i am in malawi for my last week in africa, after spending the last week in mozambique. alison and i met up with christine in joburg, and then we all flew together to maputo (mozambique's capital). it was a cool city, an interesting mix of europe and africa and a contrast from lusaka, cape town, etc...but we were anxious to get to the beach so walking around for a day was more than enough. wednesday we flew to inhambane, a town on the coast of southern mozambique. from there we took a taxi for about 30 mins to reach tofo, our beach destination.
our backpackers lodge was this sweet collection of dorms, huts, and chalets (nicer houses), all right on the beachfront. there was a bar/restaurant, a communal shower/sink block, and a dive shop connected to the lodge. we had our own palm frond hut, complete with beds and nets. the sand was really fine and the water was soo clear and gorgeous and warm....all in all we had an amazing week. we would wake up early and either head out for an early morning dive or head to the beach to catch the first rays of the day. we would spen dall day in the sun and the water, and at night make our way down the beach to one of the small bars or restaurants. we met these 2 german boys the first night who turned out to fulfill the dual roles of friends and protective male company for the week perfectly. walking home along the beach, the night sky was filled with some of the most beautiful stars i've ever seen...
we went there to see whale sharks, and we were not disappointed! we did a snorkeling trip one day, found a whale shark and managed to swim with it right under us for probably over 30 mins. in addition, it turns out that its humpback season in tofo! we saw a lot of whales-mostly moms and calves, really close to the boat. seeing these water giants was as amazing as i imagined...all in all, we had a truly fantastic week, and we were sad to leave. i would definitely go back there if i'm ever in the region again...
on the other hand, i'm getting really excited to come home, and i'm happy to have the chance to see one more country first. we're staying with christine's aunt and uncle at the african bible college in lilongwe. it's a little unfamiliar territory, but it's really interesting to see how western missionaries are making a life in africa. they're a really warm and loving family, and malawi seems a lot like zambia. today we went with them to visit a pediatric AIDS clinic and also the local hospital-we got to talk to one of the american doctors working there and it was really really interesting. it was cool to hear him mention a lot of the things we've learned about in our international health classes...and got me thinking again about my possible future in the medical field...
friday, we take a bus (hopefully nothing like our lusaka ones) to lake malawi, and we'll be there for the weekend. then on tuesday i leave for home! i'll be back in the states on the afternoon of the 3rd, which i can hardly believe. i'm definitely still trying to process what it's going to be like to re-americanize...but i'm also really excited and ready.
love to everyone! see you SOON!
Rhi
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Rhianon Liu
Program Associate, FEF-U
FORGE
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