Clean black rats, see how they run

There was I, on the surgical ward, talking to a few students about cleanliness and surgery, and saying in Oxford we would use fewer antibiotics because we were happy with the cleanliness... when I was interrupted by a large black rat running across the floor between the mats of the patients' relatives. You couldn't make it up !

P.S.  I mentioned this to a midwife who said she too had been bothered by rats running across the delivery ward, but then she came to realise the other problems in obstetrics and rats had moved way down the list, to about number 11.

To save you checking, Malawi has a maternal death rate about three times the world average.
   

Another bridge too far gone

You may recall my encounters with a pedestrian bridge on the way to work, but here is a road bridge on the under-populated eastern lake shore.

My car is on the other side; this is after I drove across it, for the first time.

It crosses a dried-up river bed but locals are digging for water. (Click picture)

 The whole area is dry.

But, talking of my pedestrian bridge, the Malachite kingfishers have had a brood! Here are a proud parent (red bill) and a child (black bill). They do slow down my walk to work.

 

Tell it like it is!

A computer bug

And yes, it's a German machine, and it's dusty.
  

Cooking

I went with a colleague to inspect a training college outside Blantyre. Amongst other things we saw the kitchens where they have to provide all meals for up to 400 students.

They had some reasonable equipment but the brick fire boxes are collapsing and unusable:

Therefore they cook on an open wood fire (front left):

When I used flash it showed the smoke:

To get firewood, you need to chop wood:

No wonder deforestation is so bad.

Flame trees

Throughout Africa, almost any tree with red flowers is referred to as a flame tree.
These two are on the main dual carriageway in Blantyre. They are just coming out and should be a great display in a while.
I didn't realise the first one (also called a Tulip tree) had such lovely golden hues. Previously I've seen them with only the slightest of golden rims.

Wildlife in toilets - part 2 (South Luangwa)

We first met in the bed-netting but parted when I asked him to hop it and helped him through the door.

Not for long, however. Back he came for a sit-down conversation, eye to eye in the bathroom.

 Out he went again, and next time I went to the bathroom he was not to be seen on the toilet-roll. Until, that is, I tugged the roll and out shot a flying frog that landed safely on the floor and then leaped up my shin.
Once more out of the front door.  Next time, not on the toilet roll but on the toilet rim.

No, he didn't go for a swim but he did get thrown out yet again.

Some individuals are just too persistent. Next time he is just hanging around on the door. Those great foot pads show how it managed to climb tiled walls.

Wildlife in toilets - part 1

Attenborough doesn't often say this, but the best place from which to watch elephants at night is the ledge in an open-top bathroom.

Move over Hoze-Lock

Why buy expensive fittings when an old water bottle will do very well?

Little things make a difference

My shower has not been great for a while (actually for the whole of my stay) but even when the plumber had replaced the taps and enabled me to get the right temperature it still wasn't something to look forward to. Nothing for it then,  I had to invest in a new shower head. All of £6. It's wonderful!!!  (Not my plaster work by the way.)

On a roll, then, I decided to change the brand of dried milk I use in my office. No more lumps or gritty drinks!

Not to be left out the electricians at work came to mend the corridor lights, which haven't worked since I got here. Which is why I keep a torch in my desk; to see my way out at 5.30pm. Not only that, but they replaced the light switch in the Gents so we can have light in there too. (So long as we have power of course; we still don't have a generator.)

A Bridge rehabilitated

Now the maize has been harvested, I can resume my cross-field walk to work and use the bridge I pictured previously. The remaining wooden planks have been replaced by welded steel plates, with holes in to stop them being worth stealing for roofing etc. No anonymous benefactors here!
Today I saw a Malachite Kingfisher on both of my crossings. Enough to make any walk worthwhile.
  

Fishing in style

 

From the side-bar you will know this is one of my two favourite African birds. And this is why! You almost pity the fish. (Click for bigger images)

Even the juvenile looks in charge of this beautiful tropical lake.

No elephants here

Elephant Marsh was named by David Livingstone because he found 800 of the pachyderms. Sadly none remain but here are a heron, a stork and an egret scared off by our airboat.

Plenty of fishermen still use the family dugouts. (Worth clicking to enlarge)

More coloured trees

Two trees from the campus. The yellow one is Cassia, one of a family of plants that produce senna laxatives. Rather ironic that senna is not available on the national formulary and we have to make do with liquid paraffin! The purple one is Solanum (see the tomato-like fruit), a family that includes Deadly Nightshade, tomato and potato.
  

Eddie Stobbart?

In Britain, some people are Eddie Spotters. Here you might be a Royal Mail spotter. Bee Bikes have been importing ex-Royal Mail bikes for a few years. They are well-made and popular, even at about £90 each. Tempting to muse on why post takes a while to get here; 8 days to several weeks it seems.
 

Mopping up

Someone must have decided that it would be cheaper to make mops than to buy them, hence the arrival of a large sack of cotton and a bundle of poles. 

Shopping

The supermarkets don't generally stock bananas, and not a lot of other fruit. Instead there are people in the car parks selling such items as you get back in your car. This man regularly finds me in town, at church or the bank, and offers whatever is seasonal. Talking of which, I'd better just go and eat my pineapple.
 

Misty Cliffs at Scarborough

They said, "Don't go to Cape Town at New Year, it is too crowded". Well it was, but when you can get views like this, who cares?
Eat your heart out, North Yorkshire's Scarborough!

Trees no more

Trees in Malawi are disappearing at rate of knots, faster than most anywhere else in Africa. Sometimes it is for firewood (or charcoal), sometimes illegal logging/poaching organised on an industrial scale by Chinese or Mozambicans (on trial this week, verdict due tomorrow), and sometimes small scale timber. This is on my route to work and is absolutely typical; there were three good-looking trees which were brought down by a bunch of men and sawn into planks. (Click to enlarge picture)
I am impressed by their skill and ingenuity but the environmental impact, both locally and nationally, is horrendous and affects soil quality, water availability, air quality and even electricity supply.
 

How to rig a survey

While I was at the bank on Wednesday, one of the bank staff was at my office, delivering their "Christmas Card" with the bottle as shown. There was also a calendar and, wrapped in with them,  a survey sheet asking my opinion of the bank and its service!
Now, given that I don't drink whisky, which way will the survey be biased?