My trip to Mozambique
Day 1 – 04 December
Wake up at 3:15am – transfer is collecting at 4:15. Off the in dark we set off down the quiet road of Cape Town and head to the airport. After an unbelievable queue of over 300 people for the SAA check in counter we get whisked to the front as the plane is about to leave and we have been stranded in this never ending queue. With all that has been happening in South Africa with the airlines I must say I am not feeling 100% confident about this flight and the next 8 flights I still have to take in my journey.
A smooth flight and we arrive in Johannesburg – collect our luggage and head off to the International departures. As we arrive we notice that our flight has subsequently been cancelled. So we run to the counter to find out what is going on only to be told that we have been put on another flight that will go via Nelspruit. Checked in and ready to go I get myself a strong cup of coffee to try stay awake. Shortly after we are on the bus heading towards our plane. By passing all the bigger planes (as you find in the International side) we find our little plane amongst these monster, oversized planes. I think he must had definitely had grown quite a complex by his size amongst these larger big boys! Totally unfair and cruel I thought to subject him to the ridicule from the other planes. Anyway so we board our little 42 seater, propeller plane and get ready for take off. After three hours we reach Mozambique – flying over Vilanculous was quite a sight. You feel like you have seen this setting 100 times before but only in the movies. The scenery is so green and tropical with real thatch and reed made rondavals. It’s so basic and rural – so beautiful.
We head off to customs which is a tiny little room jam packed with all 42 passengers and officials squeezed in tight. Behind a glass panel is a very unpleasant and unfriendly Portuguese speaking black woman. She is in control and she makes sure that everyone who is in that room is very aware of this. Banging on the counter with her very important stamp she shouts at in Portuguese at the people in front of her and waves her hands around. Its quite a relief when you finally get out of this room and into the baggage collection room which adjoins this and is equally small. On a wooden bench you scramble to find your baggage amongst the rest. Finally we are through and are on our transfer to our first site inspection. Driving through Vilanculous is quite an adventure with the potholed roads and the complete culture shock of contrast from one house being brick and cement and the neighbor being thatch and reads.
After two site inspections we head off to Rio Azul. This is two hours north of Vilanculos. An hour drive on a hair raising road and then another on 35km stretch of beach. It is so incredible to watch these people on the beach as you drive along. Row after row of nets and ropes as the local fisherman are pulling out their catch for the day. The children (even toddlers) are far out splashing in the shallow sea. And on the other side of you there are the women who have dug out deep wholes to eventually find fresh water to wash their clothes and bathe in. The rain is pouring and we are in an open van with towels over us to try keep dry – not warm (it is always warm).
Its 7pm and we pull up to Rio Azul. The sun is almost set and we are able to just get a final glimpse of the red and blue sky before the sun goes to bed. The first thing I do is order a local beer – Laurentino. We sit and chat with the managers and enjoy dinner before heading off to bed. I am on these Malaria tablets which have no side effect on the average person but I seem to have had quite a reaction and find myself quite “high” after taking them for about an hour or so. So from here on out, every evening becomes stranger and stranger as my malaria tablets take effect.
Day 2 – 05 December
I wake up at 5am still groggy eyed I can’t figure out why I am awake, not until I hear the noise again that is. Right next to my window is a rooster who has taken it upon himself to make sure that everyone is awake. Then started the staff walking up and down by my window and around my patio. That’s it, I can’t sleep so I get up and go sit outside and enjoy the stillness of the water and the warmth of the weather. Slowly the others wake up and I go through for coffee. After a quick coffee we head off on the boat for a look around the area. What a great way to start your day.
Off we set back along the beach and off to our horse riding. We arrive and get saddled up. Heading off down the beach we ride on sand and in the sea, cantering and walking and enjoying being out in the open.
After our most enjoyable ride we head back to the airport for our flight to Benguerra Island. Now on an even smaller plane (12 seater) we set off on our 9minute flight. I am sitting right behind the pilot resting my feet on his chair. I couldn’t see a thing out as I didn’t have any window near me so when we landed I got quite a shock that we were already there. I hop out of the plane to trees all around me and I am standing on grass. I look behind the plane to see the runway which is literally a strip of open grass.
On our transfer, it is so hot and my pants are still wet and rolled up from the horse riding as there was just not enough time to change. I feel hot and sticky and generally feel unattractive. This is how we entered one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Azura – a new lodge that has recently opened. Still under a bit of construction with the spa and diving centre but everything was perfect. You walk into this pristine lodge and your view opens up to clear blue still sea. You immediately feel like you have left all your stresses at the door. We sit down and take in the moment as we check in and sip on our ice cold juice. Our rooms are equally stunning with your own pool (now I am used to getting my own plunge pool at the places I go to, but never a real sized pool!!).
