Day 13: Saying Goodbye to Malawi and Hello to Elephants!

Saying goodbye to Alice and Andy is always bittersweet. I’m happy to be going home but sad to leave the lovely people of Malawi.

Elizabeth, one of our tailors, met me at Peter’s house to say goodbye and thank you. That was lovely of her and made me feel a little better after missing all of them yesterday. We left an hour later than we expected this morning, but it all worked out just fine.

On the way to Lake Malawi we went through an elephant preserve and low and behold we found three of these glorious beasts. A mother and baby were on the right-hand side of the road and the daddy appeared after a while on the left. They were all beautiful, but the male was magnificent. I’ve never seen an elephant so close and I have to admit it scared the living daylights out of me until Luzu, our driver mentioned, that the elephant wouldn’t come down the bank towards us. He was so huge. None of us could believe our good fortune. Truly this was a major highlight of our trip.

Up close and personal with this magnificent animal.

We saw four enactments of the stations of the cross too since it is Good Friday as we leave Malawi. Hundreds of people come out to parade through the streets with a heavy crucifix, all dressed in purple and white singing and praying.

The Stations of the Cross.

Swimming in the lake was refreshing and relaxing. Having a beer on the beach felt like vacation and I even got to read my book for a while. 

Sunrise over Lake Malawi.

Dinner with the whole group and a walk on the peer was a sweet end to an amazing trip. We accomplished a lot. Tomorrow we head for home. Good bye Malawi!