Malawi – Mua, Mua, Mua!

February 17-19

How do you like me, How do you like me, Mua, Mua, Mua!

Hello everyone!

Part of our 2019 mission to get out of Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital city, took us this weekend to…a mission.

A lion mask, used in Gule Wamkulu ceremonies

A painting of a British flag being raised at
the original Mua Mission

Mua Mission is Malawi’s second oldest Catholic station, being established by Europeans in 1902. It sits along the Nadzipokwe River at the bottom of a steep ridge that forms part of the Rift Valley.

The drive takes a little under 3 hours

The main church at Mua - I ran past it during Sunday service
and these ladies are sat outside as the inside is at full capacity

The town of Dedza sits at the top of this escarpment. I actually thought we were going to, and had packed for, this particular town, which is about 1600 metres above sea level. A fleece and sweatpants made it into my very limited baggage space in the car. These are definitely not things you need at Mua, which is almost a kilometre lower than Dedza. As I tend to wilt in the heat, mentally preparing myself for a cooler, less humid weekend away didn’t help my state of mind.

What I expected

Not what I expected. I do love a baobab, though.

The drive from Dedza to Mua is fantastic, one of my favourites in Malawi and one which I imagine would appear on an episode of Top Gear. Snaking tarmac cuts along the edge of the ridge as it slaloms down, offering jaw-dropping views across the Rift Valley. On a clear day you can see across Lake Malawi towards Mozambique.

Lake Malawi in the distance - the haze makes it difficult to see

Going up is also fun…in a car. My friends wanted to cycle this hill. Up. Needless to say, I wasn’t remotely interested in doing that. They said the views on their cycle down were a great reward. A reward which I’d seen on four wheels, without having to wobble on two. Amazing accomplishment, mind.

Mini enjoying the view

That ridge is where we started

One advantage of being on a bike is that you can pass through narrower tracts of land than in a Nissan X-Trail. Our attempt of a shortcut to find Mua brought us to a bridge. Well, half of it…

A local football match - tricky conditions with the long grass...

This meant us backtracking about 10 km to the main road

We eventually found our accommodation – some huts which often didn’t have power or water, reminding us that we are actually quite fortunate at the moment in Lilongwe. Whilst some went out to conquer the big bike climb the following morning, the rest of us hiked through the nearby land.

The huts at Pantondo, where we slept for the weekend

Our enthusiastic 'guides'

It’s at this point that I should mention that we were not travelling as solely humans. We had brought our respective Jack Russells, sisters called Mini and Maxi, with us for the weekend. Taking them on our morning walk added a whole new dimension to the hike, which collected a group of local youngsters as we passed through a hamlet.

Mini can be a bit ambivalent about walking

Hiking through the long grass

From what we’ve observed, many Malawians are not overly fond of dogs. There are many stray dogs in Lilongwe and we are always wary of them, mainly due to the threat of rabies. I’m probably stereotyping a bit here but Malawians, particularly outside of the cities, don’t really have pets. Sure, they have animals such as chickens, but those have a purpose. A pet is another mouth to feed.

Mini was initially fine unless someone popped out of the
grass - then the growling would start...

Many people own livestock - these cows temporarily halted
my Sunday morning run through the countryside

The consequence is that the dogs sense a mix of trepidation and aggression, and often get scared into a response. This was most glaringly evident when, having been riled up and teased by a young boy, our puppy launched herself at him and bit him on the bum. I was at the opposite end of our line, which by this point was in single file as we moved carefully through the mile-high maize plantations. Apparently the boy complained and asked for money as compensation; a friend gave him a couple of boiled eggs and he seemed content.

They all seemed happy enough on the way back!

I took this picture the following morning on my run - the
maize was very tall and I occasionally had to run through it

The hike took us through some stunning scenery, with the tree-covered mountains rising sharply in the distance. The mercury was rising – I was long past wilting by 9 am – and it was sweet relief to come across a river. Our guides relished the chance to strip off and jump in. The dogs did, too.

A wonderful spot after a hot hike

We weren’t prepared for a swim at this point so returned in the late afternoon for a refreshing dip. We decided that the water here would be much cleaner than where the river passed our huts, as it would have passed through some of the hamlets which possibly use the river as a place to wash and dump.

A bit calmer without 10 screaming Malawian kids...

We walked back under the gaze of moonlight

In between our two trips to the river, I had spent my afternoon wandering in awe around the Chamare Museum. It consists of three rooms which chart the history of some of Malawi’s main tribes and provides a fascinating insight into tribal culture.

The Ngoni are one of Malawi's three main tribes - the
others are the Yao and the Chewa

An interesting timeline, shaped a bit like a plant's life cycle

The image I took away was that of hundreds of bright, bold and terrifying masks. This collection is the largest of its kind in the world and it showcases a key part of tribal tradition: the Gule Wamkulu.

Monstrous monster masks! 

There is also a Christian and Islamic side to the museum

I have seen one of these ceremonies before and they are intoxicating. People who are initiated are said to no longer be human when they put on one of these masks, instead having a connection with a spirit world. There are masks to represent good and evil, with each ‘good’ mask having a moral to uphold.

The hippo, called Bokho, represents bad sexual behaviour

The masks are also found at the chalets of Pantondo

Mua Mission was a pleasant place to spend a weekend away from the increasing sprawl of Lilongwe. The museum was fascinating and is definitely worth a visit – once you’re done, I’d advise driving rather than cycling up the big hill!

Me and Mini on our Mua adventure

A man tending to his land on my early morning run.
We took a picture together at his request but
his phone had no memory card.

Love you all,

Matt