Weekend at Cape Maclear

Friday the 6th was Malawi's independence day so I went with some people I met to Cape Maclear on Lake Malawi. The drive was hilly, windy, bumpy, and beautiful. We made it there just under 4 hours. It looks like the ocean as you look out over the water because there is no other side in sight. This lake is the third largest in Africa and the eighth largest lake in the world, and it's between Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania. 

I spent the weekend getting to know some great people, reading on the beach, eating fresh fish from the lake, drinking beer, walking around the village, learning a few words of chichewa, bargaining for various crafts, and taking pictures....

Cow Crossing!

Beautiful Malawi Countryside

Pit stop in Dedza for pottery and dessert

Our Camp Site

I was super lame and opted out of swimming or water sports even though the seemingly refreshing water was luring me. In a nutshell, I didn't feel like getting worms or parasites. There were signs all over about all the creepy critters that crawl under your toenails and hatch in your body 6 weeks later. That didn't sound too thrilling, even though it's not that complicated to take care of if you end up as a breeding ground. 

In other news, I planned a full research project before I came and of course, everything changed once I arrived. I am actually really excited about my new focus but it has taken a bit of work to switch gears so quickly. I spent Monday planning out my focus group and interviews for the coming weeks. One challenge is that I have to arrange for and rely on Swahili or Kinyarwanda interpreters for every interaction with the majority of the refugees in the camp. I have been able to use my French a little bit! 

I also got bit by a dog today...but it's a pet that apparently is up to date on all the shots so that's good news.