I am writing to you in the skies above Kenya. We'll be soaring past Mr. Kilimanjaro soon, but I am not sure if we'll be able to see it. It's pretty overcast here today, and I could immediately feel the change in humidity when we walked into Nairobi Airport.
Stop!
I just saw Mt. K. from my window. It is so exciting! It towers above the cloud line and it has snow on the peak. Can't believe I was - am able to see it! I am already impressed with Africa's beauty.
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| My view of Mt. K. from the airplane window |
Well, I can't wait to get out of these clothes I've been wearing for the past two days! Especially after the previous flight into Kenya. A young girl sitting next to me coughed herself awake. She was choking so I hit her on the back (it's obvious that I have no skills when it comes to the performing the heimlich or CPR) until she hurled. Great! She later told me that she thinks it's because she took Malarone (the malaria medicine I was taking) on an empty stomach. I'm just hoping it wasn't a virus. That is the last thing I need to get right now.
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I have showered and I am lying underneath a mosquito netted canopy. I am here! We traveled a total of 43 hours to reach our destination, but it felt like weeks. We had a harsh landing at Lilongwe International. The pilot apologized over the intercom and promised that he would "try better next time." I exchanged dollars into kwacha, gathered my luggage and handed it over to the guys who were loading up the bus. We made a pit stop at a grocery store. Elisa went in with a few students to buy some bottled waters and Simba chips. Me and a few others stayed on the bus and were immediately bombarded by Malawians haggling their bags, fabrics and jewelry.
Then we made our way to Blantyre, the closest "city" to Malamulo. I was enjoying the beautify scenery of Lilongwe and was shocked to see what seemed like thousands of people hanging out, walking around, biking, selling, and carrying things all along the street. It was so overwhelming. Most of them stopped and stared as we drove by. My favorite sight to see were the women carrying huge bushels of straw on their heads. Almost all of them had a baby wrapped tightly with cloth around their back.
Malawi landscape is scattered with little villages, schools, hospitals, and marketplaces. One street was lined with furniture. Bed frames were on one side, chairs on the other. Even concrete slabs that are used for standing toilets. The most unique plant life I saw were poinsettias. They don't look anything like the perfect little arrangements sold in the States. They're tall, leafless stems with the flower sitting on top.
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| Poinsettia |
After my initial observations of my surroundings, I got very tired and soon I was dozing my way through Malawi. I woke up when we arrived in Blantyre to pay for the bus and get some fuel. Erica brushed her teeth in the parking lot and John proclaimed that he was, "ready to be Jesus now" (he was referring to his future role as Jesus during the VBS program). We were all getting a little crazy. But it was another couple of hours until we would make it to Malamulo. I slept practically the whole way there too. The last thing I remember was Pastor Todd playing Cars on his iPad and holding it up for all of us to see. We finally made it to the guest house, which was built by Loma Linda students a few years ago. It's cold, but I finally got a hot shower and the beds are warm. Our meal (a duo of soups: tomato and, we think, potato) was waiting for us too. Tomorrow we're going to church, if we can all get up!
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