Big easy

Rainy day in New Orleans gives a good reason to stare at your laptop. I've had a wonderful holiday here, seen and done plenty. People in the South are friendly and open. I've been talking to strangers the past week more than last year altogether.

Everywhere you go one way or the other the discussion is turned to Katrina, the hurricane that hit here hard in 2005. You can still see the results of the storm nearly anywhere you go. Abandoned houses big and small, remnants of various buildings and sad looking port.

There's also sunnier topics, plenty of them. I've been watching one family nearby in the neighborhood lifting their house. It's literally raised on poles so that if the water level goes up they'll be safe. I like that kind of attitude. "Come what may but we'll make it."

Louisiana baby!

Quick change from Africa to the South. Here's my theme song for the past few days. Overwhelmed.

Wild Africa... well almost

 Don't do safari if it's rainy season. These were my top shots. 

We had fun though.

Oh and saw some of the cast from Lion King.

Refugees

How desperate is your situation when you end up seeking refuge in Malawi? I mean were talking about one of the poorest countries in the world. Value of Kwacha went down I don’t know how much in only three months I spent there, big percentage of the population suffers from starvation and let’s not even start the HIV.

A refugee in Malawi has to have good reasons to leave ones’ country. And there’s over 20 000 reasons.  I had the privilege to visit Dzaleka refugee camp – a privilege cause at the end of the day I could leave the place. Several others can’t.

Some of the inhabitants of the camp have lived there close to 20 years. They consider it as their home as shabby as it is. Just before you reach the camp coming from Lilongwe there's a small hill with some trees and bushes. It's a cemetery for the refugees. Cause in Africa people want to be buried close to their home.