Went to Senga bay on Wednesday for the Mother's day holiday.. We stayed at a small lodge/ backpackers place and slept in what they call a "glam Camp". It was a basic structure built with a mosquito nets to keep out the bugs.. The place was great, had a nice bar and lounge area, and the clientele were laid back and easy going. They served up local fish and cold beer.. The place was very nice..
Our timing was probably a bit off.. I did not realize that Mother's day in Malawi = let's go to the lake in droves and get absolutely loaded.. It was like the Malawian version of WEBN fireworks.. except there was a beautiful lake instead of fireworks. The beach was packed with people and my kids were the only non Africans for miles.. It was a sight.. And the locals realized it and flocked to my kids to get a closer glimpse/ ask questions/ etc.. The Malawian teenage boys really took a liking to Kate and her blonde hair.. One of the workers , Sidani(sp??) main job was to man the beach and make sure people did not mess with me and the kids.. I tried to tell him I really didn't mind and the kids were having fun , but he insisted that the woman who runs the lodge would prefer her guests get peace and quiet. Eventually, he broke down and the kids were able to mingle with all the locals.. They ended up playing all afternoon with a group of kids and really had a great time.. My kids were rock stars for the day.. People were taking photos with them, asking them to pose with them.Many of the local men were picking up Jude and putting him on their shoulders for photographs.. the kids had a blast.
And then.... the evening music from a local disco got louder and louder and louder as the evening progressed.. And it didn't stop until about 4:30 am... it was crazy.. The lodge is situated in the village , near the area where the fisherman take off for the evening and bring in their fresh fish... so we were really in the middle of a real Africa fishing village.. that was doing an excellent job of celebrating their Mothers by drinking until they could drop.. Thursday was supposed to be a school day, but many of the men that work at the lodge said their children stayed home because they were too tired.. They didn't sleep at all... Neither did I.. Needless to say, we chalked up the experience, said it was a great time , but decided to not stay another evening and head back to town.. I'm glad we did because our truck had been cleared and I could pick it up.. So, we now have our vehicles!! Please keep your fingers crossed that nothing goes majorly wrong with this truck and gives us 9 solid months..
Earlier in the evening, Michelle spent 3 productive hours on the phone rebooking our flights back home.. We will be returning June 24th. Here's some photos and video from the day. Hope all is well back home..
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| Getting water from a well |
