My new roommate!!!

Yes, you read correctly. I have a new roommate.

He is a kind of medium brown colour, eats mosquitos, is scaly, one inch long, and his name is Mr. Gecko, or Mr. Baby Gecko. He's adorable!! I would never have thought I'd grow fond of a lizard of any kind, but this little fella tickles my fancy because he's harmless, and best of all he eats the bloody mosquitos that have tormented me since my arrival. Oh, how I loathe mosquitos, as Shakespeare once said, let me count the ways...

So, yes. I spotted him yesterday, on the wall across from me, looking down as if to say "What are you doing in my room, hairy pink creature?" I had no answer to this question, I could only apologise. But we quickly struck some common ground in our shared war against mosquitos, and after sharing our stories and tales of home, we became friends. Mr. Baby Gecko is a tad young to have children of his own, but he says his parents have set him up with this great lady Gecko who's fabulous looking and really knows how to prepare a hearty mosquito-based meal. She hasn't moved in with us yet, but he says she really won't mind my presence, as for their romantic times they can commandeer the space between the wall and the futon. To spare my discomfort, you know. Geckos have manners too.

Anyways.

Apart form gecko-based adventures, I've also had a few minibus-related ones... Minibuses here are quite entertaining. You're stuffed into a banged-up, 20-year-old Toyota Hiace van with what look suspicously like benches stuck into them, like some sort of human sardine tin. Then you bounce, not drive, the 20km or so into Lilongwe, clinging on to the seats in front, the people in front, the seat you're on, the roof, the window, anything for dear life. It's not for the faint-hearted, I assure you. There's no such thing as seatbelts, and if the last few days have been anything to go by, there's no such things as rules of the road either. The driving here is mental! People overtake at speed around bends, over the crest of hills, where there's poor visibility, etc... you kinda feel like you're taking your life in your hands every time you get into a vehicle here...

But, nonetheless, they're the easiest and most convenient way of getting around here, and Area 25 where I'm currently staying is so far out form the centre (about 20 - 25km) that I would never get to do anything, see anything, without them. I went into Lilongwe city today, with a German guy also staying in the accomodation I'm in. He's training (I think) for either the priesthood or the monastery, but he's absolutely great fun. I got to have a look around town, suss out where all the shops were, where to get off the minibus on the way there and back, and was instructed on where to avoid if i don't want to get robbed/pickpocketed/mugged. This guy had a rather unfortunate experience in Nairobi so I guess he knows what he's talking about first-hand! I however, have absolutely no desire to know about mugging first-hand, and nor am I the most streetwise of all folk, so I accepted this instruction gratefully!!

I'm heading back in to town tomorrow to jog my memory and make sure I remember my bearing for when I won't have help from aforementioned German guy :-D Also, I need to get some more clothes because I didn't bring enough. That's the excuse I'm using, anyway...