When I was studying abroad in Chile, there were specific moments I could point to where I was overwhelmed with a feeling that I declared the "This is why I'm here" emotion. This weekend, I had the realization that I was having my first "This is why I'm here" moment in Malawi.
To be completely honest, I'm here for many reasons. I'm here to learn about healthcare, to observe and grow in my professional field, and to help with much-needed HIV research. A lot of these things, however, could be accomplished in the United States. One of the major reasons I am here in Malawi is because I want to step out of my comfort zone and because I thrive off of new adventures.
To be completely honest, I'm here for many reasons. I'm here to learn about healthcare, to observe and grow in my professional field, and to help with much-needed HIV research. A lot of these things, however, could be accomplished in the United States. One of the major reasons I am here in Malawi is because I want to step out of my comfort zone and because I thrive off of new adventures.
After two weeks in the city, I was itching to see a bit more of the country. Malawi has some beautiful mountain ranges, but those will have to wait for a longer weekend trip because they are mostly to the north and south of Lilongwe. I looked at some blogs from other people who have come to Malawi, and found that many people had ventured down to Bunda Hill, about a 30 minute drive south of the city. The hike would have probably given me a "This is why I'm here" feeling all on its own, but the adventure of getting to the mountain made the experience that much more unforgettable.
We set off from Lilongwe around 10:30 am, only to be stopped by a police officer on the main road. While Savvy and I stayed in the car, Austin ran to talk to the police officer and pleaded to get Savvy's license back. Essentially, Savvy was asked to pull over because she looked confused while driving, a common occurrence here as roads are not well marked and people often don't follow the rules... Thankfully the officer gave the license back and we were on our way - the first stop of many on our "short" journey to the mountain.
We drove along down some major roads, buses whizzing by us on the right. It was great to see a more rural part of the country, even if it was still close to Lilongwe. We could see the mountain to our left but were unsure of where to turn off the main road, until we found this beautiful sign pointing us in the right direction:
Unfortunately, that was the last sign we saw to give us some direction of how to get to the base of the mountain. We ended up driving all around the small forest on the side of the mountain, down narrow roads and through major holes in the ground. We did come across this sign, which told us that we were likely going in the wrong direction and should probably reverse back down the road...
We drove down another road, only to end up at a quarry with a dozen Malawians staring at us in confusion. We drove down yet another road, only to get stuck in a large ditch. Savvy's Nissan X-trail had done so well on the roads, but Black Beauty had finally met her match. Thankfully, one of the quarry workers walked over to our car just in time to help Austin and I push it out of the hole and tell us which way to get to the bottom of the mountain. After driving down another road and realizing we had hit someone's personal farm, we reversed one more time and drove over to some houses - a sign that maybe we were going in the right direction. We finally found the bottom of the trail and had a good laugh when we got part way up and realized how easy it would have been to get there if we had just stayed on the main road a bit longer.
When we hit the houses, we were greeted by many children and teenagers who offered to be our "guides" up the mountain. The path was pretty clear, but it was nice to have some companions for our thirty minute hike up. Being quite out of shape, I had to stop a bunch of times to get up the steep hill, and one of the guides stayed back with me to chat. I found out the Max is 21 and is currently studying for a major exam in the coming weeks. He provided some great encouragement as I attempted to catch my breath :)
When we reached the top, we found dozens of people praying and singing either by themselves or in large groups. It was very cool to get to observe their worship on top of what must be a very important mountain for them. Not only was the view spectacular, but we had the extra treat of seeing examples of traditional Malawian spirituality - and a lizard courting exercise.
When we hit the houses, we were greeted by many children and teenagers who offered to be our "guides" up the mountain. The path was pretty clear, but it was nice to have some companions for our thirty minute hike up. Being quite out of shape, I had to stop a bunch of times to get up the steep hill, and one of the guides stayed back with me to chat. I found out the Max is 21 and is currently studying for a major exam in the coming weeks. He provided some great encouragement as I attempted to catch my breath :)
When we reached the top, we found dozens of people praying and singing either by themselves or in large groups. It was very cool to get to observe their worship on top of what must be a very important mountain for them. Not only was the view spectacular, but we had the extra treat of seeing examples of traditional Malawian spirituality - and a lizard courting exercise.
A great first adventure out of the city :) Here's to many more adventures in Southeast Africa!