Day
26. Mon 4th September.
Return
to Lilongwe
I have managed to arrange for a lift as far as Salima with Phil, who
works in IT in Blantyre, and his brother Mark, and an Irish guy called
Connor who works for an NGO called GOAL. I actually met Phil briefly
last year in Doogles, and although I don't immediately remember
him he remembers me, even my name, which is quite impressive..
Phil wants to get off early, so I pack up my tent and off we go.
Unfortunately I don't even get a chance to say goodbye to Tony and T.J.
Phil is driving a truck, but thankfully with a closed back, not an open
matola, and there are mattresses to sit on, so it is a comfortable
enough ride (apart from one nasty moment when I child runs out into the
road, and we miss it by inches and nearly swerve off the road).
Phil and Mark spy two women walking along the side of the road with huge clay
cooking pots on their heads. Apparently Mark likes to buy these pots and
paint them, so he pulls over and barters with the women for one of
their pots, which he duly purchases and slings in the back of the truck
with Connor and me. I love Malawian shopping..
We get to Salima by lunchtime, and go and have some lunch together,
before Phil drops me at the minibus stop, where a group of brits on
bicycles are having a water stop. They are cycling round Lake Malawi
for charity, or something like that, but before I can get the full
story a minibus arrives and I'm off.
I am back in Lilongwe by 4:30 and booked into the Kiboko.
I give a ring through to Barefoot and speak to Monya, who suggests that
I come out for lunch tomorrow. Then Gaynor calls, so I tell her
about my meeting with Patricia Kalliati, and that I am supposed to be
going to see her tomorrow. She says to clear it with Ken, and if
he says it's OK, then I should keep the appointment.