a week in the bush

In early April I asked my colleagues if they had any family or friends somewhere in the bush—far off the grid and beaten path—where I could pass a week to better understand village life and improve my Chichewa. Within a week I was crossing a river with a backpack over my head looking for Senhor Nkhoma’s compound, where I would stay in one of his skillfully-constructed mud huts. It proved a wonderful week, full of learning and, in the absence of any light pollution whatsoever, a brilliant display of stars each night. A foreigner in these parts is quite rare, so it was a week full of interesting conversations, curious children, and warm hospitality. Perhaps most intriguing was a gift from the local chief: a specially-prepared meal of goat meat—not exactly my idea of an ideal meal in my mostly-veggie diet, but the gesture was of deep respect held for visitors. This meal is a great example of the depth of African hospitality that I’ve experience over and over on this continent, and that I strive to reciprocate though always fall short… after all, I don’t have any goats to offer my guests!