By Diana Satha

Being the capital city of Malawi, Lilongwe is what America is to the rest of the world; a place of opportunity, hopes and dreams. It is what the French call the crème de la crème.

Located in the central region of Malawi, Lilongwe is a central point where people from the north and the south, meet and interact on economical, political and governmental levels. The merging of cultures both local and western is what makes Lilongwe distinct from the other cities (Blantyre, Zomba and Mzuzu) in Malawi. Lilongwe holds the highest number of international nongovernmental organizations (NGO’s) in Malawi, making it a cosmopolitan city.

My city has two particular gems that everyone notices upon arrival. We have the most accentuated Chichewa tongue and we have the dust. Chichewa is the national language and it originated from the Chewa people commonly found in the central region (Lilongwe). It has since been taken across the country and changed accordingly.  The dust in my city is like no other. It is rich brown, loose, and filmy. So when the wind blows, or a whirlwind decides to show, there is nothing better to do than embrace it, for it will cover you. Being a flat land the city does not boast a lot of green vegetation, this makes it have almost like desert vegetation. This makes Lilongwe one of the hottest places in the country, if you exclude the lower shire area. So, when you visit my city you must be prepared for the heat.

In Malawi, dust is synonymous with Lilongwe! If you asked the more traditional Chewa resident about it; they would respond with pride, for they feel the dust is a blessing for the treasured ‘gule wamkulu’ dance which literally translates to the ‘big dance’ for their ethnic group. Gule wamkulu is a dance of the spirits reenacted by masked dancers of the Nyau cult. The dust is what makes the dance. As the masked dancer vigorously moves; he is complemented by the rising dust. The elders will proudly boast that the gods knew that Lilongwe had to have dust otherwise we would not have the big dance (gule wamkulu). The gulewamkulu cannot dance on tarmac!

With the high cost of living nowadays, one still has to have some fun. There are many places of entertainment in Lilongwe. I will site Chameleon Bar in the Four Seasons complex on Kamuzu procession road as a highlight. Chameleon is the best evening cool down spot with the perfect ambiance. On Sunday’s, Chameleon has jazz sessions for the musically inclined. Other places you can visit are; the five stars Capital Hotel, Lilongwe Hotel, Harry’s Bar and The Golf Club or simply ask the locals, they are the best guides for what you fancy.

If you are not one for the night life, Lilongwe has a fantastic nature sanctuary in the city center. It is called the Lilongwe Nature Sanctuary. Here, you can be at one with the many species of animals such as monkeys, snakes, hyenas, crocodiles and the beautiful nature. The sanctuary has well trained guides that will take you on walks and give you a history of the sites. After taking a stroll down the wild side of life, one can relax and have some drinks by the bar, which is also in the sanctuary compound.

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