Climbing To Dedza: Pottery, Petroglyphs & Bad Tomatoes
Miles trundle by as we journey back north, leaving behind the lush green fields of the tea plantations and soon passing again through the metropolis which is Blantyre with its big buildings, big crowds and big character, then onwards along the M1 through more police checkpoints than we care to count. Green becomes red, rolling becomes flat and then flat becomes spectacular mountain. After Ntcheu we’re not even sure which country we’re in, our maps suggesting that the highway we’re driving along is the border between nations, Mozambique on our left and Malawi on our right.
Dedza announces itself with a large welcome sign and yet another speed trap, smoke drifting from roadside grills and kamikaze goats choosing just the wrong moment to cross the traffic. It’s a long dirt road off the highway to Dedza Pottery, our home for the next few days where, as the name would suggest, our lodge sits within the unusual setting of a genuine pottery factory where ceramic jugs, tiles and the like can be despatched to anywhere in the world.
Use of their own products at the Pottery Lodge
The now familiar deep orange sunset fills the western sky like every painting of an African sundown; large pied crows caw and fly home to roost as crickets chirp their way into evening. Within minutes it’s pitch dark, stars scatter the sky like sequins on a ball gown and the temperature drops like a stone. The crickets are soon silent as the cloak of total darkness envelopes the baobabs and steals the world from view; voices from the village carry on the breeze, an unknown animal call echoes through the darkness. Chill is the air, thick is the night, huge is the galaxy. At such moments, perspectives change. We are but a tiny dot.
The cockerel which spends most of its time chasing the hens around the pottery garden in an attempt to fertilise every single egg available, crows loudly to tell us it’s time to rise and shine, but the temperature quite clearly says the opposite. Even in this part of the world, high means cool – and at Dedza we are 1,590m above sea level, more than two thirds of the way up the mountains and in Malawi’s highest town. Breakfast time is cold, and in fact Friday stays stubbornly low for most of the day – by the time we make our late afternoon return from our day’s excursion it’s very obvious that we’re going to be in for a chilly evening.
Dedza has two claims to fame. The pottery and ceramics made on this very spot is one, petroglyphs is the other. Up in the rocky mountains above town, at Chongoni, cave and rock drawings fashioned in two separate eras have now been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, though their remoteness means there is little in the way of fanfare here – you would not have a chance in hell of finding the drawings without a guide to take you there.
The petroglyphs are in two forms – red painted representations of the hunter gatherer lifestyle drawn by the pygmy population an incredible 10,000 years ago, and similar drawings in white produced by Chewa settlers 8,000 years later. These rocks are only partially protected from the elements, in gulleys and passages rather than in caves, making it all the more remarkable that they are still so clearly discernible after so much time. This is paint fashioned from animal blood and vegetation after all, not some modern day synthetic product.
As it turns out, it’s not just a guide you need to find these hidden gems, we really should have taken a 4×4 rather than our Toyota with its low ground clearance. Forty five minutes of rocky dirt road lead to the first site, large semi-hidden boulders and sharp cambers just two of the hazards, and by the time I’ve driven there, on to the next site, and back again, it’s been two hours of dead slow disaster avoidance. As it happens, we get grounded three times and I spend the whole time fearing flat tyres or worse. It’s a relief in the end to get back to the potholes, goats and roadblocks of ordinary Malawi.
One of the factors which led us to hire a car in Malawi was the state of the shared minibuses: they look hugely overloaded and poorly maintained. Whilst in Dedza news filters through that on the day we were driving up from Bvumbwe, one of the minibuses was involved in a dreadful accident. There were TWENTY FIVE people on board a 12-seater minibus which crashed just north of Lilongwe and quickly burst into flames. All 25 were killed. Gulp.
