Well after a interesting and event filled plane ride we are back in Malawi. We have arranged a few things just enough for me to enjoy my morning coffee.
Our plane ride took a route through London where we had a 10 hour delay and then on to South Africa in Johannesburg then up to Malawi. We decided to take advantage of the layover in London and go see Stonehenge.
When we landed we were going through passport control and started chatting with the agent there. He informed us that our timing in London coincided with school being out, which alluded to higher traffic on the roads. He warned us that we would not have enough time to make it to Stonehenge and then back to the airport for our flight.
We did not like this news.
So we made it through and rushed around talking to different people and through this we found there was no way for us to get to Stonehenge. What a bummer. So we opted for heading into the city and meander around for a bit.
When we got into the city really the only thing on either of our minds was coffee. So we found a nice spot near Picadilly Circus and drank to our heart/mind/stomachs delight and got on our way. We visited some buildings, some parks and just had a good time.
We made our way back to the airport and heading through the tube I realized I had dropped my ticket for the tube somewhere. Well being the way I was I did not want to pay for another one so I was just going to use Araceli's twice. So she went through and then handed me the ticket and as I tried to go through....of course it did not work.
From across the station I hear, "Hey Cowboy Come Here (I was wearing my cowboy hat)." I turned to look and it was an agent working the tube. I went over and she smiled at me and I made a joke with her and she let me through.
We got on back to the airport and off to Johannesburg. Once we reached the airport we went to the wrong place so we had to backtrack and go to the right place. Once there we had to wait in quite a long line to get through customs. Once through we had to go pay for some baggage for extra luggage we were bringing. We had to pay before we got our boarding passes.
Well I gave the agents at the desk the credit card and they had to go to some far off place to charge it. So about 20 minutes later they came back and said, "Sorry sir your card has been declined"....alright. So I asked them, "What do I do now I have no way of paying you guys?" replied, "Well you can go into the main terminal and go to a foreign exchange and get the money there."
Sounds good.
I guess I had never thought of it before but at a certain point in the airport the boarding pass becomes something of a golden pass. I had to make my way through security and had to sit with the agent there and convince her that although I did not have a boarding pass she needed to let me through security. So slipping in a quick joke she let me through.
As I scurried around the airport looking for an exchange I found that we had less than an hour before our plane took off, "Great" I thought, this is going to be fun.
I ended up finding an exchange but they were working so slow and it ended up eating about 20 minutes of time. Once to the exchange I told the lady what I needed and she replied, "That is fine sir if I can just have your Boarding Pass." She turned out to be very nice and understanding of the situation but told me that after I got my boarding pass I would have to come back and let her scan it or she would come after me.
As I finished I turned around and there was a tall skinny man and a short fat woman in uniform waiting behind me. They were the agents from the desk and the realized the urgency of getting me rushed along so we would not miss the plane.
So they escorted me back through security and then we picked up Araceli and then off back through security and too the gate. It had been boarding but luckily because of the miles I had accumulated we got to jump to the front of the line and get right on the plane.
So the plane goes up and then down and we are in Malawi. We make our way through everything in the airport and make it out. A gleaming Timeyo is waiting there for us and we load up our bags and we are off.
We talk about stopping for food but he tells us that his wife has prepared food for us.
We make it back to Kasese after about an hour and we find that Timeyo has landscaped a garden in front of our house. We are blown away at the beauty of it.
We go inside and drop all of our things, the house is somewhat of a mess but we don't care. We hopped in the shower and clean up and then off for food.
Since that point we have been slowly adjusting back to Malawi. Adjusting to the time zone here has not been a real problem at all. We have been methodically throwing trash out and cleaning out the house.
On Sunday, Easter Sunday, we headed out to mass in the village. It was not too far away but as we were going a water contractor showed up whom we had asked to do some work. I was a little preterbed by the man as it was Sunday and I reminded him he should not be working. But after some discussion about it we came to the conclusion that water is a gift and a blessing in itself and so we went off to work.
We rushed it a bit and got onto mass in the village. Araceli and I sat down with the villagers and celebrated the remainder of the mass. As we were driving off, Timeyo was telling me that the villagers were asking why there was white people there. They were curious because no white people ever come to the village. Timeyo continued that even wealthy Malawians never come to the village there.
He said it was good that we went into the village and celebrated with the people and I was glad we did also.
Sunday was great, I was allowed to drink scotch again.
