Kissed by the Mulanje Massif

Well I've been away for a while traveling to the districts so I haven't had email access but I'm back in Blantyre and have much to tell. We've had a very busy week back and forth to Thyolo, Zomba, Liwonde and Mulanje. During morning rounds at Thyolo I was brought to see a woman that had been brought in the day before after falling into a ditch from the back of a bicycle. She had a serious injury to her neck, yet 24hrs later she had not yet had her c-spine stabilized nor any xrays taken. She was having difficulting breathing and paralysis of her entire left side and most of her right save her biceps and deltoid muscles. They have no neck braces at Thyolo so we fashioned one out of a sheet, some cardboard and tape. We were then able to get an xray which showed a severe dislocation of her c spine at C5-C6. We placed her on oxygen, got an IV started and placed a foley catheter. In the afternoon I was asked to give a lecture to the hospital staff so I used the case to teach the principles of spine injury management. The clinical officers were all in attendance, about 30 people in all. They were shy at first but really got into it after we got them going. We had alot of laughs but more importantly I think we all learned from it and hopefully they will be able to better recognize these injuries and better manage them once they hit the hospital door.

Wednesday it was back to Zomba - Dzimbiri was excited to learn some surgical skills and had some cases lined up for us. We started with a femur fracture, then a man came in with a partial amputation of his thumb. The tip of his thumb was viable and so I showed Dzimbiri how to pin it and fix the soft tissues. Dzimbiri would have otherwise completed the amputation. During that case an open tibia fracture came in so we finished by showing them how to place an external fixator. At the end of the day we said our goodbyes and thanked them for their hospitality. We stayed that night on Zomba plateau and had fun with the baboons again in the morning.

Friday we drove to Mulanje district hospital, which rests at the base of Mt. Mulanje - one of Africa's tallest mountains. The massif is an impressive sight that towers above the clouds and tea plantations below. The district hospital is set up like the rest - brick walls, clean corridors, and lots of people waiting. We met the OCO and Robert Ayella, the Ugandan orthopaedic surgeon that has been stationed there for 2 yrs. The OCO's office has no working lights so in the afternoon or when a heavy cloud blocks the sun he "sees" patients in the dark.

We saw some very interesting patients in his clinic then went to the wards. Many of the patients come from Mozambique, which is less than 20 minutes by car. We ended up taking a trip to the border during lunch and walked over into Mozambique for a short visit. Back at the hospital in the afternoon, a man was brought with cuts all over his body after being attacked by his wife's ex-husband. The man attacked him with a panga knife (a large curved machete). He had cuts on both arms, his head, his left knee and his right foot all down to bone. His left elbow was fractured in multiple places as was his left tibia and his patell tendon was severed. We fixed him up and used just about all the bandage material the hospital had to cover his wounds.

We ended our day with that and as we drove away from Mulanje I kept looking back at the mountain. I was excited to return the next day to climb it. That night, after dinner I began packing my pack. I put everything in plastic bags to keep them dry and then put them inside my pack - it is sure to rain in the mountain.

The following morning I got a late start because I first had to stop off to get some more supplies. After getting a few things I thought I'd need, I caught the first minibus I saw to Limbe. These minibuses can officially carry about 12 people but in the end there is no limit to how many people they'll pack in - not to mention the goats, chickens and other animals that might be along for the ride. I took 3 minibuses to Mulanje, which took a little less than two hours. The buses stop every time they see someone walking along the road or there's a little extra space on the shoulder to collect and/or drop off passengers. I finally arrived at Mulanje and walked from the bus stop to the sign I saw for the forestry office. The guidebook I had said the road to the office was 2 km (which I planned on walking) but the sign read "Forestry Office 11 km." I looked down the road and it was nothing but mud. I figured by the time I walked 11 km it would be #1 too late for me to hike and #2 I'd be too tired to hike anyway. I looked around and spotted and old, beat up, orange Toyota pick-up truck with a few people in it. I ran up to the driver and asked if they were going towards the office and if I could get a lift. He was, so I jumped in the back and got a lift for 200 kwatcha ($1+). We arrived at a junction 10 km down the road at which point he made a turn and I had to jump out. I walked the rest of the way accompanied by a man named John who told me he could take to Rex, the guide that one of the medical students had recommended I use. We found Rex in a small village near the entrance to the mountain park. I paid the 100 kw entrance fee then gave Rex 500 kw for his food over the next 2 days. When it was all said and done we started our hike at noon, 3 hours later than I had planned and been advised to. The woman at the office questioned if I still wanted to go up at that time and seemed to doubt I could manage - the hike takes 6 hrs on average and it gets dark around 6pm, which meant I'd just make it. Rex, however, said we'd make it and since he came highly recommended I trusted him and off we went.

