June 6, 2012

After nearly one week in Blantyre, Bridget and I are finally adjusting to our living conditions.  Kabula Lodge has been great so far – especially because there are always other guests around to socialize with.  We have met volunteers from all over the world, the majority of who are volunteering at Queens!

Power outages: The power goes out for 1 or 2 hours almost every night at the Lodge.  As a result, we can’t use the internet, cook, or take hot showers.  While this is somewhat inconvenient, we don’t mind too much because it gives us an excuse to eat out! J

Food:  Blantyre has a lot of great restaurants!  You can get just about every international cuisine here.  We’ve particularly enjoyed the Indian food!  But although it’s been nice eating out this week, we’re ready to start cooking our own meals with our own groceries!  Bridget is an amazing cook, so I’m looking forward to eating her amazing creations!!!

Exploring: We spent a couple days this week exploring the Blantyre street market.  The market is amazing…there are hundreds of stands selling groceries, clothes, and second-hand goods.  Most stands have a theme (i.e. computer goods, cell phone accessories, books, shoes, etc).  The produce stands are particularly awesome…they sell nearly every type of fresh fruit and vegetable, all for very cheap!

 

Overall, I’m really enjoying life in Blantyre.  But of course, there are some things from home I miss…like kitchen utensils, dairy milk, liquid hand soap and high speed internet!