Post 4

I'm writing this post from the same place as the last, Nkhata Bay. I'm too happy with Nkhata Bay to leave at the moment. Along with two other Israelis I am going to put on a seder here, what I thought would be a two day visit is turning into a week and half or so.

I just want to reiterate how beautiful this place is. At night there are glow worms everywhere, so you see neon green dots throughout the grass. The lightning storms out on the lake, the kerosene lamps of dugout canoe fisherman at night in the lake, everything about the place just seems to make it more beautiful. I've met some nice people who have been living here for a few years that let me use their internet, cook me meals sometimes, and I feel really comfortable here. The owner of Mayoka lets me take out the canoe to explore the area for free, I've been to one of the local workers village a few hour walk into the hills. My life here consists of hiking, swimming, canoeing, eating a lot of rice and beans, doing nothing, reading, its almost perfect. At night I have a good group of people that I enjoy hanging around, and when you're travelling on your own it is important to have that. When I travelled before I really didn't care if I met people or not, although you almost always do, but this time around I enjoy the company a lot more.

Each night I talk to Mr. Chocolate for at least a few minutes. He was telling me yesterday how he installed water treatment facilities in practically all of central africa, at least he claims he did. I can't imagine life without him, and I'm thinking of ways to smuggle him to Israel. We invited him to seder, and while he did not really understand what it is he gladly accepted and was thrilled to know that it was an Israeli thing, as we presented it to him to get him excited. He really likes Israelis.

So now the three of us are trying to figure out how to do a Malawian seder. We're thinking of making maize matza, and it should be a good time. I was a little hesitant to do it at first, but now I'm excited, and the owners of Mayoka have graciously given us the use of their very nice kitchen for the event. One of the Israelis here leaves on the corner of Bograshov and Tzfat, which for those of you who don't knwo where I leave exactly, it's about a 20 second walk from my house. He's in the alpinist unit in the reserves, and says he can easily get me in if I'm a good of a skier as I claim to be. So, I hope I am a good of a skier as I claim to be, and two that he can actually do it. I've heard such promises before. Djaoui, if you're reading this, first I'll get in, than I promise to do everything I can to get you in too.

As a little shout out to the London folk reading this. I met a guy named Jonny Newton, who says hi to Dave Preston, and knows Natalie too. Small world, eh.

Oh, I forgot to tell you about friday dinner. The other Israeli here, Tom, got a few of us in a chicken dinner. By this I mean we bought live chickens, and killed them. It was quite an experience. He's a kibbutznik, so this is second nature to him, but I have never seen a chicken killed before. It was quite an experience to take part in. The chicken was awful though, but that's ok.

So, life is good here, and while I'll go to mbeya after seder I'm not sure what i'll do there. In another blog I'll express how amazed I am by what I've seen on this continent, and what it offers. I want to see a lot of it in the time I have, so staying in one place may not be what i do in the end. We'll see, my plans have changed multiple times so far, and I'm sure they will change again.

Hope everyone is doing well, and I want to wish you all a very nice seder, chag sameach, I'll probably write again after seder to tell about that and my continued conversations with Mr. Chocolate, whom I'm convinced hasn't had a bad thought in his life. Such an amazing person.

tchau, Ben