12 June 2015

Two weeks have shot by, and the time has come to leave the wonderful village of Mwandi.

Since Will and Becca arrived, we’ve been at a new stage on the house building- throwing!

So we can get the walls of the house from this:

To this:

So, that’s what I did up until yesterday, but  I used the today to get my bags backed ready to head off to Botswana tomorrow!

I also purchased a little treat from the multi-talent Berri, who can take the materials traditionally used for skirts here

And within a day, whip up a uniquely beautiful bag!

When Will and Becca returned from volunteer, I took one last tour around Mwandi to bid farewell to all its beauty and heart.

We then past by something I wanted to see for a couple of months now!

This is a Sausage Tree.

When I was in South Africa, my friend Densley (from Zimbabwe) explained to me about the Sausage Tree, and an ancient myth that surrounds it. If you, as a man, should wish for a larger manhood, then you can visit the sausage tree and take a sausage pod from it. Simply take a knife, make a little cut on the sausage pod and an identical cut on your penis. Now take the pod down to the Zambezi and secure it under the water with rocks. As it absorbs water into the cut and increases in size, so too will your manhood increase in size. The myth also comes with the warning, however, that once you are happy with the size you reach you must return to the Zambezi and remove your sausage pod from the water- otherwise you will just keep growing and growing and eventually you’ll look quite silly!

I love this story, and as we walked around beneath the sausage tree, what did we find there on the ground?

A Sausage Pod!

I know I shouldn’t, but I’d LOVE to keep this… So let’s give it a smuggle and see what happens!

I returned to camp in time to catch Gabbi and Martin and say my farewells to them

And observe Mary and Berri prepare my final Mwandi dinner- a requested traditional Zambian meal!

Fried fish, Nshema, green Rape and tomato relish.

So, the evening wrapped with a few final Mozi beers, the sealing of the bag, and a big sleepy cuddle with ketchup.

Thank you to everyone in Mwandi for the very special memories you’ve given me and the important lessons you’ve taught me. I’ll never forget this place.

smuggle smuggle…