The hike started through corn fields and I thought it was nice to have some sun and be outside to enjoy it. An hour later I had drank the 3 bottles of water I had brought and was praying for rain. At that point I started thinking to myself that I would not be able to make it another 5 hrs - the heat was oppressive, my pack was heavy, I was dehydrated and the hike was getting steeper. I wondered if it was best to just tell Rex now that we'd have to turn around or give it a little longer. I asked Rex if I could drink the mountain water which he said I could so at the next stream I cupped the water in my hands and lapped it up, and then I filled up my water bottles (which was a blessing and a curse because it made my pack heavier). Soon after that the rains came and cooled everything down. I was soaked and my pack was heavy but I felt refreshed and found my determination to keep moving. We moved at a fast pace and after a while he took my pack.
Other than bugs, we saw a lone monkey on our ascent up the mountain. I might have seen more but I was very focused on where to place my next step, the terrain was so slippery. I did catch a few of the "loggers" - men with contracts to carry Mulanje cedar beams down the mountain. The mountain is too steep for a road so these men carry these huge beams of wood on their heads down the mountain, barefoot! I couldn't believe it.

About half the way up the weather turned for the worse and cold rain began to fall. I put on my poncho to keep some of my heat in. At this point I remember the fatigue I felt. I started getting a cramp in my left leg and my hips ached. I started to talk to myself, asking myself why I had such a dumb idea to do this in the first place. I walked through my delirium and the next thing I knew, Rex was telling me we were near the top. And that's just about when the sleet storm began. I felt like Frodo in "The Lord of the Rings" on this mission through middle earth. The top of the mountain was complete wilderness - rocks covered in white; small windbent trees and shrubs. We entered over a pass between two other peaks and the wind rushed through so fast, there was nothing stopping it. Rex wore only a t-shirt and was shivering madly. I told him to take my poncho for a while which he refused and we argued a bit until I realized he wasn't going to take it from me so I decided to do my best to keep pace and get to the lodge as soon as possible. We jogged when we could and only slowed up in the steeper areas where we had to climb. About 30 minutes crossing over the peak and we began our descent to the lodge a few hundred meters below. When I finally saw the lodge I thought it was just my imagination. I was so happy when Rex pointed towards it, confirming to me that it was indeed real.

The lodge is situated among some trees and a few other small buildings - a bathhouse, latrine, and the caretakers lodge. We had reached the lodge it 4.5 hrs, 1.5 hrs ahead of schedule. Rex would later tell me he was moving very fast due to the bad weather and the impending darkness. We passed the caretaker by his fire on our way straight into the lodge. "We made it!" I said to Rex as I grabbed him and shook him. "We made it!" The caretaker walked in and quickly started a fire and then asked if I'd like a warm bath which I firmly accepted. He went off to prepare it and we stripped out of our cold, wet clothes.

The bathhouse is a small wooden structure with a concrete floor. Inside was a large metal bucket filled with hot water and a pitcher. I stood in the bucket and poured the hot water over my head. I spent about 20 minutes there warming up then I joined Rex back at the fire. Rex made a dinner of rice with tomato, onion and pepper. We ate and then I laid down, exhausted.

We talked for a while and he told me a little about himself. He hadn't finished school. School here is free up to the 8th grade then you must pay. His parents died when he was young so there was no chance for him to continue school so he went to work.

We compared life in Malawi to life in America. I listened to his plans for the future, his business ideas etc. "I'm in a panic now, " he told me "because I don't have enough capital." He's married with 1 daughter, which I found odd because most Malawians have many children to ensure a few will live to be adults. He on the other hand hopes to give the only one he has the best chance he can at a good life, but business is not good so it is getting more and more difficult. There are 30 guides and 70 porters on rotation at the mountain. He went on his last hike 1 month ago - a guide makes 1200 kw a day (approx. $8).

