Some rain has fallen at last.

PLANTING MAIZE

Thank goodness the rains have started and planting the maize can begin albeit late. This is one of few jobs done by machine.  All crops are grown for seed, conditions must be perfect and hand planting is not appropriate, however there are plenty of lads on hand to check the rows are straight and the drills unblocked. The top hopper contains fertiliser and the lower the seed.

SETTING UP A FISHING BUSINESS

First find a fallen tree and fashion it into a boat shape

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Paddle the boat on to the lake at all hours of the day and night with hook and line.

Sell your delicious Chambo for £1.50each

Fish is important in the diet of Lakeshore dwellers and provides employment. Sadly the lake is being overfished especially in the shallows where the fish breed.

CHRISTMAS

Eventually we found somewhere to book lunch on Christmas Day. Inspite of being  a mainly Christian country (85%), little is made of Christmas here. There were family parties however, all the shops and markets were open as usual.  We exchanged gifts of a local key fob and a packet of Malawi peanuts.

 New Year's Eve has been a bell ringing fixture for us for many years, this year we will think of our ringing friends at midnight on 31st December and look forward to ringing in 2016.

Happy New Year.

T and I

The rains are still awaited and the temperature is ever increasing. Some rain has fallen elsewhere. Schools have all broken up for Christmas and the local children are enjoying playing and fishing in the lake.

The Board Room at Funwe Farm built in local traditional style, Ian Gilbert and Banda are in conference. The sand floor is watered heavily to keep the temperature inside down. (Air conditioning!)

Cattle at Funwe. The breeding herd is of local Zebu cattle running with a Friesian bull; the Zebu is resiliant to the climate and conditions, the Friesian genes improve milk yield. All heifers go to a milk producers, association further south, the steers are fattened for anything up to 3 years.  The cattle range the bush, they are fed maize stalks and vegetable haulms if transport and labour are available. When the rains come there will be plenty to graze.

African Weaver Bird nests.  These sociable birds construct intricate nests from surounding materials. Left,  reeds from the lakeshore, right twigs from a garden. Birdlife is plentiful, there is a resident fish eagle who periodically swoops for his lunch, hammerkops, hoopoes, hornbills are all regular sightings.

No queuing at the pumps! Diesel £1.078 per litre, petrol £1.04 per litre. Ian drives this Toyota land cruiser which is ideal for the farms and the roads, we have almost as many pot holes as  UK roads, lots of speed traps and police road blocks.  Driving can be hazardous, roads are not busy but unpredictable; there are animals, people, pick up trucks, buses in all shapes and sizes and of course bicycles to dodge.


We share our garden with a number of monkeys, mothers, babies and adolescents who are very naughty and given half a chance will sneak in, steal food and shred curtains, doors to be kept closed at all times.

We have an artificial Christmas tree which will go up sometime next week, also some cards  brought from home and gifts from the children.  This will be our first Christmas on our own for 40 years!
Have fun.
T and I

Early Days awaiting the rains

We are still waiting for the rains and the temperature hasn't dropped below 30 degrees since Terri arrived. The field cultivations are all complete and the staff are anticipating a good planting season.

Planting groundnuts by hand with Funwe Hill in the background; this is  done before the rains. Tractors are available but spare parts are difficult and much time is spent on breakdowns. Hand planting provides work for the rural population. 

Sunset over Lake Malawi looking east. the mountains are the Eastern escarpment of the African Rift Valley. The lake is a busy spot, there are always fishermen, laundry and bathing to be done plus recreation and water sports. The crocodile has been sighted in our bay!

Bicycles are used for many purposes and are an essential part of daily life. They are the cheapest taxi and are often heavily loaded with anything from live animals to fencing posts and large bags of charcoal.




Ian is well integrated with the farm staff, the working language is English, Chichewa, the local language is difficult but we are trying!

There is not much evidence of Christmas here but we are thinking of you all busy preparing for the festivities.
T and I

Hopefully this will all work!

Terri has arrived at Nkudzi Bay just south of Monkey Bay.
Ian is well orientated on both the farms,Funwe and Mitongwe, which are some distance from the house which is on the lake. Funwe Cottage is well appointed and comes with a treasure called Ophan who is a great cook and bursting with local knowledge.
We are still awaiting the rains which are overdue but should arrive at the weekend when the temperature should drop! The maize legumes and groundnuts are planted to coincide with the wet weather.
The local people are pleasant and welcoming.
Photos to follow!

Location

Monkey Bay is on the southern end of Lake Malawi.  The lake runs North South ( not East West!)

Malawi 2014

We are off to Malawi for 12 months, maybe more.
Ian leaves on 30th October and Terri will follow a month later.
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