Likoma Island

Happy New Year!!!!  For the holidays this year, I traveled to Nkhata Bay and Likoma Island with two fellow PCV friends.  Here is a rundown of my fab travels and holiday!!!

Dec. 22, 2011

PC Headquarters and PEPFAR (Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) representatives visit me at FHI360.  They want to observe and learn about PCVs working with NGOs.  I share my stories, frustrations, and successes.  They seem pleased.  They tell me to look into working with PC Office of Global Health & HIV.  Pretty cool....

Head out to Nkhotakota with my good friend Chloe and her family.  We stay at Fish Eagle Bay.  We spend the evening swimming and avoiding the lake flies.  

Lake flies gave Lake Malawi the nickname "Lake of Fire."  The flies collect over the water, looking more like tornadoes or smoke stacks over the water. Imagine thousands of flies hatching and collecting in one big group to mate.  Birds, fish, and other creatures gather to eat them including Malawians.  They will collect the bugs into large patties, fry the patty, and eat it.  I tried it, it's disgusting, tastes like fish vomit.  The enormous plumes of the flies float over the lake with the wind, but sometimes they end up on the shore wreaking havoc on anyone and anything in its way.  The insects are tiny enough to enter bed nets, and they are just annoying.

Dec. 23, 2011

Spend the morning swimming and kayaking on the lake.  For lunch, we walk over to Nkhotakota Pottery for a delicious lunch and some pottery shopping.  I ate a salad, mushroom soup and cheesecake...things I never get to eat!!!  At night, we watch the lightening dance across the lake.  It was almost like a laser show.

Dec. 24, 2011

Eat delicious breakfast of fruit salad before heading out to travel.  Travel begins at 8am.  I arrive at my destination at 5:30pm...long day of mini buses, dust, and sun.  Arrive in Nkhata Bay to stay at Mayoka Village Lodge.  

Dec. 25, 2011

Wake up late in morning.  Immediately jump in water to swim and cool off!  Eat good food all day.  For dinner, we head to H&M for butter fish (best tasting bbq fish ever) and kandole, cassava nsima.  Kandole resembles raw dough and sits in your stomach for a couple of days.  But it is the tastiest meal you can have in Malawi!  

Dec. 26, 2011

This is the day we catch the Ilala ferry, but not til the evening.  The ferry takes 10 hours to get to our destination a mere 65km away (about 40 miles).  Things just move slowly in Malawi.  We first get on 2nd class only to discover its jam packed with people like a minibus.  We decide to move to 1st class, the more expensive and roomier option.  We sleep on the deck until our early am arrival.  

On a boat!  First class deck of the Ilala.

Sunrise over Chizimulu Island.

Fishermen around Likoma Island.

Dec. 27, 2011

Upon our arrival to Likoma Island, the rain begins.  The Ilala doesn't have a dock on the island, so boats have to escort you to the shore.  Needless to say, we were completely soaked! Mango Drift, the backpackers lodge on the island, picks us up in safari vehicle so we avoid the 45 minute hike in the rain.

Great backpackers lodge on the island.

The money shot!

The island is absolutely beautiful, exotic, and isolated.  We spend most of our first day resting, swimming, and setting up tent.  I snorkeled!  The beach is very rocky, which at first was annoying.  But when snorkeling you can see that the cichlid fish love to swim near the rocks, so its a very beautiful snorkeling area.  Every night, the lodge has a big group dinner. 

View from my lounge area.  I spent most of the week in this spot!

On Likoma, islanders speak Chichewa, the most common language spoken in Malawi.

Dec. 28, 2011

Most of our days on the island are spent the same way...swimming, snorkeling, sleeping in hammocks. The island was super hot and humid, but the water was a super cool temp.  

Sunset over the island.

Likoma is known as the Island of the Baobobs.

Dec. 29, 2011

Swimming, snorkeling, sleeping in hammocks,...

View from my hammock.

The stillness of the lake can change drastically and without notice.

Dec. 30, 2011

We trek to a village with the famed Dr. Kumpolatta, a traditional healer.  People throughout East Africa come to visit him so he can remove curses and other witchcraft from people who are visibly ill.  For a medical anthropologist, this was a super cool excursion and experience.  He told us his life story.  He danced and sang for us and wanted us to take lots of photographs.  Legitimately though, I understand why people go to him.  There was one woman with obvious rheumatoid arthritis who thought someone had possessed her hand.  Medically, there is little that can be done for her in Malawi health clinics.  RA drugs are nonexistent here.  The Dr. has lots of Anglican influence and even uses the ANAMED, medicinal plants and such that actually do help alleviate suffering and pain.  

Dr. Kumpolatta and his band sing the praises of God to empower his patients.

Dr. Kumpolatta's spiritual clinic.

Dr. Kumpolatta is quite a character.

Anyway, the walk back is super hot but beautiful.  Upon our return, all three of us laze in hammocks for several hours.  That night, the lodge is supposed to have a NYE party, but the lake flies ruin it...

View from our hike around the island.

Dec. 31, 2011

Last day of lazing on the shores of Likoma Island.  We pack and spend the afternoon swimming.  The Ilala arrives arrives at 5pm but leaves around 9pm.  We board the boat and pitch our tents on the dock.  We celebrate on the deck with the friends we've made throughout the week on the island.  At 2am, the rain pours!!!!  I'm caught outside the tent so I get drenched in rain!!!!  After 8 hours on the boat, we finally arrive back to Nkhata Bay.

