Crazy creatures in the "bathroom"

Living in the village in Malawi, I actually don't have a bathroom. I have an outdoor latrine and an outdoor bathing area. They are on different sides of the yard from each other. Both structures are made of brick with a tin roof.

Everytime I go to use the bafa (that's Chichewa for bathing area), I do a quick snake check now. That's because a few months ago when I went to go take my bucket bath, I heard a weird noise. But I hear lots of weird noises in there, so I wasn't too worried. Until I saw something kinda big moving in the corner. After retrieving my flashlight and shining it into the corner, I found the source of the noise-- a snake, weaving back and forth, with it's hood out like a cobra! I told my neighbors, and they promptly assembled a crowd of 20 and got their machetes to kill it. They're good like that. The kids had a grand old time putting it's body on a stick and scaring each other with it.

And that's not the only thing I have seen in the bafa. Over these past two years, I have seen all all of the following in the chim (latrine), bafa or both, at one time or another:

cobra-looking snake
cave cricket

army ants
flat spiders
blister beetles
giant snails
large black millipedes
probably over a dozen different species of ants
giant cockroaches

carpenter beetles
wasps
lizards
at least five different species of flies
toads

the face of one of the little neighbor boys, through the needlessly large window in the bafa, once he realized I was in there (this only happened once, right after I moved in)

Try peeing with this thing staring at you. It's a blister beetle. Locally they call it something in Chichewa that translates as "The Urinator" because it pees on you and causes blisters to form on the skin

I am not going to miss sharing my "bathroom" with flora and fauna, that's for sure. Indoor plumbing was definitely one of humanity's more convenient inventions. But a latrine is pretty nice to have in a drought.

Attack of the Army Ants, Part 2: The Return

Last week I woke up early, with plans to make a cup of tea and enjoy a quiet morning where I didn’t have to rush off to school first thing. Malawi had other plans for me though. The linthumbu, the army ants, were back. They had a trail near my bafa (outdoor bathing area) and garden. So fires were made at key locations where they were coming out of the ground, and I put poison around the perimeter of my house where I remembered seeing them last time, and I sprayed much Doom bug spray in my bedroom, kitchen and guest room where they had invaded last time. And I prayed. And texted Colii, of course.

All that day I kept checking for more signs of them, but the coast was clear… until that evening. Which seems to be their way. They like to go on the move at night. I set this fire in my garden over several of their holes. And then had to set a few more. My poor garden is really taking a hit from these things.

The problem with army ants is that they can tunnel under the ground, so you chase them away in one place and they just make a new tunnel and come up somewhere else.  Here is a photo of one of their tunnel entrances in my yard. I still have these all over my yard from the last invasion, and everytime I see them they give me the shivers.

They ended up coming back the next day, making a thick trail along my gate in my garden and into the grass near my fence. I set more fires, put out more poison, and prayed for the best. It has been over a week now, and I haven't seen them back yet. I inspected my garden  and I saw three different kinds of ants hanging out there, which is a good sign. They would not be there if the linthumbu were anywhere nearby.

So here's hoping that will be my last brush with the red driver ants of Malawi. I've still got my can of Doom next to my bed though, just in case.

Kusamba in a Bucket

Here in Malawi I bathe (kusamba) by taking bucket baths. I heat the water then pour it into a large plastic basin. I use a plastic cup with a handle to pour the water over me. Add a bar of soap, a washcloth and a towel, and I'm all set. (Thanks for the soap, Mom. I love it!)

I bathe in the bafa, an outdoor structure made of mud bricks. There are little windows to let light in, and a drain to carry away used water.

I have to bathe when it is still light out because I wouldn't be able to see anything otherwise. Also, bugs. Although I did take a few bucket baths by lantern light during homestay, which was kind of nice. Except for the mosquito bites.

While I do miss showers, I don't mind bucket baths. On a hot day it is very refreshing. And it uses very little water. Plus, it is part of the Peace Corps Volunteer experience!

There's a toad in my bafa

This morning when I went into the bafa (outdoor bathing area) I saw this little guy waiting for me. Ah, it's good to be in Malawi...

Just looked up the word for frog in Chichewa. Frog is "chule". Although I guess this might be a toad? For toad, my dictionary says "chule wa ku mtunda koma amaberekera m'madzi" which translates to something like "frog from higher ground but born in water". Chichewa is awesome.

**UPDATE**

I checked with the lovely and intelligent Brandy, who is wise in the ways of Herpitology, and she said that it is "surely a toad, probably the African common toad, not endangered, and abundant in Africa." Thanks, Brandy!