Weekend Visit to Dzaleka Refugee Camp, Malawi.

I started of from the city going towards the airport. With a sunny morning, and a soothing breeze on the windows. The sort that give you confidence that today is going to be a good day. On the M1 road, before the airport turn off, an empty amusement park was passed. Due to my own time constraints I didn’t stop for entry, but there was always that longing to get it and experience the thrill of it all.

Then, Ii left the M1 road turning to M16 road towards Dowa municipality, passing via Lumbadzi town. I saw a lot of local traders selling cheap farm produce, that I couldn’t resist but by myself some fresh tomatoes and Irish potatoes. The commodities were livery cheap compared to prices in the city which are three times more.

I drove for about 10-15 km to reach the Refugee camp, which harbored so much diversity. In terms of clothing, food, ethnicity and languages. Honestly I felt like I was outside my own country because I couldn’t pick out on the languages. Of course we communicated through Chichewa and English, but there were more languages. I was told the camp had up to 18 languages spoken. It was thrilling for me to hear different tongues spoken. Even though I found it challenging to communicate when I wanted to buy things and the seller wasn’t conversant in English or Chichewa.

Ooh, I loved the food. Ooh man. That was undisputed. The taste, savory texture and aroma! Aaah. That was a good life. Damn.

Around lunch, I went to a Chapati joint where I ordered myself a chapati with two eggs at k300 (approx $2), and whilst they were preparing that I ordered myself some ginger tea and locally made biscuits. The taste and scent of that tea still lingers in my mind and my nostrils are still crazy about it. You know the feeling you get when there’s freshly made coffee, and you feel the scent and the taste way before you take the cup to your mouth? Yeah. That one. That’s the same effect my ginger tea has on me right now. It was brilliantly made.

When the chapati was done, I took it with “freezes” as a drink, I think it tasted like caramel flavored. When I think about it now, whilst writing this, I am tempted to go back. That Chapati is life changing. I can’t seem to get over it. And it was big, and cheap. And the people were friendly too.

After the lunch I went back to the basketball court for the games, and that part was heated too. It was fun. Next to the basketball games was a football games, and this place is harboring skills. Incredible skills. I’m sure given the right opportunity we’d get the next global superstars. In both basketball and football.

A trip I started in the morning, was beautiful that I had to experience the Dowa sunsets on the way back to the city, and these were very beautiful. The road to Dzaleka is very scenery too. With bends and hills, and Mountain View’s over. It’s beautiful just to reminisce of it. Oh I love Dzaleka. I will definitely go back. I can’t seem to take it off my the back of my head. And ooh. The people are beautiful. Naturally beautiful.

The women, with their different cultural dressing, aaah. Life is good! It is good. The men too. Different hair cuts, dressing and languages. I loved the diversity. I enjoyed the diversity.