On to Lilongwe

Today after a 5:15 am start we headed back (with all our luggage!!!) to the airport in Johannesburg. Despite getting there over 3 hours ahead of time we didn't get to the gate too early. We also had to pay a substantial bill to get all our supplies to Malawi. It's a bit frustrating when you realize that all of the supplies were donated from Americans, you would think South African Airlines could cut us some slack.

Anyway, be that as it may, the flight to Lilongwe was smooth and almost on time. The Lilongwe airport is a sight to behold. At least 2 flights came in at once and there is only one luggage carousel. The crowd must have been 5 people deep. Eventually, we got all the supplies and met the people from the Ministry of Hope who will be guiding us around for the next few weeks.

Our first stop was the Crisis Nursery in Lilongwe. They have about 22 orphans under the age of two there. The staff is phenomenal. These kids look amazingly good, particularly when you realize how sick they were when the came to the nursery. The staff is technically good with limited resources and they have a huge amount of love for the kids. Not being able to resist, we got involved right away (see the picture if I can get it to upload). Some of them are HIV positive and the one on the left was thought to have malaria but the blood test is still pending. Note how much thiner and floppier he appears. My years of doing pediatric nephrology are already starting to pay off in Africa.

Tomorrow we will start to get all the supplies organized and ready for our trips to the villages. The people of Lilongwe look well and properly nourished but we're told that in the villages it's quite a different story. The landscape is verdantly green at the end of the rainy season and there are crops everywhere, even in the city. At this point it is hard to know why there is so much starvation although I'm sure we will be learning much more. Sometimes the up-coming dry season is called the "season of starvation".

First Day in Africa

We had a quiet day. We spent most of it relaxing and getting used to the new timezones. After a late breakfast we went to the mall in Johannesburg to pick up some last minute items. The mall was neat, clean and modern but smaller than Towne Center in Fayetteville and it is rumored to be the nicest mall in Johannesburg. I'm hoping this got the shopping out of Carolyn's system for a while.

Our hotel was on the outskirts of Jo-burg in a relatively rural setting. Check out the accompanying photo. The homes are remarkable for their diversity - from very small, downtrodden places to very nice homes.

All of the people we've been involved with are delightful. The hotel personel met us at the airport and helped move all of our luggage. Most of the people we've met at the hotel are expatriates from Zimbabwe, where the president is Robert Mugave. He is causing issues for many folks in that country. Most of the Zimbabwean expatriates work here for 11 months and go home for 1. They usually leave their children with relatives in Zimbabwe and send money home. It's hard for us to imagine but they seem happy.

It's also quite interesting to be in a country where you are an obvious minority. We feel quite safe and comfortable but do we stand out!

Arrived on schedule after a delightful but long flight. We both got a good 7 hrs of sleep and I got a lecture written!! Nothing like being locked up in a tin can to focus your attention.

The guest house we are at, Africa Sky, is delightful with great food and wonderful staff. We’ll probably crash tomorrow and do a little site seeing in Johannesburg. Then on Thursday it’s on to Malawi. Ken, all supplies arrived intact without a scratch on them!

We Like to Travel Light!

Do you think the plan will get off the ground!

One more item on the "to do" list for our trip is completed: setting up a blog. We look forward to sharing our trip with our family and friends.