Lilongwe

This is my last night in Malawi! I be aflyin' home on the morrow.

Well, this is going to be a hastily written post, as I've got to enter in tons of data tonight. Ew. But seeing as how I'm in Lilongwe (and have been here on many a weekend), I figured I should at least write a little blurb on it. Lilongwe is the capital of Malawi. To be honest, it wasn't my favorite the first time I was here. But it kind of grows on you after a while, you know? And now I'm going to miss it.

Lilongwe has three different markets. We probably spent the most time at the corner market, which is where they sell all the neat curios. I was royally ripped off on everything I bought in that market the first time I was there, but now that I can barter (and I drive a hard bargain now), the market is tons of fun. The vendors are funny people, and it's so cool to hear their stories and joke around with them. The only time it sucks is when they're begging you to buy something, but you really don't need anything and don't have the money to buy anything.I have bought a plethora of bracelets and postcards for that very reason as they're both pretty cheap. 

Lilongwe has this really nice part of town--it's got a nice shopping complex, different restaurants, and nice hotels. But in just a fifteen minute walk, you get into the grittier side of Lilongwe--Old Town. It's full of street vendors, small shops, and people teeming all over the streets. There's a nice mosque out that direction, but we never went inside. Apparently, you have to come during visiting hours. We went to the free market and holy crap, it's got everything random in the world. Food, tire rims, magazine, ripped DVDs, clothes, fabric, you name it. I tried taking pictures, but people always want you to pay them if you take a picture, and I can't afford that. So I got a couple sneaky photos, but they don't really capture the life of that place too well. I bought some fabric and am getting pants made by a tailor in Old Town for a super good price--a little over $3. I probably got it for so cheap though because Kevin (our driver friend) talked to him for me. They're going to be the greatest. Anyways, Old Town is more fun ( than the nicer part of town) to visit during the day, but kind of dangerous at night, especially if you're a rich-looking azungu. 

We've always stayed at either Mabuya Backpackers or Korea Garden Lodge when we spend time here. Mabuya's atmosphere is a lot more fun, but Korea Garden Lodge is a little nicer. Mabuya has these delicious wraps made with chapati bread (so it's definitely not L&T, but whatever), but KGL has got bulgogi (definitely not half as good as my mom's, but it's the best beef I've had in Africa). You win some, you lose some. It's all good. I was here for a week while I was prepping stuff for the structured interviewing part of my project, and it was kind of nice. There's definitely more to do than at SAFI (which is out in the middle of nowhere, Africa). 

 As far as restaurants go, Papaya has good, cheap, kinda healthy food. Pizza Inn has more expensive food, but it's good. Good is relative. The first I ate at Pizza Inn (about 2 weeks post-America), I thought the pizza was awful. Now it's been three months, and I think the pizza is delicious. And if you want to splurge, oh baby. Go to India Palace. I'm not sure anymore if it's actually legit delicious Indian food, or if I just think so because any kind of spice is a party in your mouth here. Either way, I love it, and we're going there tonight to commemorate our last night here. I haven't eaten at any other restaurants here. Usually I buy bread and such at the grocery store, or I get a wrap from Mabuya (every time) or bulgogi at KGL.   

In keeping with my haste, here are a bunch of randomly assorted photos from Lilongwe (and a couple not from Lilongwe). 

The rasta artists at the curio corner market.

 I bought earrings and bracelets from these guys the first time I went to the market.
The reason they're so happy is because I paid them twice what I should have.

Part of the nice shopping center in the nice part of Lilongwe.

Spar is also part of the shopping center area of Lilongwe.
It's also where we usually got our groceries (along with Shoprite and People's Cash & Carry).

Basket stand at the free market.
This is part of the market that sells everything. It's past the mosque.

Fish! So much fish. 

Malawian who irons clothes for a living in the Free Market.
He told me marrying a Malawian would be a good thing for me and then offered to be my boyfriend.

Bridges by the street market (between the curio market and the free market)
They're homemade and kind of precarious. I was kind of nervous walking on it.

This is a Bau gameboard, a traditional Malawian game. Renee knows how to play really well. I don't.
I think we were actually using the board to play mancala. 

Driving in the back of the truck.
This is actually on the way to BFI trainings in Kasungu.
But we rode in the back of the truck to Lilongwe a couple times (about 2 hours).

Free market in Lilongwe.

Chickens for sale in the Free Market.

The mosque in Old Town.

The market in between the curio market and the free market. 

Once again, the market in between the curio market and the free market.

It'll be sad to leave Malawi (and Lilongwe), but I am so excited to see my friends and family again! And I'm excited (and kind of terrified) for this last year of college. It'll be an adventure in and of itself--I can feel it already. Welp, we're about to leave to eat our Last Supper, so I must go. Hasta luego!