Blantyre - Malawi

I spent few days in Blantyre. City is quite ok. It is not overcrawded, with few traffic, maybe due to lack of oil and forex problems... Cars are going slowly... Blantyre is second largest city in Malawi, after capital city of Lilongwe. It is about 150 km from here to Mozambique border.

City center.

Street next to office....  notice meeting on high level next to lantern :)

Nevertheless people who live here, live in very special place. City is surrounded by small hills.

City center overview

This are slums in Blantyre

I must add some comercial about beer. Carsberg - Probably the best beer in the world  is in Malawi. And it is brewared here. Local brand by Carlsberg is Kuche-Kuche. One can find original Carlsberg "Green" and Carlsberg "Special".

Kuche kuche in 0.5 l bootle, 3,75% vol. Bottles look like old polish lemonade bottle. 

All streets and roads are almost empty of cars. In the other hand lots of people are walking along roads, from and to work, or just to walk. Bus tickets for private public small buses are to expensive. If someone has a bike, it must be luxury.
Vehicles for public transport have white plates, all others have yellow.

Next destination is Lilongwe, capital city.

Podroz do Malawi

Moja podroz do Malawi zaczela sie na lotsnisku w Lusace. Opuszczalem to miejsce gotowy na poznawanie kolejnego afrykanskiego kraju. Wszytsko byloby fajnie gdyby nie wiza. Nauczony doswiadczeniem zawczasu wypelnilem niebiekie formularze ze nic nie wyzwoze, i dlaczego wyjezdzam i pelen przekonania dokonalem odprawy. Zdziwienie nastapilo przy odprawie paszportowej. Okazalo sie ze wiza sie skonczyla tydzien wczesniej. Ups.. No coz celnik zaczal pytac, a po co bylem w Zambi, jak dlugo, czemu tyle razy i ze kara bedzie 4 mln kwacha i wogole.
Ponarzekal, ponarzekal z drugim sie skonsultowal. Na pytanie czy mozna dokupic wize, pomyslal przetrawil...
Nowa "wiza", oczywiscie nieistniejaca, kosztowala pozbycie sie prezydenta Franklina z mojej kieszeni.
Nastepna wizyta w Zambii nie wczesniej niz przed listopadem.

Wiza w wydaniu Zambii

Dalej bylo juz z gorki, albo raczej w gore. Lot do Lilongwe jakim boeingiem. Szalony pilot zaraz po oderwawniu sie od plyty lotniska zaczal skrecac. Pilot byl Murzynem jak nic. Strach ogarnal moich wspolpasazerow pod koniec lotu. Widok Araba modlacego sie do Allaha w samolocie - moznaby przytoczyc za za wszystko inne zaplacilem mastercardem. Pytanie skad wiedzial w ktora strone jest Mekka. Oczekiwanie na nastepny samolot w Lilongwe i 50 minutowy lot bo Blantyre...

Streets of Zambia

I had a chance to drive arround Lusaka. Here are best pictures from my trips.

First two - just outside of Lusaka city. It is raining season so all plants, trees, grass are very green.

30 minutes after rain stopped. And it is 15 km away from Lusaka -  rough road...

Crossroad in city center. Everyone has priority here!!! On left - public transport.
Colors of public/privte buses were recently changed after new president election.

Same crossroad 

Full story :)

In Hotel

Pond in my hotel is full of live.
There are small crocs visible only in the morning, taking morning sunbath on rocks.
In afternoons - yellow birds are flying arround nests.

Zambia in 2012

I was afraid that this visit in Zambia will be very short - my visa was only for 12 days. No way, on airport border lady told me to buy new visa, so I have brand new one.

Yesterday I was in Malawi embasy in Lusaka, to apply for another visa to Malawi. Becouse Poland is worst that 3rd world country it means that polish man must do visa to any black land country in Africa.... Good thing is that to get visa to Malawi here takes only 3 days, comparing to more than a week in Berlin.

Today my driver told me that whether here is strange this year. It is raining season and there are really few rains. Same story as with snow in Poland?

As allways small trips during a daywork are specialite de la maison. In really close aproximity to city center, one can drive on small hill 100m heigh - around 1700m above sea level. Even whith 4x4 Toyota it was not quite easy. Remainings of asphalt road and big rocks gave a lot of satisfaction on a top.
And of course fine view on area...

Airport in far view - it is not allowed to take pictures!

Lusaka in far view

News from today - next week Malawi tbc, later Mozambique, and return to Lusaka tbc.