopefully decide that said fruit are overly ripe enough to spend a few hours mashing them up into a big bucket with some yeast, sugar, water, and love. In a few months, we'll have pure and glorious mango nectar, guaranteed to make us at least a few new friends.
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| our recent haul, destined for mango wine and peach...smoothies? |
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| stands like these line the roadsides |
*
We are coming home! Arrival back in Vancouver is slated for December 11, and we'll be somewhere on Canadian soil until January 13. We'd like to share a meal, an adventure, or even just a hug with all of you.
**
barely. But who 'won' between us? your guess...
