A brief rest for the leaders

Hi All,
The remaining travelers in Group 1 boarded flights from Lilongwe yesterday afternoon. By my calculations, if their flight to the States was on time, they are nearing land with about 2 hours of flight time left. It is a 16 hour whopper on the return flight. Thank goodness Delta has super 777 service between Jo'burg and ATL.

We wrapped up our trip with a stay at Mua Mission and a visit to the Kugoni Center for Culture and Art. It is one of the best museums I (Barb) have been to. They detail all the cultural rituals from birth through death with photos, clothing, masks and other examples. The accommodations there are simple and beautiful. Each of the rooms is animal themed with a story about the meaning of the animals and wood carvings of the animals throughout. We enjoyed dinner in their outdoor dining room and then a rambunctious game of spoons with 13 players. It was hilarious fun, especially for the three Malawians with us who had never played before and who needed to learn how to be more aggressive lest they get too many letters. For the Ryan/Kennedy clan, this group made an addition to the game I had not seen before - after a round, all spoon holders bang their spoon on the table in front of the spoonless person. Not my fave but enjoyed by many. It was great belly laughing and good fun.

Henry and I enjoying a quiet day of regrouping in Lilongwe awaiting the arrival of group two. We are finalizing details, arranging rental cars, and hanging out. I am looking forward to curling up in a barca lounger with Obama's Dreams of my Father. Group 2 departed the US on 8/16. After an overnight in Jo'burg they will be here in Lilongwe for Malawi-rama on Tuesday.

Thanks Colette for uploading pictures. I hope the others from Group 1 will do the same or send a link to online photo files. Bye for now.