So much to say and so little time to say it. I can’t believe I’ve only been here for a little over a week. I’m just back from 5 days vacation in Tofo, an as yet undeveloped tourist spot on the coast that is absolutely beautiful. Tomorrow I am leaving for two weeks in Children’s Town and I won’t have internet there. I think I will leave any discussion about Children’s Town until another time because it would just be too long – I will try to write entries while there even if I can’t post them up one at a time.
Mozambique: First Impressions
For those at home, some impressions on Mozambique:
People – The people here are really very nice. We were really very lucky because our first few days were spent with Portuguese speaking DI’s (volunteers) who are earning meticais so we got to see a side of Mozambique that no tourist ever would. I never would have hitched a ride to a project or learned what things should cost at the market if I had not been following people who spoke the language. As a result I feel that I am starting to get a feel for how friendly the people are, which is a marked contrast from what it would be if I had simply gone straight to being a tourist, since for the five days in the tourist spot of Tofo Brian and I barely spoke to any Mozambiquans expect to say “Nao obrigada” (no thanks) to whatever they were trying to sell us.
Transport – There seems to be four main ways to get around here and I have taken them all. I have hitched (jumped onto the back of the back of an open truck), taken chapas (small vans that should fit 16 and end up fitting about 30, often with peoples butts hanging out the window), buses (mainly moshibomobo’s – cheap buses where you get your own seat but no air-conditioning) and regular cars (used actually when hitching – it seems cars in Moz are very cheap because they are all stolen from South Africa and brought up here). Oh, and I also took a little fishing boat over to an island so I guess that is 5 ways of getting around. When you add it all up the public transport here is actually very efficient and cheap, if not the safest in the world.
Food – Not so great. One of the biggest downsides, and the only reason I find myself wishing we had gone to Asia! The funny thing is that before I left I was nervous about whether it would be okay to eat at market stalls or not and it turns out that that is all there is! The most popular dish seems to be a ¼ grilled chicken, fried potatoes, and salad which is really just tomato, lettuce and onion. Ehhh. Vegetables don’t seem to be high on the priority list. On the up side the Portuguese style bread is delicious. I am very nervous to be spending the next two weeks eating at the Children’s Town as it is literally sheema or rice and a little meat bones every meal. Price is another mystery I am still figuring out. A general rule seems to be that anything bought within four walls is at least double the price, as compared with stalls or three walled shops. And Tofo is just expensive period.
Tofo Holiday
Tofo was gorgeous, mainly because it has yet to be overdeveloped. We spent five nights in a ‘chalet’ right on the beach and 50 yards from the bar and pool. Not bad. The beach is just one huge stretch of white beach – no umbrellas, no sunchairs, not even really any people it being slow season. About ten minutes walk down the beach is a little street market and there are some dive centers as well - That’s about it! We spent the first two days doing absolutely nothing, walking to the market and buying some bread, swimming in the pool and ocean, etc. The accommodation runs on generator so whenever the bar emptied out at night (usually around 9pm) so did the lights!
Thursday Brian and I did an ocean safari in the morning and Brian did a dive in the afternoon. The ocean safari was amazing. Tofo is one of the best places to see juvenile whale sharks, so six of us, two guides and a driver went out in a little dive boat in hopes of getting to see some. It was not at all what I expected. We all sat on the side of the boat with our snorkeling gear on ready for the word. When one of the guides spotted something under the water they would shout “Ready, Go!” and we would jump over the side, see what was down there until we lost it, then get back in the boat and go around looking for something else, jump back in, etc. I got to see about six whale sharks which is pretty unusual, and two manta rays. Both enormous, majestic creatures. The visibility wasn’t great so more than once I turned around and literally almost bumped into a whale shark maybe five feet away from me! If we didn’t scare them they would let us snorkel alongside them. It was an amazing, amazing experience.
In all it was a great holiday. After five days of sun and sand Brian and I are returning to reality. I, the victim of my first sunburn, am peeling on my back, shoulders, arms, and chest and Brian, the victim of his own skin, is covered in bedbug bites, mosquito bites, jellyfish stings all over his arms and legs, and sunburn. We are a very attractive couple. Thus, we are going into hiding at an orphanage for two weeks. Expect another lengthy entry when we return to the world hopefully looking respectable again.
Until then, enjoy winter!
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