Tomatoes in hot countries are normally a joy, tasting of sunshine in a way that no other foods can, except here in Malawi where they somehow manage to make them disgusting. God only knows how anyone can make tomatoes taste this bad, whether it’s pesticides or chemical treatment, these things look delicious yet taste not of sunshine but of something somewhere between floor cleaner and swimming pool water. Even Michaela, with her “I’ll try anything” and “tomatoes with everything” mantras, is pushing them to one side and rejecting the red bits from her omelette.
Dedza provides the base for our last bit of Malawi housekeeping, including ATM for the last cash supplies, a haircut for me which costs 50p, and a failure to source any deodorant . It’s impossible to ignore, and we choose our words carefully here, that deodorant or perfume is not the scent which is strongest when you’re up close with a local in Malawi – but, after discussion with a lodge employee who revealed his pay level, we calculated that a small can of deodorant to him is the equivalent of someone on the average wage in England paying £140 per can. Which explains everything. I wouldn’t buy it either.
Our last excursion out of Dedza is over the mountains of the Great Rift Valley to a small village which is often described in guide books as Malawi’s gem. Founded in 1902 by one Claude Boucher Chisale and his group known as The White Fathers, the Mua Mission was initially a co-operative for the craftsmen and craftswomen of three tribes, the Chewa, the Ngoni and the Yao. With the creation of its first church three years later it soon carried a more powerful Catholic message.
Having chosen a Sunday morning to visit the Mission, we see it in what is quite possibly its best light: a cacophonous and joyous celebration of faith in an explosion of noise and colour. Hundreds, possibly more, ladies in colourful dress, many dressed in colour schemes which must represent sub-groups within the church sisterhood, all revelling in their togetherness. It’s a wonderful sight regularly soundtracked by the harmonious singing which we all associate with black Africa.
The Mua Mission community, still a centre for the stylish mostly wooden carvings of the local craftsmen, also houses a fascinating museum charting the rituals, ceremonies and cultural milestones of each of the three tribes, with a fabulous collection of genuine headdresses and costumes from many of the ceremonies. Photography of those sacred costumes is, unfortunately but understandably, forbidden. The detail of the ceremonies and beliefs is as informative as it is alien – there are certainly many practices within the tribal villages which seem very strange to us.
Mua Mission
It’s a fabulous drive back up the Rift Valley and to the top of the range, from this direction there’s no mistaking the fact that Dedza is the country’s highest town. Coasting back into town running the gauntlet of food sellers who sprint alongside the cars in an attempt to make a sale (mind you, the home made crisps, chips to Americans, are worth the modest expense), we prepare for our last evening in Dedza and the start of our journey into Zambia.
From here we commence the most uncertain section of the journey so far as we make our way north from Dedza, then across the border, out of Malawi and down to Lusaka, capital of Zambia. It’s a journey of three days, two one night stands and multiple legs relying on connections, any one of which could go wrong and impact the next. There are so many points at which things could go awry that we don’t expect this next bit to be at all straightforward. Hopefully, one way or another, we’ll see you on the other side. Deep breath, here we go…
23 Comments
Lynette d'Arty-Cross
Good luck with your next segment! I hope all goes well. Interesting post. Cheers.
Toonsarah
Clearly you made the right decision to drive yourselves rather than take one of those overcrowded buses. But it’s not something we would take on, I suspect, although we did do so in Namibia. However it has certainly got you to some fascinating places – those petroglyphs are amazing and Mua Mission sounds wonderful too (reminding me of attending a mass at a village church in Senegal some years ago).
Good luck for the next stage of the journey – it sounds like you’re going to need it!
Phil & Michaela
Cheers, Sarah, yes having a car definitely enabled us to change plans and seek out some interesting places. And driving in Malawi is definitely…errr…..an experience!
