A TRIP TO TOWN

Going into town here in Mzuzu is one of the most unique experiences possible. It is a very fun ride, and every time is different, though not always in a good way.

The vehicle we have used up to now is a 1993 Mitsubishi Delica van that has been used well past its limit and behaves like a 1940s model. It was previously owned by some good friends of ours, the McGill family. At present, it is owned by a Malawian guy who rents out cars to those who need them.

The one thing this van hated doing the most was starting. It often took a bitter struggle on the part of Dad and Kris to get it to sputter reluctantly to life. At present we are sort of using a small Toyota station wagon, but because of the current unrest, we are using the nursery car instead. This is partly because the vehicle is owned by a Malawian member of parliament belonging to the DPP, the political party the mobs are targeting, and partly because the tires keep going flat.

Once the car is started, it’s a white-knuckled (for those in the front) ride down the long hill into downtown Mzuzu. Once in town, there is a leisurely dodge through the traffic circle, around bold (or clueless) pedestrians and through the dusty wake of drivers who don’t know any right of way except their own.

One of the most noticeable things about downtown Mzuzu is the number of banks. For being a country where a typical daily wage is smaller than the average American’s pocket change, Malawi is host to a surprising number of banks. In Mzuzu, there are around seven different banks; National Bank (NB), Standard Bank, NBS, OIBM, First Merchant Bank (FMB), and the FDH. National Bank, which Dad uses, has built a massive new building on the edge of town. The Malawian government is also building a new National Reserve Bank building on the southern outskirts of town. It is being built by an Italian contractor, which also constructed the buildings for the Rafiki Foundation’s compound outside of town. I can’t help but wonder where the money comes from for all of these projects, since the Malawian government can’t even supply reliable electricity, and there can’t be that much money in NB’s accounts. Hmm…

The next thing that draws attention is the gas stations. Mzuzu has almost as many gas stations as banks, which is odd, since at present fuel is a rare thing. The main filling station chains here are BP, Total, and Petroda. Petroda has no presence within Mzuzu proper, which leaves BP and Total to fight it out over the town.

On any day of the week, you can find long lines of vans, semi trucks, lorries (the English term for flatbeds), and other miscellaneous cars just parked along the roadside for dozens of yards alongside the gas stations, waiting for the arrival of a fuel shipment. When a fuel truck comes barreling down Main Street, blaring its horns constantly to announce its arrival, there is a mad scramble by the loitering drivers to get to their cars before someone else takes their place in line. In general, the truckload of fuel is gone within an hour or so. With the way they do things here, it’s no wonder their fuel shortage is still going.

The largest, most prominent store in town is the PTC (People’s Trading Center). It is actually part of the biggest retail chain in Malawi, much like Walmart at home. Due to its prominent location on Mzuzu’s
Main Street, it is a popular stop for the tour buses that are on their way through town to other, more popular tourism spots. Naturally, this also means that all of the bums and salesmen in town congregate on this store, and it is very difficult to get past them to the store.

One African art salesman in particular and his cronies seem to have us marked. It is almost impossible to go to any large store without being accosted by him. As you get out of the car, the first warning is when you hear a somewhat oily voice saying, “Hello, my friend(s).” From there, he is almost impossible to get rid of, and every attempt to extricate oneself from his sales pitch only results in him digging out still more things to try and sell. As I have mentioned, he tends to have two or three buddies along with him to deal with any other potential customers that might escape. The thing that I find really disconcerting is when the sales gang begins a rather invasive questionnaire, including such queries as “Where do you live?” “Do you have cell phones or cameras?” “Do you have US dollars?” and the timeless classic “Do you have a lot of money?”

We all tend to avoid answering such quizzes, and generally give away no information. It does make me nervous, though, and also raises questions of whether or not these guys really are working with any gangs to sniff out houses to rob.

Well, this blog is running longer than I anticipated, so I’ll finish it now. Goodbye!

- Matthew