Iris Malina

This weekend I left Zomba for the first time, to go to Liwonde National Park, just 45 minutes drive from here, up towards the lake. However it took me three hours altogether, because I had to rely on public transport. 'Public transport' being the madness that are matolas, shared minibuses, and bicycle taxis.

So I went to the bus depot in Zomba, and immediately a flock of minibus drivers approached me, convincing me to step in to their vehicle. These buses do not run on a time table, more on a fill-up-and-go basis. So I had to sit, jammed into a seat, for another 40 minutes before finally hitting the road. And then there is stops along the road to let some people off, and even more people on. Four people per row is minimum. At one point I think we were 30 people in there, of which half a dozen where infants. And the police stopped us three times, expecting bribes for overlooking the vehicles lack of warrant of fitness.

And so I got off in Liwonde town, only to be surrounded of boys with bicycles, bicycle taxis, that all wanted to give me a ride to the camp site. That is 6 km along a dirt road, in the scorching mid day sun.

The campsite is called Bushman's Baobabs, with baobab being the huge, chunky, funky looking tree that grows all over the park. The main hut and the 'dining hall' did not have any walls, only a thatched roof held up by tree trunks, whereas the toilets had only walls and no ceiling. All in all a terrifically relaxed place, with very friendly staff and a bar where you could grab whatever you wanted and simply put a mark on a bar list. Flocks of elephants, impalas and warthogs could be seen just outside the camp (with no sort of fence in between), from the elevated viewing deck overlooking the majestic Shire River.

I signed up for a boat safari along the river, expecting to see crocs and hippos. And we did see crocs and hippos, but more importantly ELEPHANTS! Elephants out in the river, grazing the reeds on the river banks. I never even thought one could get so close to an elephant,sitting in a boat! 

Hippos!

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is a baby elephant!

 

 

 

Baobab trees, look at the car for scale

 

The dorm I slept in

 

I'm a poor lonesome traveller, and a long way from home...

 

And so the sun set, just before six as always, and the few guests gathered around the dinner table, and later around the camp fire. Beer in hand. Malawians all drink Carlsberg, referred to as simply a 'green', with the closest brewery being established in Blantyre, by a dane who thought Malawi lacked a good beer.

Life is indeed good.

So to clarify the circumstances to which I am here; I have got a scholarship to conduct a so called 'minor field study' (MFS). The scholarship is from the Swedish International Development agency (SIDA), and the sum is 27 000 kr. More than a hundred departments on swedish universities can issue these scholarships, and in 2014, 775 applications got approved.

The money are supposed to cover (or almost cover) the travel and living expenses (including vaccinations and such) for a period of eight weeks in a development country. The subject can be anything, ranging from peace and conflict studies, to medicin and to engineering. In my case the country is Malawi and the subject is water chemistry, altough the specifics of the project have yet not been decided.

The idea and purpose of the MFS is to offer students a chance of practical work, international connections and to develop deeper knowledge about their chosen subject. And in the process, maybe even get a chance to do some really good research.

I have a supervisor over here, one at home at Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet (SLU). Uppsala University are the ones to approve my MFS application and later project report, and SIDA are the ones paying. 

 

The view from my little office

"Welcome to Chanco, home of academic freedom"

Today I got a brief tour of the university campus, where I will spend most of my time here. It is Chancellors Collage, the largest campus out of four, which together constitutes to University of Malawi. I met my supervisor for the first time, Dr Samson Sajidu, and got settled in a little office with a nice view. I now have access to internet, however quite slow.

I got a tour of the chemistry laboratories where I will conduct my experiences. I am quite intimidated, I find chemistry quite hard as it is.. but I suppose after this experience I will be ace at water chemistry! It is a nice campus, with red brick buildings, and it is very close to my house. The walkways around and between the buildings all have solid roofs, and I am told that is because in the wet season, the rain is so intense that otherwise you would be unable to move around.

Not so surprisingly, my project plan is already a subject of revision. The river which I hoped to study is currently affected by major road works outside town, and possibly dammed. In which case, a study there would be a waste of everyones time. I will find out tomorrow, when I will get a tour of the surroundings by Samson.

The stress (which was really quite nauseating earlier today) are subsiding, slowly, with every successful step along the way. You know, to get on the right bus to the airport, find the right check-in desk, confirmation that my tickets are in order (I forgot to write my middle names when ordering the tickets..), that my passport is indeed valid, that my flight is on time, that no illegal items accidentally ended up in my hand luggage..

And now, I am witnessing the last Swedish sunset for quite some time, from the gate where I will soon board the plane to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I'm as much terrified as excited!