We ended the night with a nice cigar and of course a glass or two of scotch.
We are here now and still adjusting. I got a nasty sunburn yesterday but things are moving along. We are fixing up the compound here an lieu of mission groups coming.
I have though, finished my cup of coffee and do need another one.
Our plane ride took a route through London where we had a 10 hour delay and then on to South Africa in Johannesburg then up to Malawi. We decided to take advantage of the layover in London and go see Stonehenge.
When we landed we were going through passport control and started chatting with the agent there. He informed us that our timing in London coincided with school being out, which alluded to higher traffic on the roads. He warned us that we would not have enough time to make it to Stonehenge and then back to the airport for our flight.
We did not like this news.
So we made it through and rushed around talking to different people and through this we found there was no way for us to get to Stonehenge. What a bummer. So we opted for heading into the city and meander around for a bit.
When we got into the city really the only thing on either of our minds was coffee. So we found a nice spot near Picadilly Circus and drank to our heart/mind/stomachs delight and got on our way. We visited some buildings, some parks and just had a good time.
Araceli in London
We made our way back to the airport and heading through the tube I realized I had dropped my ticket for the tube somewhere. Well being the way I was I did not want to pay for another one so I was just going to use Araceli's twice. So she went through and then handed me the ticket and as I tried to go through....of course it did not work.
From across the station I hear, "Hey Cowboy Come Here (I was wearing my cowboy hat)." I turned to look and it was an agent working the tube. I went over and she smiled at me and I made a joke with her and she let me through.
We got on back to the airport and off to Johannesburg. Once we reached the airport we went to the wrong place so we had to backtrack and go to the right place. Once there we had to wait in quite a long line to get through customs. Once through we had to go pay for some baggage for extra luggage we were bringing. We had to pay before we got our boarding passes.
Well I gave the agents at the desk the credit card and they had to go to some far off place to charge it. So about 20 minutes later they came back and said, "Sorry sir your card has been declined"....alright. So I asked them, "What do I do now I have no way of paying you guys?" replied, "Well you can go into the main terminal and go to a foreign exchange and get the money there."
Sounds good.
I guess I had never thought of it before but at a certain point in the airport the boarding pass becomes something of a golden pass. I had to make my way through security and had to sit with the agent there and convince her that although I did not have a boarding pass she needed to let me through security. So slipping in a quick joke she let me through.
As I scurried around the airport looking for an exchange I found that we had less than an hour before our plane took off, "Great" I thought, this is going to be fun.
Waiting at Johannesburg
As I finished I turned around and there was a tall skinny man and a short fat woman in uniform waiting behind me. They were the agents from the desk and the realized the urgency of getting me rushed along so we would not miss the plane.
So they escorted me back through security and then we picked up Araceli and then off back through security and too the gate. It had been boarding but luckily because of the miles I had accumulated we got to jump to the front of the line and get right on the plane.
So the plane goes up and then down and we are in Malawi. We make our way through everything in the airport and make it out. A gleaming Timeyo is waiting there for us and we load up our bags and we are off.
We talk about stopping for food but he tells us that his wife has prepared food for us.
We make it back to Kasese after about an hour and we find that Timeyo has landscaped a garden in front of our house. We are blown away at the beauty of it.
Timeyo's garden in front of our house
We go inside and drop all of our things, the house is somewhat of a mess but we don't care. We hopped in the shower and clean up and then off for food.
Our shower.....the other one is too cold so we have to heat up water for the bag (thanks to my cousin Valerie for the bag)
Eating lunch with Timeyo with his wife Betha in the back
Araceli with Timeyo's daughter, Morris, they had different sentiments about being with each other
Our first day back and no electricity so had to heat some water up
We rushed it a bit and got onto mass in the village. Araceli and I sat down with the villagers and celebrated the remainder of the mass. As we were driving off, Timeyo was telling me that the villagers were asking why there was white people there. They were curious because no white people ever come to the village. Timeyo continued that even wealthy Malawians never come to the village there.
Timeyo and I heating up water. We had just put in the bench I am sitting on (why we have pickaxes)
A shot from Mass. Although there was a lot of trees.
We ended the night with a nice cigar and of course a glass or two of scotch.
We are here now and still adjusting. I got a nasty sunburn yesterday but things are moving along. We are fixing up the compound here an lieu of mission groups coming.
I have though, finished my cup of coffee and do need another one.
