Thursday, 2 October 2008
Mount Mulanje Pictures-The other unseen pictures
These are pictures taken on 29 August 2008 when i visited Mount Mulanje. I am the guy in a blue short sleeve shirt. Enjoy!
Tuesday, 30 September 2008
Lilongwe City
The beauty of Lilongwe City
by Tiyamike Kathewera
Lilongwe is the capit
al city of Malawi. It is located in the central region of the country, one of the three regions. The city is a centre of economic activities with various factories and industries taking centre stage. This relatively big city is home to close to 600,000 people most of which are in the middle class (2003 census).
al city of Malawi. It is located in the central region of the country, one of the three regions. The city is a centre of economic activities with various factories and industries taking centre stage. This relatively big city is home to close to 600,000 people most of which are in the middle class (2003 census).Lilongwe city started life as a small village on the banks of the magnificent and long Lilongwe River, and became a British colonial administrative centre at the beginning of the 20th century. Due to its location on the main north-south route through the country and the road to Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), Lilongwe became the 2nd largest city in Malawi. In 1974 the then president of Malawi Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda moved the capital from Zomba to Lilongwe.
Though Lilongwe is the official capital of Malawi most commercial activity takes place in Malawi's commercial city, Blantyre. Recently government, under the directive of the incumbent president, His Excellency Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika, moved all its head offices to Lilongwe, as it should normally be. The national assembly is housed there now at the presidential residence, New State House. A new and modern multimillion dollar parliament building is currently under construction at city center in the hub of administrative activities of the country.
Transportation in Lilongwe
Almost all roads in the city are tarmac. The major means of transportation means are minibuses. They are very affordable and comfortable especially owing to the fact that government introduced a new legislation requiring that only three people seat per row against the previous four people per row.
Tourists and other people that want to visit the city should not panic as there are several car hire service providers in the city at affordable and competitive rates.
Lilongwe also has the country’s main international airport, Kamuzu International Airport. The airport connects the city to other cities and districts like Blantyre and Mzuzu. The airport is beautiful and smart. There are taxi that conveniently ferry people to and from the airport at fair prices.
Shops (By Wikipedia-Free Encyclopedia edited by Tiyamike Kathewera)
The main western-style shopping area is around Shoprite and the Nico Centre in
Area 3, on the west bank of the Lilongwe River in Old Town. A newer, similar shopping center is located near the Mchinji round-about across from the Seven Eleven filling station - the elegant Crossroads Shopping Center. Several internet cafes are located in and around these two shopping centres. Gifts and crafts can be bought from the post office craft market directly opposite the Nico Centre. To get a fair deal in the craft market, you must bargain hard. Pharmacies, forex bureaus and banks (including Stanbic and Malawi National Bank) are located throughout the city. ATM's which accept VISA cards are available at the banks mentioned above in City Centre and Area 3. It should be noted that almost any necessity can be purchased in Lilongwe, and many back-packers and overland travellers stop in Lilongwe to stock-up and enjoy city life for a few days.
Areas (Wikipedia edited Tiyamike Kathewera
The city has many districts known as Areas. Areas are numbered, and range from one to fifty or more as the city grows - City Centre not being a numbered Area. The Areas are not necessarily consecutively numbered from one area to another.
Some Notable Areas are:
>City Centre is by far the most modern, developed area of Lilongwe. Many banks (Stanbic - or Standard Chartered, National Bank of Malawi, NedBank, the Reserve Bank of Malawi), diplomatic missions, exclusive hotels (Sunbird Capital Hotel), airline offices (including South African Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, British Airways, Kenya Airways) and international corporate offices are located in City Centre.
>City Centre is by far the most modern, developed area of Lilongwe. Many banks (Stanbic - or Standard Chartered, National Bank of Malawi, NedBank, the Reserve Bank of Malawi), diplomatic missions, exclusive hotels (Sunbird Capital Hotel), airline offices (including South African Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, British Airways, Kenya Airways) and international corporate offices are located in City Centre.
>Area 2: Old Town (North of A1) - Closest to the city centre; thriving commercial district, frequented primarily by locals; clothing, local food, western-style groceries, car parts, building supplies, bicycles/bicycle accessories are available here; home to Lil
ongwe's main local market, two major mosques, and a sprawling mini-bus station.>Area 3 and Area 9: Old Town (West of A1) - West bank of the Lilongwe river; large, wealthy residential neighborhoods, expatriate bars, nice hotels, western style shopping and restaurants, private expatriate clinics (Moyo Wathanzi on Likuni Road - Dr. Huber of Amsterdam).
