30. May 2026

A Lonely Giraffe

Our penultimate stop of the family trip was Kuti Wildlife Reserve, near Salima, where we enjoyed an peaceful night in our own bush villa. Lydia got up early to go horse-riding. I was very tempted to join her but in the end sense prevailed - two hours on horseback could have been a stretch too far for my poor back, which was already protesting about the pothole adventures of the previous week. Not wanting to be unnecessarily kind to my spine, though, I joined the others for a leisurely bike ride round part of the reserve. There are no predators there, so moving around in the bush was safe; probably a good thing, as cycling on sandy pathways proved quite tricky and we had to walk for much of the route! Lydia saw lots of wildlife from the saddle...the rest of us, not so much! The views were very pretty though.

Just before we left for the final part of our journey to Nkhotakota, we drove a short route round the reserve and had a chance to stop the car and creep into an area where Jenny, the only giraffe in the reserve, was chewing the cud with two of her zebra friends. It was a beautiful moment, being able to stand so close to them. Jenny, Lydia had been told when seeing her on her ride, is desperate for a mate and the search is on for a male to be brought in to keep her company. For now, she has to make do with her stripey pals. For my children's book-writing friends, I feel there could be a story in there somewhere!

Last Stop, Nkhotakota

The waves were crashing on the lakehore as we arrived here in the village and we learned that the previous couple of days had seen high winds that prohibited the fisherman from getting out in their boats at night. Sadly, that meant no income for them - and no chambo fish for us to buy.

It was great to see the teachers and students again the next morning and whilst I was teaching Form 3, Madam C showed Harry, Matthew, William and Lydia around both the primary and secondary schools, and the clinic nearby. In the afternoon, we were invited to the homes of a couple of friends in the village and came back with papayas, one of my favourite gifts nowadays!

The next morning, Madam C had arranged for everyone to be involved in teaching whist I ran held a lesson with Form 1, much to the consternation of all (Harry was unwell, so had to abstain). There was some panicked cramming before William taught Maths, Matthew taught History, and Lydia taught English.

They all looked as though they needed a stiff Malawi gin once they'd finished, but Madam C and the Director of the school were very complimentary about their efforts; as Madam C said to me later, it caused ripples of excitement and raised the energy levels of the students.

I needed to meet with the Immigration Officers in the afternoon to submit and pay for my Temporary Employment Permit (& in doing so, reduce/eliminate the risk of going to prison for not conforming to Visa requirements - gulp) so we had a trip to town and managed to fit in a walk around the market. I came back chuffed to now be the proud owner of my own mop and broom, both of which are being put to good use this weekend! Hopefully by the end of next week, I will also be the proud owner of a TEP...meanwhile, I'm trying not to worry about the fact that my passport is no longer in my possession, as it is on its way to Lilongwe to be stamped...

Our final evening together was enjoyed in the company of A, the Director of the school, who had kindly provided a local chicken for the occasion, as well as insightful, frank and interesting conversation. There is never a shortage of things to ponder over and I am starting to feel the thread of my next novel weaving slowly together. Note to self - start writing it, not just thinking it!

There May Have Been Tears

Our final drive back together on the cratered road to Lilongwe was an emotional one for me. It was a real privilege to have my sons and future daughter-in-law with me here. I wish it could have been for longer, as saying goodbye was difficult but what a way to celebrate being 60! I managed to hold it together until the final hugs at the airport, when the 'see you in five months' comments landed heavily. And, yes, there may have been tears...in fact, let's face it, there were tears...but I was genuinely excited as I headed back to Nkhotakota for the next two months of adventures here and beyond - and I knew I'd be getting to try out my new broom and mop! Simple pleasures...

Blogging Off

So back to school again on Monday, so I'd better get cracking with some lesson planning. Form 2 and Form 4 students start their exams from next week, so it's all about to get a bit hectic for the 'real' teachers, but hopefully I can be on hand to make cups of tea, as required.

More from me next Saturday, but in the meantime, you can follow me on Instagram: @malawi_enjoying_ourselves.

Thanks for reading.

Clare