Africa No.8 - Lake, fish and settlers / Malawi

It was a crisp morning in the border town of Mbeya. I got out of the Tazara railway, stretching my legs and back torn in the 2 nights’ train ride from Dar es Salam. I smelled the fresh air for a second, and then got in again to the transportation, but this time, a mini-van.

Country of Malawi was formed along with the long and thin Malawi Lake. This lake is located in the southern end of the African Great Rift Valley, third largest and second deepest lake in Africa.

Here is the story travelers kept telling me; You can enjoy three things in Malawi, clear Malawi Lake, fish they caught from the lake, and the habitants who live along with the lake. This was enough for me to decide to go.

(Malawi Lake)

As soon as I crossed the border, I got into another mini-van with friends. (Well, there was a hustle and bustle to get to the border from the bus stop, and the border to the bus stop, but this was another story.) I fell asleep as usual and it took awhile for me to notice that a lady and a baby were sitting beside me.

(out the window 1)

‘Hi’, she said, just as same as the other African ladies.

‘Hi’ I answered, just as usual.

She started breast-feeding with her breast completely open, just as same as the other African ladies. What was a bit different from other African ladies was that she was talking to me with the most fluent English. She said she was working as an accountant in the town of Mzuzu, which I was heading for. She pointed at the boy at the age of 12, sitting right in front of us and introduced him as her son to me.

I asked her if she had more kids between her son of 12 and her newborn daughter, because it is quite common for the African ladies to have kids ranging from 0 to 12 but to have more than 4 in that case.

She said she didn’t have any other than these two. It is a bit unusual, I thought, and we went back to the normal conversation.

(a kiss)

After she finished feeding her baby, she suddenly forced me to look out the window. As I followed her, I saw the silver glittering surface just outside the window, which turned out to be the lake surface. It was a beginning of the Malawi lake, the northern end, and it was also a beginning of my trip to Malawi.

The lady was almost a tourist guide for me. She pointed out the window to let me know the edge of the lake and fishermen. She bought some fish, dried and raw, including the dried small fish like sardines(I believe they were not sardines though) and shared with me. The taste of the fish reminded me of the one in Japan. Different in the richness, but still, fish there was well-seasoned.

When I was picking those dried fish, she again told me to look out, and said that the leaves which shine yellow and green were the tobacco leaves. Those were the tobacco farm.

She was born in one of those tobacco farm families, grew up around that area, married to the husband and gave birth to the first boy. And somehow, she is living only with her kids not with husband right now.

‘It is a bit complicated as a story’ she said, and I knew that I didn’t have enough time to explore her complicated story as the mini-van was getting close to the town of Mzuzu.

(out the window 2)

I knew that I wouldn’t have enough time to see her again and explore her story. I might be able to do that if I would stay in this town more than one night, but I chose not, and I knew I would choose not. Every story which I encounter was left unfinished.

Sun was setting outside, casting orange pinky light on unpaved road extended far and wide ahead of us. The lake was continuously appearing and missing. Silver and gray, orange and pink. ‘This can be the beginning but this can also be an ending’ I thought. ‘Because I already saw the three things which were recommended in Malawi.’

(Clear lake in Nkhata Bay)

(Fish dinner)

Of course it was not the ending, and actually there is no ending for me to tour around, but I have to admit the best part of Malawi passed by inside this mini-van.

The lake view in the Nkhata Bay was crystal clear and scenic, fried fish with rice I had with beer there was toothsome, and the people I met in Nkhata Bay and Lilongwe were all nice and peaceful. But for me, a bus ride with one not-typical village lady along with the shiny Malawi Lake on the first day was more impressive.

(cock boats)