>Area 47: Home to African Bible College, and its dependable, inexpensive missionary clinic which is typically staffed by American doctors. There is also a small stadium (Silver stadium). Children of the Nations is headquartered in African Bible College
>Other medium to low density residential areas are Areas 6, 12, 11, 43, 10, 44.
>There are also areas 15, and 18 which are medium to high density. Area 15 in particular has about 250 bungalows and houses medium earners.
While the areas mentioned above are quite wealthy, safe, and modern, many citizens of Lilongwe live in sub-standard/non-permanent housing in a variety of Areas, often without electricity or running water.
>There are also areas 15, and 18 which are medium to high density. Area 15 in particular has about 250 bungalows and houses medium earners.
While the areas mentioned above are quite wealthy, safe, and modern, many citizens of Lilongwe live in sub-standard/non-permanent housing in a variety of Areas, often without electricity or running water.
>Area 25 is a high density area with mainly low income earners. The township is mainly known for housing labourers and other factory workers who ply their trade at Kanengo, an industrial area. It is divided into Area 25A, B and C. There are shops providing anything necessary for human beings
Poetry
Mulanje Mountain
by Tiyamike Kathewera
Mulanje Mountain
Mulanje Mountain
You are so tall
So long
Like a nice song
Going a on high nice tone
Mulanje Mountain
So beautiful and blessed
Who can dare say you are cursed?
With all the nice trees you have
Wildlife abundant
Many attendants
To get visitors up you
To appreciate you
To see you beautiful dam
Yes dziwe lankhalamba
Mulanje Mountain
You are the pride of Malawi
And the whole Africa
Many tourists you attract
So many faces
Visit your many places
Mount Mulanje, you are so beautiful
Conserve the forest
by Tiyamike Kathewera
Mulanje Mountain
You are so tall
So long
Like a nice song
Going a on high nice tone
Mulanje Mountain
So beautiful and blessed
Who can dare say you are cursed?
With all the nice trees you have
Wildlife abundant
Many attendants
To get visitors up you
To appreciate you
To see you beautiful dam
Yes dziwe lankhalamba
Mulanje Mountain
You are the pride of Malawi
And the whole Africa
Many tourists you attract
So many faces
Visit your many places
Mount Mulanje, you are so beautiful
Conserve the forest
by Tiyamike Kathewera
Conserve the forest conserve
For it is our source of pride
Wantonly cutting down trees let us avoid
That charcoal you burn
The trees it will wipe out
That tree you fail to plant
A desert our area will become
That tree you cut without replacing
The monkey you will starve of a home
Conserve the forest conserve
For the rain depends on it
Trees if we cut carelessly
A drought will we face
The forest we set ablaze
Bare our beautiful land will be
Conserve the forest conserve
For it is our source of money
Avoid burning charcoal
For it is our source of pride
Wantonly cutting down trees let us avoid
That charcoal you burn
The trees it will wipe out
That tree you fail to plant
A desert our area will become
That tree you cut without replacing
The monkey you will starve of a home
Conserve the forest conserve
For the rain depends on it
Trees if we cut carelessly
A drought will we face
The forest we set ablaze
Bare our beautiful land will be
Conserve the forest conserve
For it is our source of money
Avoid burning charcoal
Mount Mulanje
by Tiyamike Kathewera
Mention Mulanje Mountain, the most probably picture that first immediately comes to mind is that of an enormous stretch of barren rock, with likely no life on it, lying in the southern part of Malawi. You are also compelled to remember all the almost comical fallacies of ghosts who rumour mongers speculate that they prepare food for visitors to the mountain. And they will even tell you that you are bound to get lost if you attempt hiking the mountain.
What most people don’t know perchance is that the mountain is home to several indigenous animal and plant species. Mulanje Mountain is home to such wild animals as leopards, hyenas, monkeys and bushbucks. There are also smaller animals that inhabit the mountain like chameleons, geckos, skinks and squeaker frogs.
Lest we forget, the mountain is also home to Malawi’s national tree, Mulanje Cedar. The tree has unbeatable qualities that make it unique. It is resistant to termites, long lasting and in addition to that produces a wonderful scent. It is a source of pride to the Malawi nation though only found in the unique Island in the Sky, as it is affectionately called.
The tree though is seriously endangered by perfectly grown up mindless human beings who cut the species carelessly albeit it being a protected lot. Others continue to set fires around the mountain’s forest reserve in a sheer exposition of gluttony as they claim to hunt for wild animals that deserve life in the mountain.
