7 quick takes from Mozambique
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| A family sized open air bubble bath by candle light... How epic?! |
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| Our chalet |
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| We have never felt as well rested as after this week. |
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| Sundowners with friends |
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| Mixing mud for the oven. |
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| Oven building |
2. This time we were on time. This time we had made a booking before everybody else did and we were so chuffed that for our overnight journey to cross lake Malawi on our way to Mozambique we would finally have our own cabin. But then we got an email; the Ilala would be out of service for her annual maintenance and instead we would make the journey on the Chilembwe. The only positive thing about that boat is that it's twice as fast as the Ilala who is, after all, an old lady. But that's a bleak advantage compared to all the disadvantages. She is not even a quarter of the size of the Ilala (and thus a very bad replacement), there are no cabins, no restaurant and where the Ilala has loads of charm, the chilembwe is an efficient but ugly army boat, not made to charm anyone. The journey that we were on was the first one, the one were people did not know or did not believe that the normal boat was out of the running so they all came and the boat was way fuller than it should have been. Imagine an economy class airplane with all the seats occupied, pretty full right? Not compared to the Chilimbwe. To get even close to an idea of how packed that boat is you must try to imagine that full economy class airplane where people are not only on the seats, but also sleeping under and between the seats and on every square centimeter of aisle. If you need to use the bathroom (bad idea with too many people for too long on a too small boat) you need to wriggle your toes between bodies to make your way to the one available bathroom and once you get there the smell is enough to make you decide that you will wait (apparently it doesn't have the same effect on 3 and 4 year olds so if they happen to be in your company you'll have to brave the smell anyway ). At two o'clock at night, when it was finally quiet, the captain decided that it was a great idea to introduce the passengers to his favourite playlist (a creative mix of Celine Dion, Malawian rap and old school worship music) so that's the point where I woke up on the floor of the boat with a stiff back while being completely stuck between legs, chairs, a daughter, a quiet but very alive chicken and someone's luggage. If I wanted to move I had to wake up at least three people so I decided that it was better to push away the very persistent thoughts about the likelihood that I would survive a fire or other boat disaster from the position I was in. Tomorrow we have to take that overnight boat back to our house. I'm thrilled.
3. 'But how white mam? It surely can't be so white that it's the most beautiful beach in the world... The world is big and we cannot be that lucky that we get to go to the most beautiful place!' We have told Sophie about the beautiful beach that we will visit to motivate her for the boat ride from Likoma Island to the Mozambiquen side of the lake. The waves are high and she is not a fan of bumpy boat rides. On the speed boat she's less than impressed, the waves are higher than she imagined and she is scared 'You must promise me that this is worth it' she screams on the top of her voice to be louder than the wind, the waves and the engine. I'm a bit hesitant because I have never been to the place either and I don't want to build it up so much in her head that it can only disappoint. But then we turn into the bay where we will spend the week and the big smile on Sophie's face tells enough. The bay is one of the most beautiful ones I've ever seen. A wide, white beach, blue water, untouched nature and the friendliest smiles. As we get off the boat, Nkwichi lodge continues to impress; the biggest chalets build from natural materials with a stunning and creative architecture, a romantic outdoor bathroom with shower and bath, lovely little nooks to relax, read and play everywhere... It's worth the journey.
4. Above me blue sky, two fish eagles and the sun, in front of me a long white beach and two little girls who are busy with rocks and sand, next to me the man of my dreams who is, just like me, mostly interested in what is behind us. We scan the horizon to decide which wave to take. The Mwela (South) wind has been strong for days and the swell is amazing. I'm not sure if you could really surf them but they're perfect for body surfing. A good one, and there are loads of them, only require an easy peddle and it will take you all the way to the beach. It's almost like we're back in Cape Town, apart from that we don't need to wear a wetsuit because the water is warm, and we don't need to shower afterwards because the water is fresh. I had no idea that a lake could give amazing waves like it has given us in the past few days.
5. A walk through a quintessential African landscape (tall yellow grass swaying in the wind against a backdrop of a rugged mountain with age old hardwood trees) brings us in a picture perfect African village with grass roof mud houses in fields of cassava, here and there a mango or baobab tree and everywhere friendly people. We ask where the church is (I don't speak Portuguese or chinyanja but most people speak enough English to understand us) and people point is in the right direction. The simple clay brick building is easily recognised as a church by the lovely a Capella singing that reaches our ears from far. We slip in and find a place on the floor; people sit on the floor as there are only a few wooden benches, just enough to seat the choir. It's one of the first churches that I have visited in rural Africa where they don't make a fuss about a visiting Mzungu (white man) and for that I'm grateful. Soon after we arrive the song is finished and from a corner we hear the spitting sounds of a ghetto blaster that doesn't really want to play but is forced to do so anyway. After a few false starts (with even the choir starting the corresponding dance move to each song) the right song is found. The music is played at a volume much louder than what the speaker can handle, with distorted tunes as a result, but no one seems to care. In another place I would have probably laughed about the music but the sincerity of the choir, singing and dancing along to the tunes, make me wipe away an emotional tear instead. The dance skills that are shown would make the average pop star give up their stage and offer the choir their place instead. Such rhythm! Such enthusiasm! Such unison! But it's not the skill that makes me emotional; it's the joy that's found in the music (however distorted it might be) and the lack of self awareness and what others might think that makes me a little envious.
6. Almost every lodge has one; a book case filled with books that were left behind by people who needed to shed weight from their luggage. In those book cases you can find real gems. I'm a bit scared that, now that most people travel with e-readers, those cases will slowly disappear but I'll enjoy them for as long as they last. It's usually one of the first things I'll find in a new lodge and it makes me especially happy if I find a Dutch book. It doesn't really matter how good (or bad) the author is, if I have heard about the book or if the topic interests me; it's Dutch and therefore I'll enjoy it because getting your hands on a Dutch book is a real luxury (I know, e readers could solve this problem but an e-reader is not a book that you can smell, page through and oh well.... I really should get an e-reader). The book that I found in this lodge wasn't one that I would recommend to anyone (I had never read a 'Heleen van Royen' and after this one I never will again) but still... It was nice to get lost in a world of words that felt familiar.
7. This morning we left Mozambique and we are back on Likoma, a small island in the lake. It has a little airport and because of that an immigration office which is amazing for us as we need to re-entry Malawi. Before I tell you what I want to tell you need to know that many people here have names that are actually words in English, as a result I've met many 'Blessings', 'Hopes', 'Happinesses' and 'Joys'. However, people on this island seem to have been a bit more creative. The immigration official's name is 'Nations' and the top police guy is called 'Action'. I'm sure they are both in the job their parents hoped for them when they named them...
Father's day bonus: With Father's Day around the corner, the girls and I were discussing how and why we should spoil Hartmut. The 'how' was easy; lots of cuddles and food because he likes that. The 'why' wasn't hard either; Hartmut is a great and very involved dad and he's the girls' biggest hero. They'll both marry him when they are big. (We haven't discussed the practicalities for that but that it will happen is a given. ) However, Doris still had one pertinent question. 'Why does a child actually need a mom and a dad?' Fortunately Sophie came to the rescue with an answer. 'Dads don't have vaginas so if they would have a baby in their belly the baby would just be stuck because it can't get out. And it would just grow and grow inside and that's dangerous.' Doris got the point and added: 'and dads don't have breasts either so the baby would just go hungry.' Yup girls, that's exactly right....
