African family Christmas

December 2012

We were all very excited about Christmas this year – not only was it Joshi’s first, but it was to be the second Wall African family Christmas. Mum and Dad arrived on the 18^th of December for 3 weeks, bearing many gifts, the most exciting of which was a baby bouncer for Joshi and a fold up bike for me – my answer to getting fit/loosing baby weight/getting to work when we have no diesel. Along with these presents she also brought untold luxuries of porchini mushrooms, salami, parmesan and olive oil yum yum!

We all left Blantyre on the 22^nd after work and spent two nights at Zomba forest lodge – a tiny converted colonial house half way up the zomba plateau with lovely food and no electricity – cool mosquito free evenings by the fire drinking gin with the owner, Ronald, and setting Malawi to rights were so relaxing, and we realized why the colonials liked Zomba so much. We tried Joshi out in the backpack given to us by Esselien, which he loved, as the hiking on the plateau is spectacular.



Family breakfast on the lawn at zomba forest lodge

View from Zomba plateau towards Lake Malawi

After two nights we came down he mountain to the heat of the lake, and the luxury of Pumulani lodge which is run by Robin Pope safaris and has recently been voted best lodge in Malawi. It certainly was like stepping into another world coming from the dusty car to the massive veranda with a beautiful panorama of the lake. We knew we were meeting Ros there, who had flown from Kigali via London, but we were all over the moon to see that Imo had come with her at the last minute (a well kept secret by my husband!).

View from the terrace over the pool and lake at Pumulani

African Christmas lunch of barbeque steak and prawns yum

Ros enjoys babysitting

Joshi ad Gav enjoy the views from the pool



Joshi opens his first presents!



We had three unbelievably luxurious nights in our private chalets built into the hillside, swimming in the lake and the infinity pool, eating lovely food and generally chilling out. Joshi loved his first Christmas, although was more excited by the wrapping paper than the presents themselves, having the family here was really the best present of all.

Boxingday brunch on the Pumulani Dhow

Joshi makes friends

Joshi hangs out with Imo on the beach

Sunset on the lake - stunning and peaceful

En route home we dropped mum and dad for two nights at Liwonde national park to do some safari and came back to Blantyre to chill out, via the hippo view lodge where  Joshi became properly African eating chicken and chips, and washing his hands in the most bizarre sink we have ever seen!



 The next few days with Ros in Blantyre zoomed past, and before we knew it she was off back to Kigali and we had new year here in Blantyre, with mum and dad babysitting – dinner with friends in the open air and some cheesy music was a relaxing and lovely way to see in 2012. 2011 has been a great year for us, with the arrival of Joshi and settling down as a family in Africa, and the holiday was the perfect way to celebrate.

Gav and Emma with Nick Roshina and Helena at midnight

Laura and Brigitte

Now January is here, the rains have arrived properly, the garden is flourishing with Mum’s expert advice, and we are all back to work. Joshi is 9 months now, weighing in at a whopping 10kg and is so happy and thriving. He has cut two bottom teeth and the top ones are on the way, and is starting to chat adorably (but incomprehensibly), bounce away in his bouncer and commando crawl over the floor – a very good start to 2012!

Happy new year to all

Lots of love

Emma Gav and Joshi J