And with a fanfare, they arrived!

Greeted by drums, dancers, and a convoy of BMWs and SUVs, my parents arrived in Malawi last Thursday. Of course, the red carpet was for the VP of Zambia, but it was still fun. Less fun was having them sit on the plane until all the VIPs got off, but it made for a fun arrival. With my ID and nice work clothes, I was even able to walk right into arrivals and immigration, making sure that they knew at least I was eager for their arrival as well!

Because of those dignitaries, the gas shortage reached an acute stage this past weekend: the president ordered all gas stations to close so that the visiting dignitaries would not see gas lines. Happily for us, but not for most, we were able to get a special delivery of 20 gallons to enable us to go to the beach. So, with full tank and empty roads, my folks and I went down to Norman Carr Cottages – my favorite place on Lake Malawi.

We had the whole place virtually to ourselves! 2 days of swinging, beach walking, drinking, and eating up a storm was the perfect introduction to Malawi, and the owners, Taffy and Jenny made everything perfect. Add in the monkeys in the trees, a rare lake hippo sighting, fish eagle feeding, a tour of the local village, and gorgeous baobab trees, and my parents were in heaven.

On the way back, we stopped at Mua Mission for their cultural museum and wood carvings and Dedza pottery for a stretch and lunch – getting all of the tourist “hot spots” around. Considering we did not hit a single meandering goat or child in the road and did not get stopped in any speed traps, our weekend was near flawless. No wonder people love Malawi. If it were always like this, I would love it too!

Now, after a few days relaxing around Lilongwe, we are off on safari to Zambia with Jon. South Luangwa National Park, here we come!