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12 February 09 - 08:42
Mzuzu
I traveled up north to Mzuzu from Lilongwe on Tuesday 27th January it is about 6-7 hour bus journey from Lilongwe and 2 hours into the journey, all of civilization seemed to disappear, and in its place was just miles and miles of beautiful woodlands and forest plantations, covering rolling hills and the odd rocky outcrop poked through the lush green view and then every so often there would be a break in the trees and the landscape would convert to wild plains usually typically dusty and barren as typical African plains however were green and healthy due to the rainy season.
As I travel further up north the land becomes less populated , and nature and wildlife have taken control, although a lot of the forests are obviously plantations. Its still a beautiful sight. Finally arrive in Mzuzu at about 7.30 after a long bus journey and Walusungu met me at the bus depot. And then it was a long walk to his house from the depot, arrived there and I just collapsed on the sofa. His house is very good and very well furnished, not what I am used to living out in the rural mountainside of the zomba villages. Sofas, television, DVD player, stereo, kettle KETTLE which means I don’t have to light a fire every time I want a cup of tea.
Wednesday 28th January
Today in the afternoon I headed towards Moni lodge which my friend shupe is the manageress of so I thought I would spend I night there and catch up on the gossip of her life, as we are friends from the 2007 expedition I took part in. I had woken up with a headache and as the day progressed the headache got worse and I start feeling really weak had to keep having a lie down. But anyway I continued on the day as normal. The lodge was beautiful and very friendly and by the evening I started feeling a little bit better.
Thursday 29th January
This morning I felt twice as bad as I did yesterday and I still had to walk the long mountainous path back from moni lodge to Walusungu’s house. Which is the major problem in Malawi, if you feel sick a lot of places don’t have transportation so you have no choice but to walk and it just makes you feel twice as bad. Made it back to the house and just collapsed onto the sofa.
Friday 30th January
Feeling even worse and walu was at work during the day when he returned he took one look at me and said right we are going to the hospital. He managed to convince one of his friends to take us to the hospital in his car for free, which is a rare occurrence in Malawi, so it was evening time well about 6 when we arrived and we had to wait because the doctor was temporarily out by temporarily he meant sit there and wait for an hour, finally the doctor arrived and after seeing the patients that were in front of me finally get to see him and he takes a blood sample and turns out to be malaria. So he gives me this long list of prescription drugs to collect but first I have to go and pay for them, hmmmm? Do I need half these things why have a got to pay for some vitamin things? Anyway the cashier where you pay wasn’t there so we had to wait again for her to turn up finally paid and then we had to go and collect the medicines, surprise surprise, no one was there and there was a long queue we joined the end and waited again for someone to turn up. Finally got the stuff and headed back home by this point I’m feeling twice as bad as when I entered the hospital which seems to be a recurring condition which Malawian hospitals.
Saturday 31st January
If there’s one thing I hate about malaria treatment is that you seem to have to get worse to get better. When you start taking treatment you feel terrible for like 2 days before you start improving. And that’s how it was today I have never felt so bad in my life apart from yesterday of course. Just to give you some details, I was throwing up, major diarrhea; my urine was red apparently from one of the many medications I’m taking. I couldn’t sleep one minute I’m sweating as if I have just run across the Sahara desert next I feel like I’m at the top of the French alps in winter naked. Then when I finally get to sleep Walusungu wakes me up for me to take some medication.
Sunday 1st February
I feel even worse
Monday 2nd February
Okay starting to feel better Walusungu is back at work and he has sent one of his friends over to cook for me and make sure I don’t collapse. God help me
He is an idiot
No offence its very helpful that is coming over but he is still an idiot, I’m lying in bed trying to sleep because I haven’t managed the past few nights and he comes and sits on my bed and keeps trying to strike up a conversation, but he doesn’t really have anything to talk about so he just keeps repeating the same things. And he won’t shut up. Then he asks me what he should cook for me for lunch and I say nothing really just a bit of bread and maybe some fruit will be enough because I’m still not feeling well.
Okay he says and finally leaves the room. He calls me into the living room for lunch and sitting on the plate are chips fried egg and some kind of mystery meat all covered and dripping with fat and oil I think I managed to just make it out the door before I displayed the contents of my stomach, I definitely need I few more days bed rest.
Wednesday 4th February
Feeling well enough to have a wander round the villages and the town.
It’s amazing how different the culture is up here in Mzuzu. Especially in the town, in the central and southern regions people really hassle you, trying to get you to buy things or give them money but not in Mzuzu they are quite laid back no one forces you to look at things or to buy something, there are vendors on the street of course but they just walk around showing there wares, if somebody wants to buy something they will stop but they don’t force anything on you like in Lilongwe and zomba. And just they way life is here, is really different to how they life down in zomba it’s amazing how different the cultures are in the two different ends of the country. It is really noticeable and interesting.
Thursday 5th February
So im feeling much better and managed to do a bit more exploring today then in the evening Walusungu managed to persuade me to go out for a drink I didn’t want wasn’t feeling that much better, but he promised just one beer, so 6 or 8 later finally managed to drag him home, one beer, its never one beer.
Friday 6th February
After spending most of my visit to Mzuzu in bed today I’m catching the over night bus back home. It leaves at 5.30 and gets to zomba about 4.30 roughly I don’t know exactly
Saturday 7th February
Arrived in songani about 3.45 in the morning, I was so tired but I still had to lug my bag up the long walk to the campsite I was falling asleep as I was walking. Finally arrived and fell asleep I awoke to my friend malazani knocking on my door inviting me for lunch at his house. It feels good to be home
So the past week has basically been office work really and some campsite maintenance, we have a researcher who has hired a room in the guesthouse for 6 months staying with us, called Brian Morris, odd sort of chap but I he probably thinks the same about me, but at least its someone to talk to or well listen to, he is a professor in England so quite used to giving lectures and most of our conversations are one sided he talks I listen and shy finds it hilarious because he says it’s the first person that has managed to stop Sam from talking, and he see’s me trying to find ways of getting out of these conversations which can last hours but I always get cornered by him.
hi sam im glad your over malaria and fighting fit
trying to sort out camp wont be the same without you for a start ill have to get up if anyones sick !!have a lovely time when your family come outxx
lyn () - 04 03 09 - 22:05
