34 degrees and rising

i don't normally know the temperature but the radio told us it was 34 degrees yesterday. well today is a lot hotter. it would be fair to say i am a bit hot, tired and irritable at times. just going to take the chance for a quick moan here! every night i wake up scratching mosquito bites, often then awake with the itching for some time.. bearing in mind that i am a bit short on sleep anyway going to bed around 9.30/10 and getting up anytime from 5, more likely around 6. those of you who know me with know i am not the best without my beauty sleep! but tea tree oil does help a lot (thanks mandi) and i think i'll start taking antihistamines today.. so maybe things will get better. i just have trouble expecting a good day when i wake up early after a bad night already sweating!
the heat also makes it difficult to exercise, which is normally a vital part of my life. i did manage a days cycle ride one day but just got ridiculously sunburnt, pretty dehydrated, probably suffered from heat exhaustion for the next day and also managed to entertain a crowd watching me take a break at the side of a dirt road. i probably won't repeat it. second attempt was an early morning run setting off before 6, but sadly thats not early enough here as everyone is already out on the roads ready to laugh at a stupid white woman wearing shorts! may try that again but i may have to resign myself to the heat and realise you just don't do cardiovascular activity in this sort of climate.
ok well thats the moan over. other than that i am still loving it. theres no doubt i will be sorry to leave, probably in just over a week. plan is still to travel through malawi (not swaziland as first planned) but costs are rising as i realise i have to get another mozambiquan visa to do that, plus a visa for zimbabwe, plus the bus ticket.. still, a holiday in blantyre for a few days can't be bad.
for a quiet life its surprising how busy i suddenly feel now i have to fit all i want to into 7 days. theres a lot of innocence's family still to visit, a pastor to visit at his home, decision about which (if any) church to preach at on sunday! and some clothes to get made out some beautiful fabric innocence bought me... and as many joyful moments with little Hannah to fit in as possible. I am really going to miss her (did i say that already?!)
it continues to shock me how difficult life is for people here. i continue to struggle with what to do with my money, who to help when everyone is so needy. i learn something everyday about the people and the place, and still love both so much, but there are some details i find hard to get used to. i am eating fish, as that is the cheapest form of protein so eaten a lot, but i think i'm going to struggle with the lunch of squid that i'm going back to shortly! i've got used to the early starts but receiving visitors, especially a local pastor, at 6.30am seems a bit much! i love the time for people and constant visiting of family and friends, but the lack of solitude or ability to rest at home uninterrupted would probably get to me in the longer term.
well thats a lot for one day, so goodbye for now. next entry may well be the last from this amazing country - watch this space for some photos, i've found a place that can put them onto a cd!!