Last weekend we hiked Mount Mulanje

(Google photo of Mount Mulanje)

Perhaps it’s because I was born and raised in the middle of Michigan’s mitten—one of the flattest places on earth—that I’ve always had a fascination with real mountains (“real” mountains = mountains with snow on top, not the “mountains” of Pennsylvania).

Last week Sara and I had the privilege of spending a few days in Malawi soaking in sunshine at the gorgeous Lake (post coming soon), visiting friends, and hiking Malawi’s Mount Mulanje.

If a real mountain must have snow topped peaks, perhaps Mount Mulanje isn’t a real mountain. However, its 3,000 metre (~10,000 foot) postcard-worthy frame definitely looks like a real mountain. And… having recently spent thirty hours in close proximity with Mulanje’s rock formations, I’d have to say Mulanje is a “real” mountain (even if we didn’t find any snow along our route).

Our hike up to Lichenya only took 6.5 hours—including a tea break, lunch break, and a few miscellaneous stops for water along the way. Sounds so easy… but the climb is a significant workout.

It’s been just over five years since I first made my way up Mt. Mulanje. It was so wonderful to return to this mountain and re-trek its Lichenya Path in the company of friends. It was Sara(!), her dad, her two brothers and two sisters, two other friends, and me who comprised our hiking party five years ago. This trip included a Swiss carpenter, an Ausie fellow, two of the Millers close family friends, Sara, her dad, and me.

What a privilege it was not only to return to Malawi but also to have the physical ability to enjoy another climb up the Mulanje Massif.

I hardly took any photos of the hike (I was too busy climbing…), but I managed to snap a couple during breaks. Plus, I’ve pulled a few from our hike five years ago [thanks to the Millers].

Enjoy!

that's where we're going...

pack up

I had to stop to shoot pictures here...
I vividly remembered this steep part of the climb five years ago.

we ate our lunch up there

picture-perfect Lichenya "hut" (more like a cabin I'd say!)

inside the hut

view from the hut

headed down, down, down

the 2009 hiking crew!

2009 break time

yes, we started down there

beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
there were scads of wild flowers blooming this time as well

good-bye, mountain.
until next time

Kitchen Party

 A few shots from a recent kitchen party I attended.

The kitchen set up was lovely.

The celebration was held in a friend’s yard.

This was a rather small party, and it was refreshing to be outside. 

It was also chilly for those who weren't dancing!   ;)

Friends :)

wall craft

Thanks to my Tia who sent a fun piece of string to help decorate my bedroom wall.

AmeriZam Birthday Bash

In celebration of Sara's birthday, we decided to invite a bunch of friends over for a pizza party!

If you're from the States, it probably sounds pretty normal for a couple twenty-something gals to invite a few twenty-somethings friends over for an evening of pizza, cake, a party game, and a World Cup semi-final game.

If you're from Zambia, you know that nothing in the above sentence is "normal."  

nothing.

-not the pizza

(though many Zambians do enjoy pizza when they have opportunity to try it)

-not the cake

(chocolate with green mint icing and melted chocolate on top- are you kidding?)

-not the party game
(Say Anything)

well... I guess the World Cup semi-final is sort of normal-- 

except the fact that girls don't go outside the house after dark (18:00)

and the game started at 22:00 local time...

and we don't have a TV (just thought I'd mention that while I'm on the topic of abnormal!)

Of course we had a wonderful evening with our friends. 

I must confess that in some respects it's fun to be the person on the "other side" of cultural barriers every once-in-a-while. Usually, I'm the one who can't pronounce this-or-that word, or has never tried this or that well-loved food... 

Not only were Sara and I the only partiers who knew what pepperoni was, we were also the only two who had previously eaten pepperoni, as well as the sole group members who could properly pronounce the word "pepperoni."

Good times :)

ps- In case you were wondering, yes.
Yes, I find it slightly disturbing that I actually enjoy the flavor of something that started out as meat but that is now shelf stable and can fly across the ocean in a suitcase and still be edible... hum...
guess it's all in the definitely of "edible" (right, Logan??!)...