Efforts have been made to restore the cut down cedar trees. Cedar trees have been planted on Chambe Hut, one of several huts on the mountain. There are also nurseries of the tree at the hut.
The mention of huts
brings in another interesting feature of Mulanje Mountain. The mountain has 10 huts that are open to visitors. Chambe for example, is one of the most popular huts on the mountain, mainly because it is relatively easier to access. The journey to the hut starts from Likhubula Forestry offices that are conveniently located few minutes away from the Mulanje Phalombe road. An average walker must take about 3 hours to get to the top using either Skyline or Chapaluka paths.
The hut is well situated on Chambe plateau. Pine trees provide fantastic scenery to the unsuspecting traveller. They form a beautiful pathway and the leaves lay a magnificent carpet. On the other side water from nearby waters makes its way down the stream.
Chambe is a small village on its own. Houses are painted white and stand on the left hand side as you advance towards France’s cottage. Just close by are cedar nurseries in a green house.
France’s cottage has been standing from as early as the 1940s. It faces Chambe peak and boasts of two bedrooms that can accommodate up to sis people. It has a relatively small living room that has a fire place, however, that shouldn’t be a cause for
concern as the cottage has two verandas that should accommodate as many people as possible. Water at the cottage is piped. Those who like to cool off with a bottle of beer or fanta shouldn't worry as there is both beer and soft drinks for sale.
The cottage further has a clean outdoor bathroom and a pit latrine just behind the house as you face Chambe Hut.
Chambe hut is situated south of France’s cottage, down the road. It is barely 200 metres from France’s cottage It has two big rooms that should be enough for about 16 people. Water here is also piped.
Mention Mulanje Mountain, the most probably picture that first immediately comes to mind is that of an enormous stretch of barren rock, with likely no life on it, lying in the southern part of Malawi. You are also compelled to remember all the almost comical fallacies of ghosts who rumour mongers speculate that they prepare food for visitors to the mountain. And they will even tell you that you are bound to get lost if you attempt hiking the mountain.
What most people don’t know perchance is that the mountain is home to several indigenous animal and plant species. Mulanje Mountain is home to such wild animals as leopards, hyenas, monkeys and bushbucks. There are also smaller animals that inhabit the mountain like chameleons, geckos, skinks and squeaker frogs.
Lest we forget, the mountain is also home to Malawi’s national tree, Mulanje Cedar. The tree has unbeatable qualities that make it unique. It is resistant to termites, long lasting and in addition to that produces a wonderful scent. It is a source of pride to the Malawi nation though only found in the unique Island in the Sky, as it is affectionately called.
The tree though is seriously endangered by perfectly grown up mindless human beings who cut the species carelessly albeit it being a protected lot. Others continue to set fires around the mountain’s forest reserve in a sheer exposition of gluttony as they claim to hunt for wild animals that deserve life in the mountain.
Efforts have been made to restore the cut down cedar trees. Cedar trees have been planted on Chambe Hut, one of several huts on the mountain. There are also nurseries of the tree at the hut.
The mention of huts
brings in another interesting feature of Mulanje Mountain. The mountain has 10 huts that are open to visitors. Chambe for example, is one of the most popular huts on the mountain, mainly because it is relatively easier to access. The journey to the hut starts from Likhubula Forestry offices that are conveniently located few minutes away from the Mulanje Phalombe road. An average walker must take about 3 hours to get to the top using either Skyline or Chapaluka paths.The hut is well situated on Chambe plateau. Pine trees provide fantastic scenery to the unsuspecting traveller. They form a beautiful pathway and the leaves lay a magnificent carpet. On the other side water from nearby waters makes its way down the stream.
Chambe is a small village on its own. Houses are painted white and stand on the left hand side as you advance towards France’s cottage. Just close by are cedar nurseries in a green house.
France’s cottage has been standing from as early as the 1940s. It faces Chambe peak and boasts of two bedrooms that can accommodate up to sis people. It has a relatively small living room that has a fire place, however, that shouldn’t be a cause for
concern as the cottage has two verandas that should accommodate as many people as possible. Water at the cottage is piped. Those who like to cool off with a bottle of beer or fanta shouldn't worry as there is both beer and soft drinks for sale.The cottage further has a clean outdoor bathroom and a pit latrine just behind the house as you face Chambe Hut.
Chambe hut is situated south of France’s cottage, down the road. It is barely 200 metres from France’s cottage It has two big rooms that should be enough for about 16 people. Water here is also piped.
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