Day 15. Sat 1st May
The Barn Motel
I wake at 6:30 out of habit and hear the Land Rover driving the others
off to the airport, so I decide to get up.
There is no shower in my room, only a bath, and I am desparately short
of clean clothes, so I climb into the bath along with my clothes and kill
two birds with one stone. The water pongs and has bits in it but at least
its hot (the difference in the standards of accomodation is very noticeable
since we came "north of the Zambesi"). The water is so filthy by the time
I get out that I decide to run another bath just for myself. I sling my
clothes over a convenient line (possibly part of the telephone or electrical
system) and join Ken for breakfast.
This is now a very strange feeling. I have little or no idea what I
am letting myself in for. A small part of me almost wishes that I was flying
home with the others - it seems like cheating somehow. I hope that I can
justify my stay. I don't want to be a "passenger", but I have very little
idea what is expected of me.
Ken has some business matters to sort out here. It is Saturday and
he is not sure whether the banks are open. If they are he can conclude
his business and we can set off to Lilongwe tomorrow. If not we will have
to stay until Monday.
I brought out "holiday" money in dollars knowing there would be little
opportunity to visit a bank, and money for the "PAW Extension" in travellers
cheques. I still have nearly $100 of "holiday money" left, so I am well
within budget. I have no Kwacha, however, so will have to pay for everything
in dollars until I can get some. Dollars are generally accepted in payment,
but at a very poor rate and they don't give change, prices are rounded
up to a whole number of dollars.
Ken spends all morning talking to the owner of the hotel, pops out
again for lunch and then disappears again. It turns out that it is May
Day and everything is shut. Ken needs to make some sort of financial transaction
for which he needs to get to a bank, but if we wait until Monday we won't
get off to Lilongwe until Tuesday, which is very late.
I recover the stuff that we put in storage on the first day (it seems
a long time ago), and then have a chat with Jess, the manager, about the
web site he wants me to design, and then spend the afternoon reading, sleeping,
and taking lots of photos of the Barn Motel to use on the web site.
Ken reappears again about five. He has managed to sort out his financial
matters without visiting a bank, so we can be off tomorrow after all.
We eat supper outside from the barbeque, have a couple of beers and
go to bed.