Going from Eastern Europe to sub-Saharan Africa is a bit of a change. We still are adjusting to the new continent, but here are a few observations:
– The weather is a bit cooler. It was 100+ in Albania and in the upper 80s and 90s in Romania. Here it is in the 70s and low 80s during the day, and down in the 50s at night. And so far, it has been partly cloudy, so absolutely beautiful.
– English is the official language, which is a nice change from not being able to communicate for the last two months. The dialect is very different from American English, and it is heavily influenced by the local language, Chichewa, but almost everyone speaks English.
– We have seen much less livestock here. That probably is due to our locations – in Albania we lived on a farm; in Romania we were in a small town and traveled to the surrounding villages regularly; here we are on the outskirts of a medium-sized city, and have not traveled much yet.
– The people are beautiful. Their complexions are clear, and their teeth are straight and white.
– I think I can count on one hand the white people that I have seen, other than us.
– The people of Mzuzu are very hospitable. We have been welcomed many times over. Our host has been gracious enough to cook us meals – delicious meals.
They tell us that Malawi is known as the “warm heart of Africa.” So far it has lived up to its billing! I look forward to the next month – stay tuned!