Monkey's Tale
The petroglyphs are amazing, thanks for continuing on the tire flattening drive to show them to us. Churches in these countries are always so strange. The buildings are pristine compared to the homes and the mix of tribal beliefs with what the missionaries were trying to teach is often bizarre. Love the ladies’ colourful dresses though 🙂 Maggie
Phil & Michaela
I know, exactly that. It was fascinating to read of the tribal ceremonies in the museum, and try and reconcile it with the Catholic faith. Among the things we didn’t mention from the museum is how all three tribes see the onset of menstruation as a cause for big celebration (and hold odd and rather graphic ritual ceremonies at that point). And trying to unravel the combination of witchcraft and catholicism is a conundrum we didn’t even attempt!
wetanddustyroads
It is always great to be able to visit petroglyphs (especially those that are still intact) … the way people expressed themselves centuries ago – amazing, isn’t it? As for Dedza – you showed the raw Africa … sometimes such a sad face, but the reality of those people’s lives. The women’s dresses at the Mua Mission is yet another side of Africa – colourful and beautiful. Deep breath … just go with the flow.
Phil & Michaela
Dedza was (if this doesn’t sound too stupid) exactly as you would picture Central African towns to be. The petroglyphs were so interesting, and yes amazing, as yiu say.
restlessjo
It’s an adventure and a half, this one, Phil! Your digs in Dedza look great and the petroglyphs are amazing, but my husband would be pulling his hair out over some of that driving. Granted it’s a hire car but he’s hyper-cautious with his own. I had to look on Google maps to see exactly where Malawi is. I’ve a friend in Mozambique at present so not very far on a map, but physically….? Wish you loads of luck with the next phase.
I’m sure you’ll not have much time for reading blogs but you did ask, over on Corna’s. The website is https://stillrestlessjo.com/ and it’s a similar set up to your own in that you go to Blog in the Header. See you around, and thanks!
Phil & Michaela
We drove along the Mozambique border the other day – but physically, getting anywhere is a bit of a challenge. I do try and keep up with everyone’s posting so I’ll go and give you a follow now….
restlessjo
Thanks Phil 🤗🩵
WanderingCanadians
It’s incredible how these petroglyphs are in such great shape and have lasted so long. It sounds like it was quite the adventure to get there. Good call on renting your own vehicle. It’s sad to hear what happened to that minibus.
Phil & Michaela
Yeah that made us miss a heartbeat. I can’t quite get my head around how animal blood paint is still visible after 10,000 years!
grandmisadventures
It is amazing that the petroglyphs are still so vivid considering how old they are. What an amazing history lesson they provide. The mission is really beautiful and the items on display must have been so fascinating. But it is good to know to avoid overcrowded buses, deodorant, and tomatoes.
Phil & Michaela
Well visitors don’t need to avoid deodorant but the cost to the locals is horrific. The mission was a lovely thing to see…unbridled joy on the faces of the ladies!
Lookoom
All the photos seem crushed by the sun in the noise and dust. Very atmospheric.
Phil & Michaela
I think Dedza is the typical African township…and they are indeed very atmospheric
Helen Devries
What a drive to find the petroglyphs…but so well worth the trip. So moving to see the traces left by long gone people.
Phil & Michaela
I don’t quite understand how drawings in blood can still be visible 10,000 years later!
Annie Berger
Loved the post from the beginning to the end although sure glad I was just able to read about it and not experience some aspects of it! would pay a high price, though, to witness the unbridled joy of women at the Mua Mission. Interesting, though, there was no mention of men there. Why was that? Wishing you both continued safe travels on what surely must be a trip of a lifetime.
Phil & Michaela
We don’t know the answer to that, Annie. The priests were male, but the only other men present were bus drivers, drink sellers and those working in the gardens and the museum. All the worshippers were female. Yes this trip is certainly different.
Alison
I can only sit and admire your bravery in tackling those terrible roads. Your writing is wonderfully poetic. Tomatoes don’t taste good in Australia either!
Good luck on your next leg
Phil & Michaela
Really? I would have expected Australian tomatoes to REALLY taste of sunshine! Bravery? Wait till you read the next one….😂😂
Alison
It’s the soil or lack of it, just sandy earth