I FEEL A little guilty that I went to the lake last weekend, as I haven’t been here even a month, though it feels like much less. But 3 days at Lake Malawi is nothing short of a proper vacation. On Saturday, four of us took a boat out to Thumbi Island, which is just off the shore at Cape MacLear in Monkey Bay, and went snorkelling. The lake is full of cichlids, so snorkelling with them felt like being in an aquarium, a very large aquarium. Cichlids are native to Africa, and apparently all the ones for sale in your local pet store come from Lake Malawi, or they are progeny from those that came from the lake. I couldn’t believe the variety of cichlids that were there, apparently over 500 species – purple, blue, zebra – I can’t remember the names of the other 497. But local fishermen still use large nets to indiscriminately catch their fish, which is depleting the lake. We watched some of them pull in a large net; only to reveal a paltry collection of fish, many of which included the small brightly colored cichlids. It’s a tricky story to tell, as these fishermen are trying to make a living.

I GUESS WE tourists didn’t help since we only bought some fish to feed the fish eagles. Oh yes, eagles. It was quite a procedure: first to get the fish, then in our little boat, our tour guide whistled long and high, just like the fish eagles calling to each other, and with a quick flick of his wrist, tossed a fish just beyond the bow of our boat. Perched atop the green trees on the island was a pair of fish eagles. The whistle got their attention, but the splash of the fish in the water beckoned them. With its wide wingspan, one eagle floated down from the treetop, just skimming the water, and plucked the sparkling morsel out of the lake with its talons. It was quite a majestic encounter to witness. Unfortunately I’m not the greatest photographer so my photos didn’t turn out so well – if only the eagle hadn’t flown in front of the sun to get his lunch!

THERE WAS PLENTY of sun, so cooling off in the lake was a welcome relief. Now I know all you CDCers warned me about the Schisto in the lake, but it was just too enticing to pass up. The water is crystal clear, flowing a bit, and I didn’t see any snails. Fortunately, we have a hefty supply of anti-Bilharziasis medicine, just in case. But so far I’ve been pretty fortunate in the wellness category. Others on my team have suffered some unfortunate headaches, the flu, and of course some serious digestive problems. But I haven’t had so much as a bad dream (touch wood). I guess it’s hard to have bad dreams here; even the night is quite spectacular. Did I mention the night sky yet? When there are no clouds, you can see the Milky Way, and I’ve even spotted the Southern Cross! I wish I could describe to you how unbelievable the sky is at night. If you can picture a black tablecloth after someone has tipped over a sugar bowl, you’ll come close. If there were a streak of milk down the middle, you’d be closer. But truly, the night sky here in Chiradzulu is something I really wish I could share with every one of you. I hope these blogs give you some idea of what life is like, despite my peripatetic entries.
Zicomo, ndapita! (Thank you, cheerio!)
Sandy A.