This week was nice and local with no major travel. Following the holidays, where I traveled back to the US for a medical conference in Orlando (a 35+ hour trip each way), I was happy to stay put and avoid any long adventures in these early parts of 2026.
I have made the trip back and forth from Malawi 2.5 times so far, which adds up to five of those 35+ hour journeys. I have also traveled throughout the country and into Zambia for a safari. While distances look short on a map, the roads can be difficult to navigate. I have visited the lake at Salima and Cape Maclear, the rainforest in Ntchisi, and the pottery lodge in Dedza. I hope to visit Blantyre before I leave.
Lilongwe is not a walkable city, so I rent a white Nissan Tiida. Most cars here are imported from Japan, and you will find very few American cars. Sometimes the navigation systems are only in Japanese and are nearly unusable! Fuel shortages are common due to the lack of forex, so I always keep my tank at least half full. Fuel is one of the most expensive items here at 3500 MWK per litre, or about $25 USD for a full tank.
