The 5:30 alarm clock was not needed. An almost sleepless night thinking about today, in the hope that the auger would arrive. Plan B is not needed today, the auger has arrived. But the factor C was definitely needed.
At 6, immediately leaving to meet the Banda dei Pozzi, a team almost complete and tested with just one new graft, Jackson. Big hugs with everyone and immediately the legendary McDonald does not deny himself and leaves the guest house where he slept … with a bottle of beer in his hand. Let’s start well! Who knows what he did last night. But there is no time to think about it and we start on the road, towards Masoko. A large village with around 100 families for a total of 600 people. They were waiting for us and therefore the ground was already ready for excavation so at 7:30 we can start.
We understand immediately that there is something wrong. The subsoil is the classic land but the machine is struggling. In 3 hours we can not make more than 9 meters, an absurdity by how little.
We try for another two hours but we can only dig another 3 meters when the ground begins to collapse. We have to stop. Similar situations have already happened in the past and we know how to deal with them. The problem today is that the team did not bring everything necessary, in particular the 5,000-liter tank is missing, which is used to mix the fixative with the water to be shot underground. They could not bring it because the pickup truck that is needed is under repair and will not be ready before Tuesday. We leave the hole covered, we will return in the next few days when we have recovered the material.
We then move to another village.
This time they didn’t expect us because we had made the inspection without promising anything. And in fact the joy is so great.
Konkwe village 40 families 300 people.
But joy is not enough for luck. We dig until sunset without the slightest result.
Indeed worse, the excavation done is useless and we will have to start from scratch. Day to forget if not for the fact that I met and recognized a girl in a village to whom I had taken a photo that I liked a lot last year and I was impressed. Luckily I have it on the phone and I showed it to you. She was surprised to say herself! But how? Me?!? Yes, just you.
As the saying goes, tomorrow is another day … we really hope it will be so because a 2-0 defeat on the first day cuts legs and morale.
Goodnight Malawi. Be more forgiving tomorrow.