South Africa, Aliwal North

the bridge over the Orange River

Apparently
his brakes failed
at the top of the hill

Imagine calling your employer
and beginning to explain
just what happened

urban waif

the police were called in
helmets, boots,

I wonder what she's seeing?

Malawi-The Federation Of Rhodesia And Nyasaland

shades of home

in the new world
of countries changing names
I was born in southern rhodesia

probably after this cover was made

Malawi-Blantyre-Not Quite KFC

appetising

2 mins from the CBD

Malawi-Blantyre-Daily Life

lullabye baby
on a side walk

Malawi-Blantyre-In Memorium

lost and found

Malawi-Retirement Blues

oh that I
could have been the miles she's been

oh that I
could have seen the smiles she's seen

Malawi-Technology

momo move over
the ultimate in mags
includes puncture repair kit

Malawi-Bygone Artifacts

economical
is a word
that hadn't
yet been
invented

Malawi-Daily Life

Charcoal bearer

Local newspaper reports say that people in rural Malawi are swopping bicycles for food; yet the government denies there is a crisis.

A bicycle is a sure sign of wealth in the realm of the poor.

without a bicycle this man dies...
with a bicycle and no food this man dies...

catch 22

Malawi-Blantyre-Centre Culturel Francais

blantyre
night
life

Malawi-Blantyre-Museum

Noah 's
Christmas
gift

Malawi-Blantyre-Museum

cows feet

think
you have
waterpump
problems?

Malawi-Blantyre-Ndiandiri

Ndirande

if your man
says he comes from
Blantyre

the chances are
he comes from here

Malawi-Blantyre-St Michaels And All Angels

St Michael And All Angels church
- Presbyterian -
built around 1890

decked out in the finest christmas wear!

my guide, Michael,

not yet saint or angel,

but close..

Malawi - Blantyre - Vendors Variety

the soul of the market

a glimpse

Malawi - Blantyre - David guide extraordinaire!

David!
doesn't take no for an answer..

David!
guide extraordinaire..

David!
haggler, human, hugged me
when he saw me this morning...

by the whiff
he must have partied

well into the morning.

Malawi: Blantyre - Vendor's Market

The market occupies less than a square kilometer of ground but houses an easy 500 stalls of amazing variety - I bought a book to write in for 25 kwatcha, and a mango for 50 kwatcha (the price of a bottle of coca cola), and then two oranges for 70 kwatcha each... there were people selling all colours of beans, fruit, baskets, door locks, you name it...

At today's exchange rate one gets 141 kwatcha for one US dollar.

Malawi has a lake which is part of the Nile valley. This lake is the main food source for much of the population. Much of the fish sold is dried, and at the vendor's market in Blantyre there are rows and rows of tables covered in these fish.

There was a TV documentary recently where the presenter said that Lake Malawi was likely to run out of fish. It was easy to forget that when it had just been something watched briefly on a Wednesday evening, but seeing the land now, the poverty, how much these people rely on the lake to provide, and seeing how fish from 2 cm long upwards are sold in such huge quantities, it really brings the issue to stark reality.

Malawi: Blantyre - Flora

On Wednesday
I was asked if
I would be willing
to work for 10 days in Malawi?

What a question ...

travel!!! Awesome...

so I write this from Blantyre.

The first thing that hit me
was the luxuriant,

tropical,

greenery

the trees seem bigger,
the flowers brighter