On our first Sunday, the school had organized a trip for new teachers to the Dedza pottery studio and a nice hike in the countryside. We were picked up from the house bright and early and left Lilongwe behind and going deep inland. Malawi is a very poor country and we got to see that first hand during our 80 minute drive to Dedza. Every few miles along the road we were traveling, we could see groups of mud houses, with straw roofs and no apparent electricity or running water. Groups of women were seemingly working and/or gathering things. Children were running around while the men were sitting together. Just what you would imagine an African village to look like! Many people were seen walking between the villages, some carrying heavy loads on their heads, while others were riding their beat-up bicycles, loaded with fire woods.
We arrived to the small town of Dedza and started our hike up the big hill/mountain overlooking the village. The views were beautiful from up there! Loads of trees, vegetation, new smells and singing birds…What a change from our desert hike in the Arabian desert! We were almost on the border between Malawi and Mozambique and could see the mountains on the other side, in Mozambique. Actually, in some places, the road acts as a border, with one side Malawi and the other Mozambique.
After the hike, we enjoyed a nice buffet of a variety of cuisines (think American Crème of Mushroom soup, Italian Pizza, Greek Mousaka with an Indian curry twist, French chicken roulades and Cheesecake) Quite a feast, I may say!
Finally, we went to the Pottery studio and were able to admire some gorgeous handmade pottery, ranging from plates, cups, serving pieces and water and milk pitchers. The temptation was high to stock up with those beautiful pieces, but we did not get anything this time, but hope to next time we visit this beautiful place.
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