Back in Arusha...

ahhh....the 'week or so' between posts or any word from me was a bit longer on the 'so' side, and apologies for the extra worries! we are all safe, happy, and well on our way back to nairobi and the plane to take us home. we are staying an extra day in arusha, tanzania just to not have a consecutive three days of bus trips. this last one from mbaya was a grueling 17.5 hours, of which we broke down temporarily. apparently some part of the steering mechanism broke, no worries though--it was fixed with a long piece of twine--practical, maybe-safe, probably not.
malawi was a wonderful experience for the last leg of our trip. loads of relaxing, reading, and time with friends. we spent a couple of nights in nkhata bay at one of the best places we've stayed this whole trip--complete with beach side camping, the world's best bbq, and a compost toilet. it really felt like paradise--well, if paradise is in europe because there sure were a ton of europeans at the lodge! we met sara and austin there and then went to stay the four nights in their village, farther south and closer to nkhotakota. along with the time, the language also changes so we were quick to learn the greetings in Chichewa. both austin and sara speak wonderfully and have picked up the cultural and social norms of village life and living. they have done a load of work on their home and it's really a great place! their backyard is fenced to keep in the pet ducks and to keep out the neighborhood kids with a great starter garden growing tomatoes, corn, and peppers. i'm excited to keep hearing from them and the progress they make there, not only with the home but with the community and whatever projects they take on. i'm adding a link to their blog as well--it's worth getting their two cents about village life and our stay!!
and, of course i'm running out of internet time to post too much more, but i'll be back. until then check out their blog at malawiwowi.blogspot.com
peace,
megan