We talked about my work here in Malawi, how I got my education and the possibilities or lack thereof for scholarship. He tells me about his dream to move to a bigger town and get a minibus so he can make more money but he says this takes capital.

He stares at the fire as he talks about his dreams and for a while I wonder if he remembers that I'm still there with him. He's talking and staring into the fire. Then I wonder whether he still really holds onto this dream or he's just reliving the dream he once dreamt. That old dream of his like the fire he's staring into - gone up in smoke.

We talked for a bit longer about other things then at some point (which I can't remember) I fell asleep.

We woke up the next morning to a large raven squawking and banging against our window. The sun was bright and there was but a few scattered clouds in sight. Mozambique was in the not-far-off distance, Sapitwa peak, just next to us (saptiwa means "don't go there" in chichewa).

There are, by the way, many legends amongst the locals about Mulanje. One lady told me she'd never go there because people go there and disappear. Another woman told me that if I'm walking and find a pot of nsima (corn grits) I'm not to eat it because it will kill me. There are many interesting tales, most of which have developed to explain actual tragedies that have occurred in the past.

We ate breakfast then set out for Luchenya plateau. In the light I was amazed to see the route we had taken the day before, crossing over the peak now behind us. We took our time and checked out another lodge and some caretakers grounds where some small huts were located. After about an hour we started our descent. As you can imagine the treck down is quite dangerous because it is very steep at points and very slippery and your momentum is going in the direction of any potential fall. It's on the way down that I had my major fall. At certain points along the hike you're climbing along massive sheets of slippery rock. These can be seen all the way from Thyolo because the water running down these massive sheets looks like white chalk lines on a blackboard hung in the sky. We reached one of these areas and were making our way along the side of a waterfall. There are no good footholds so you step on the lighter colored areas of the rock that are less slippery than the dark black rock. Rex was about 2 m in front of me and i stepped off a safe spot onto an area of redrock - that's when I got a lesson in physics - coefficient of friction = zero! My legs flew out from under me, my walking stick went flying and I slammed down to the rock, my right shoulder hitting first. My momentum caused the side of my head and face to smack against the rock next. It felt like I was back in high school wrestling and had just been slammed to the mat (actually I never got slammed so I really don't know what that feels like but I'm sure Henock knows what i'm talking about). So there I was on the rock. I laid there for a second - my first thought being, well, I'm still conscious, that's good, and I can move everything, that's good, and I didn't get swept off the mountain by the waterfall, that's good. So I stood up and felt my face and head - no blood, only a scrape on my hand and a lump on my cheek. I waited a second for the dizziness to set in or the headache, but nothing happened. I guess my head is as hard as some people say. Rex checked on me, then I collected my walking stick and away we went. I hiked down the rest of the mountain stepping more carefully, praying, and rubbing my swollen cheek.
I reached the bottom of the mountain safe and sound, proud of the accomplishment and the lump on my cheek - realizing I had experienced nothing more than a kiss from Mulanje herself.
At the base of the mountain I shook hands with Rex and thanked him for bringing me back safely. We wished God's blessings on each other then parted. With no other vehicles in sight I now had two options - either walk the 11km down the muddy road or jump on the bicycle taxi that was coming my way. I chose the taxi and jumped on the back of this frail looking bike, wondering how my driver was ever going to make it through the muddy road 11km to the main road. I mean, the pick up truck hardly made it. My driver stood up and put his entire 130 lbs onto each pedal and pushed forward. In the difficult parts I used my walking stick to help push us along. The chain popped off twice but amazingly we made it. It was a surreal experience and I laughed thinking about it as I walked through the market to a small store where i bought a coke and listened to Reggae music coming from the "bar" next door. I spent a half hour or so just hanging out, watching people in the market and a few guys playing a board game next to me.
I fell asleep on the minibus ride home, and then walked through Blantyre to my flat, reliving the experience and looking forward to a hot shower, some dinner and my raggedy old bed.