A Simple Prayer An Extraordinary Answer

       As I left off before I mentioned my next challenge was getting to Mongochi, Malawai to get to a bank before the Illala ferry left from Monkey Bay. I had just spent three wonderful days in Cape Maclear and found a cheap ride into Monkey Bay late on the third day. I arrived around 4:00 pm and new that I had to make it to Mongochi and back that night if I wanted to catch the ferry the next morning. I grabbed my gargantuan bags and headed off on a sweltering 1.5 km hike to Venice Beach Backpackers. After a quick drop of everything but basic travel essentials I turned straight back around hoping to still catch a ride. Africa has no shortage of escorts and tour guides but through this experience I found many only tell you what you want to hear which is often no where near reality. This guide convinced me that my ride that was leaving at 5:00 pm would be back to Monkey Bay by the latest of 7:00. NOT! On my ride the first foreboding realization was watching the sun slowly set and knowing transport ends when darkness falls. At this point I turned to the money man and asked whether getting back to Monkey Bay was realistic. His response was a cackling that brought no hope to an already bleake chance. With nothing but a torch, med kit, and rain gear the idea of staying the night was not a welcome one. In my own head I began to laugh and think of how much fun it was going to be wandering around a town I've never been to and trying to find a bank in the dark. I was feeling very nervous and began to pray. It was calming and confidence began to grow the closer I got to Mongochi. After arriving I used the People Positioning System (PPS) to find the nearest bank and found that it was nearly a km away down an ominously dark road. Trust is hard when someone directs you into the dark. I got a couple of second opinions not wanting to wander into oblivion and then went for it. The road was full of bells unseen and reckless objects careening past creating a gauntlet of unlit cars, bikes, and baskets precariously balanced on the heads of locals. Ducking, jumping, strafeing, and limboing down the road a beacon of light appeared in the distance. Around me I saw there were lodges so it was a comfort knowing I could have a roof over my head even if it meant not catching the boat. Successfully dodging my way down the street I made it to the bank not looking forward to reversing the process with pockets full of cash. Then the extraordinary happened. While in a line of about fifteen men under a partially lit ATM a man began to talk with me. It was the basic greeting, hello, welcome, my name is, where are you headed? He seemed like a nice man and I told him I was stranded in Mongochi for the night. After a little more small talk he told me that he was a priest in town and might know a friend that could help me get back to my lodging that night. I didn't have my hopes too high but after I had finished my money grabbing he told me to get in his car and he would take care of me. Heh, I was still pretty nervous about this whether he was a priest or not. After we drove out of the bank he took me to a little hole in the wall bar where he shared the knews that he had a ride to Monkey Bay for me and that this was the spot we were meeting the driver. A simple prayer an extraodinary answer! After sharing a couple of beers his friend came and the priest Israel, the ambulance driver Gabriel, and the travelor Michael met and laughed about God being good all the time. The ride was free and very comfortable in a Toyota Hilux. Ha the universe really is on your side if you are after your dreams.