I awoke early at Kuti & the night watchmen had kept the fire going overnight. This meant I was able to enjoy a hot shower first thing in the morning.
I went down to reception for 08:00 to ensure my bike taxi had been ordered. Sure enough it hadn't. Andrew the taxi driver had arrived at 08:40 but my bike taxi didn't show up until 08:50. The bike taxi was quite an experience, not one I would like to repeat in a hurry on such a bad track to the main road. I only fell off the once. Sitting on the back with my bags I was instructed not to hold on to anything to ensure the bike was balanced. This was pretty scary. The track kept changing from mud, to sand, to stones to water. It was difficult to be on a bike without someone being in the back. Eventually we got down the track & after all that the car could have probably made it up. The problematic puddles that were there the other day had dried up after a couple of days sunshine. Still it was an experience.
The drive back to Lilongwe was very pleasant.
When I got back Scotty was at the Sunbird Capital going through some last minute preparations for tonight. I grabbed some lunch & a couple of beers by the pond in the shade. It was here that I felt noticed that I was feeling the effects on being out in the sun so much over the past week. Despite the good weather I thought it best to stay out the sun for the rest of the day & took the chance to have an afternoon nap while Scotty & Amir went to Chigoli. This turned out to be excellent preparation for the night ahead.
At 18:00 Amir & I headed across to the Sunbird Capital to grab some food before the event got under way at 19:30. Ireland were playing England in the last game of the 6 nations & we took that in with a very partisan Irish crowd.
Each year Lilongwe holds a large St Patrick's day celebration. This years was in a Marquee. The event is attended by almost everyone in Lilongwe it seems, though the Irish continent were out in force. A band had been flown in from Ireland for the event. Our band had actually flew in on the same flight as a band going on to perform at a similar event in Zambia.
If there is one thing the Irish know how to do well it throw a party. Cans of Guinness were on sale at their own stand. There was bread & cheese with Kerry Gold Butter for nibbles.
The highlight of the night of course was the seeing Scotty & Amir take part in the Irish boyband male strip show. Scotty on crutches spent a lot of the time sat on the stairs on the stage singing to the Irish classics. With a few explosive moves along the way. Amir alongside Mark & Patrick put on an entertaining performance.
Scotty & Don headed off for some food. Amir & linked up with Caitlin, Blessings, Kelly & others and spent the rest of the night making some shapes on the dance floor. I had moved over to the Gin at this stage of the night as there is only so much Guinness you can drink.
With any event like this the night isn't over when the music stops. The band announced the after party back at Patrick's house.
We all piled into his Jeep well 12 of us did. Amir, Sarah & I in the boot. The few hundred remaining cans of Guinness had there own chair.
Scotty joined us at Patrick's where quite a large crowd had come back to. We listened to some of the Irish lads sing some traditional Irish songs & chatted for a few hours. Though one lad at the party had the audacity to say that Alan Shearer wasn't a good footballer, to which I lost my temper. Still he was a Malawian who supported Arsenal & a few questions on his football knowledge & we realised he knew nothing.
We decided to head off due to Amir being asleep on one of the chairs, & that the sun was coming up. Back at the house, Scotty & I sat up chatting for some time.