Jan. 1, 2012

Arrive at 5am to Nkhata Bay and get picked up by Mayoka Lodge transport...so nice.  We are at the lodge too early, so we sleep for several hours on their cushions and couches.  The rest of day is spent lazing about, swimming and eating the last good food before our journeys home. 

Jan. 2, 2012

Denial sets in that the vacation is over....Transport home via minibus.  Leave at 7:30am to arrive home at 4pm.  Eat at Cafe Lahore, the only restaurant in Salima cause I have no food at home. Oh, and waking up this morning, I discover I've scratched my cornea and spent the whole ride home crying.  Sleep for 24 hours due to eye and exhaustion.

Likoma Island is now my favorite beach of Lake Malawi.

Ode to Lake Malawi

My New Years Resolution for 2011 is to explore more of Lake Malawi's beautiful beaches!  (Easy enough for me to accomplish!)  And to avoid Schistosomiasis as much as possible...

Lake Malawi is a respite, a relaxing getaway from the trials of being a PCV in Malawi.  Thankfully, I live within 20km from Senga Bay, a place I frequent as much as possible even in the rainy season.

So here is where I've been so far...

CHIPOKA BEACH

Chipoka is about 40km from Salima.  I visited Chipoka Beach Lodge as part of a field visit.  There is a local community based organization (CBO) in this area that targets vulnerable children.  After our field visit, we dined on the beach with this beautiful view.

Chipoka Beach Lodge (My Corona Advertisement Shot)

Malawians wash and launder in the waters of the lake.  And the shoreline was reedy...prime location for Schisto.   

Malawians Utilizing the Waters of Lake Malawi

SENGA BAY

The closest beach to Salima, Senga Bay has a variety of hotels, resorts, restaurants, bars and other hot spots on the beach for Malawians and tourists to enjoy.  I find myself here often because of its convenience and beauty plus I need to get my swim on.  A top tourist destination is Livingstonia Beach, a Sunbird Hotel resort.  

Livingstonia Beach

NKHOTAKOTA

Located in the Central Region of Malawi, historically Nkhotakota district played a direct role in the ivory and slave trade of Malawi.  Today, its economy is driven by fishing and rice production.  It is not an area where one can swim due to the numerous reeds (Schistosomiasis breeding zones) and fishermen.  But it is indeed a beautiful fishing community. It is also a malaria prone area, benefiting from numerous mosquito net programs.  Unfortunately, many of the nets are used instead for fishing, as illustrated below.  

  

Fishermen Use Mosquito Bed Nets to Fish

Fishing Boat

Iwe in the Sand

Retired Fishing Boats Among the Lily Pads

Damaged Dock

Fishing Village along the Lakeshore

My travel buddy and I ventured to Satima Inn.  The inn was built in the 1960s out of old shipping boat materials.  The owner is awesome, the food is delicious, and the scenery is breathtaking.  The dorms are also reasonably priced, and the showers are nice!

Satima Inn, the Hidden Jewel of Nkhotakota

KANDE BEACH

AKA "Candy Beach," the water of Kande Beach is crystal clear.  I literally soaked in this water for several hours enjoying the tranquility and quietness of the Lake.  The resort is difficult to reach,  so there aren't many people.  It is more of an oasis surrounded by villages tucked away from modernity.  Unfortunately, I didn't take many pictures because I was enjoying the water so much.  But this is definitely, so far, my favorite lake spot.  

Not only was the scenery beautiful, but the food was absolutely delicious!  The service at the resort was top notch, with an adorable waiter eager to serve you.  Oh, and I finally found real chocolate cake (no photo though, I ate it all up!).  The dorms were reasonably priced, but the showers were tragic...rusty water flowed from the pipes, and if you were able to find a shower without rust, the water was cold.  But to adapt to the poor water situation, bathe in the Lake.

Rainclouds Form over the Water

Kande Beach Chalets

NKHATA BAY

Further north along the lakeshore, one will find Nkhata Bay.  Yet again, the beaches are beautiful and the water clear (except right after the rains).   Tucked away from the town, Chikale Beach is a worthwhile hike to scenic sands and warm water.  

Chikale Beach

View of Nkhata Bay Town

My friends and I stayed at Big Bluestar Backpackers, a popular destination amongst PCVs.  There are cute and homey shacks along the shores.  The food is pretty good.  And if you are lucky to be there on your birthday, they will bake you a cake.  There is a bar that plays reggae music and provides cold refreshment.  But the best part of this hostel is the view of the Lake.

Big Bluestar Backpackers Lounge Area

Seen from a distance (below), the Ilala ship docks in Nkhata Bay.  The Ilala is the largest and pretty much only ship in Lake Malawi that travels along the lakeshore.  In the near future, I plan to board the Ilala on its week long journey from the southern tip of Cape Maclear up to the northern Likoma Islands.

The Ilala Boat in the Distance

Obviously, I've seen much of Lake Malawi and find myself plotting my next venture to the beaches.  However, Malawi has more to offer in the form of National Parks, mountains, and hiking.  Plus  many friends are scattered across the country, doing a variety of good work to showcase to an eager visitor.  I hope to explore more of this breathtakingly beautiful country in the remaining 1.5 years of my time here.