Are you for scuba?

In Malawi, Mother's Day is an October holiday and shuts the place down. Murph and I took advantage of already having celebrated our mothers and headed for the lake to meet up with Biff.

The bus ride was not exactly comfortable. Halfway there we were stopped by immigration officers and told we'd have to abandon our bus comrades 'cause we weren't carrying more than photocopies of our passports (poor decision). Maybe it was because he took pity on us, maybe we were convincing when we explained our visas had yet to expire, or maybe it was obvious we were newbs and much to clueless to be troublemakers, but in the end he let us go. When we finally got back on the bus, a fellow bus-mate let us know she'd prayed for us. I suppose we seemed like we needed some higher assistance, but at that point the thought of spending a night in a foreign small town was pretty distressing and we'd have taken any help we could get.

Apart from the uncomfortable seats and sardine-like associations, the bus offered up certain conveniences. When we pulled over for pit stops people would come to the windows selling a vast array of snacks or Fanta plus some useful thatched mats. With all the stops the trip was 9 hours  and halfway we felt like livin' on the edge, so we opted to try the bag-o-fried potatoes and coleslaw (with a slice of tomato for the health conscious). It was pure sketch and we were well aware we may pay for it later, but with ample salty, oily carb goodness, it was worth it. This act prompted the newest motto, 'go big or go home'. Plus, in the end we were in the clear and our stomachs remained happy campers.  

The first night we stayed with Biff at the college next to the lake. It was here that I realized African life can be hotter and sweatier, but while we were in town heaps of band members were camping out at the residences for a local music festival. Positive: amazing live entertainment; negative: 5 am wake ups to gospel choirs.

Next stop: Cape Maclear

It was an odd combination of swanky expats, sweaty backpackers and relaxed locals, but thus far it tops weekend destinations. The town isn't big and lacks some essential amenities like an ATM, but easily makes up for it with perfect weather, nightly picturesque sunsets, and being 80% beach. Our days were spent finding shade, cold beverages, and water activities and the nights were spent finding cold beverages, food, and beach chairs. Prior to the trip I was a scuba virgin, but once I master equalizing and that damn mask clear, I'll be unstoppable.

Conclusions: It may not be environmentally friendly, but there's something to be said for ketchup-size, packets of gin added to pineapple Fanta. Also, sharing a bus with live chickens seems much more difficult than it is.