As usual, an eventful couple of days!

Yesterday’s graduation was wonderful to see, almost 120 students – 3 or 4 times the number as when we were here in 2008.  The valedictorian was a woman and that showed some real change in attitude, just as we were remarking on the fact that a woman did a bible reading at the Baccalaureate service – we didn’t see women in positions of respect like that in 2008.

The graduation started about 3 or 4 hours behind schedule but I’m almost used to that by now, except that we were standing in our robes for that whole time.  Here we are waiting with Atusaye.

After the ceremony we had our first free time and walked over to where our old house was in 2008 where we found our housekeeper/cook Smelton Mkandawire who we loved and trusted so much.  He heard we were in town and was hoping to find us.  He told us he has only worked a few times since we left because there is only one volunteer house now where there were 2 then. But he will have some work for the next 4 months or so with one of the volunteers who will be teaching a course and staying in one of those houses which is occupied by a professor who is away right now.  Here are John and Smelton.

As we were walking back to Atusaye’s house we ran into the Vice-Chancellor Matiya Nkhoma, Nelson’s (the PhD student) father.  He had mentioned trying to organize a gathering at his village home by Lake Malawi this weekend and asked when we were heading back to Mzuzu.  We were waiting to hear from him or someone else with the University about transportation and he said the University’s bus would be going down to Mzuzu in about an hour’s time.  We were feeling pretty fortunate that we had bumped into him as we would not have known otherwise.

All the plans had changed from what we had last heard and from the sounds of it there would be no other transport until Monday if we didn’t do take the bus now so we decided we’d have to run home, tell Atusaye we were leaving and pack up.  The University’s controller overheard our conversation and said  that he had a car at the bottom of the escarpment and would be leaving at 10 or so today if we could get down there as the ride he was getting down had no more room.  He suggested that Atusaye may have some ideas of who to call for transport but we only made it a short distance when he ran up to tell us he had found someone who could take us if we would pay fuel cost of about $20.  That seemed worth it not to have to rush or to have to tell Atusaye we were leaving on such short notice.  So home we went, where we had a lovely evening with Atusaye chatting and just hanging out confident we were all set for this morning.  Atusaye is such a delightful and bright young man and we were so honored to be invited to be his guest - plus it gave us more time with him!

The only other loose end was our desire to see Smelton and give him some gifts and money, but since our transport was to pick us up around 9am today we figured we’d have time this morning to run over or stop on the way down.  When I awoke, John was making plans to go over to give Smelton our gifts, but when I walked out our bedroom door, Atusaye had some news.  He had phoned to check on our transport and learned that the person who was to take us down the escarpment didn’t have any fuel.  Atusaye had been trying to find someone else and come up dry so suggested we phone the vice chancellor to see if the University’s vehicle could take us down, then we phoned the controller to see if we could still have a lift if we could get to the bottom.  After about 4 or 5 schedule changes before 8am, we finally got transport arranged and ended up with a full car load down the escarpment road with about 15 minutes notice to departure – during the day so we could see some of the improvements on the road, just intended to keep it from washing out and isolating Livingstonia – still the most challenging road I have ever seen.  The controller had other transport arranged to get down the escarpment and would meet us there for the 10am departure. 

Atusaye and the driver waited with us at a little store in the village at the bottom of the escarpment until about 11:30 when the controller arrived.  Atusaye was going to ride with us, but there wasn’t enough room in the vehicle when all the luggage was loaded so he ended up taking a bus to Mzuzu.  Here we are waiting at that little store watching the action including the mini-bus stop with banana sellers.

Right now, we are in the northern regional capitol of Mzuzu, having made it to our old favorite hotel The Mimosa Court.  The rooms have wireless internet now, the location is just around the corner from 2 banks with cash machines so we stocked up on money and went to a convenience store to buy cold drinks – it felt like the Ritz.  It always felt like the height of luxury to stay at this hotel with a hot shower, large rooms, a nice restaurant and breakfast buffet – they even do laundry so we gave them our first weeks worth to be ready for next week.  It wouldn't make the 1 star list in the USA but it is luxurious here. 

So we arrived, enjoyed our hot shower, got some internet time and met Atusaye’s friend – maybe girlfriend but he is trying to decide about that – a Peace Corp volunteer who is posted a short distance away from Livingstonia.  Atusaye came down to Mzuzu to meet her after she has been gone for a month in the capitol city.  And we just got a phone call to say that our plans for tomorrow have been changed and we are being picked up at 6:30 in the morning rather than at 10am as we last heard.  All I could do was laugh!  Flexibility is the name of the game here!!!