After running to the sea and spending the afternoon swimming we head off to the dhow and enjoy a sundowner cruise followed by a bonfire dinner on the beach.
Day 3 – 06 December
The next morning we enjoy champagne breakfast on the beach and enjoy lazing in our pools (the tide is quite far out and too shallow to swim in) before heading off to Benguerra Lodge where we will enjoy the next two nights.
Benguerra Lodge is situated only a 2km down the beach but such a different feel and atmosphere. You can see the one lodge when at the other but the bay and the beach is so completely different. After a quick check in and bags down we meet at the Dhow bar and enjoy a GnT. A quick shower and then off to dinner. Benguerra Lodge is in a Moroccan style so the staff at dinner where turbans and the dinner settings have all a Moroccan feel to it.
Day 4 – 07 December
An early wake up and we head off to the dive centre. Two of the girls have dived before and the other two of us have not. So in two boats we head, us going to snorkel and them going to dive. The water was quite choppy and our boat spent more time flying in the air than running on the sea. 45minutes later and we are far out to sea and there is nothing around us but our friends in the distance. Two Mile Reef is where we explored the seas and saw some of the most incredible sea creatures and plants I have ever seen. The colours where incredible and the experience of it was even better. After about an hour we got back on the boat. Unfortunately my snorkel partner’s tummy had had quite enough of the sea. The whole way back she spent hanging over the boat white as a ghost and getting rid of what ever was in her tummy. On the way back we stopped off at Pansie Island which is literally a big sand dune in the middle of the ocean which is covered with shells but especially Pansie shells. The most perfect shaped Pansie shells I have ever seen. After a quick run onto the island I run back to the boat where my friend is now wrapped in a blanket and lying curled up on the boat. So we head off back but not before three dolphins decide to pop up right next to our boat. As we cruise along the water they swim with us. They were so close I could almost touch them. Completely thrilled by my morning experiences we rush back as we are late for another site inspection.
After our inspection the four of us get together and chat about our morning. The divers didn’t seem to have such good visibility and didn’t see much at all. The one girl on top of it all was unable to equalize and had to go back to the boat. So their morning was not as great. This afternoon we relax and enjoy having nothing more to do. That evening we enjoy our dinner and head off to bed.
Day 5 – 08 December
Wake up, breakfast and get packed. After another swim in the sea, dip in our now plunge pool and a quick tan we meet at the lounge area for our transfer back to the airstrip. After waiting for quite some time we find out that 5minutes flight away the rain is pouring and our plane can’t take off. This is something we find is quite normal – the islands are so close to each other but have such different weather patterns; while we were tanning the other island was experiencing heavy downfalls. After a slightly late take off we head off to Bazarruto Island. Five minute flight from our airstrip to Indigo Bay’s airstrip. We land and drop off passengers but find out that although we are on the island we want to be we are not getting off here. We have to fly back to Vilanculos (10minutes) collect other passengers, refuel and then head back to Bazerutto Island but now to the Bazerutto airstrip. Half hour later and we are back at Bazarruto and getting on to our rather interesting transfer to the lodge.
We arrive and the rain is pouring down. We run around with towels over our heads as we run from room to room to inspect this lodge. Back in our rooms we have a hot shower and head off to the bar. A bottle of wine is certain to make this day better. This lodge is very basic (but very expensive and not worth the money!) and is targeted solely to South Africans. There was a French couple there who I felt so sorry for and really felt like packing in my bag and rescuing them when we left. At the bar there are 3 men (heavy Afrikaans) getting rather intoxicated by there drinks and speaking very loudly about the four British girls (they thought we were British). I pop to the bar to order the wine and next to me these men are bargaining me off amongst themselves in Afrikaans. I ignore it as I feel it is completely above me to worry myself with such behavior. After a while the one guy asks me where I am from, I tell him in my rich South Africa accent that I am from Cape Town. Well that was that from them, shocked big eyes and jaw dropping mouths they turned lobster red and sheepishly walk away. After a shocking dinner we head back to bed but not before noticing that these three men are the last ones left at the bar and are now completely inebriated. This would not be a problem if they were not our pilots that were going to be flying us the next morning.
Day 6 – 09 December
Wake up to heavy rains and feeling pretty miserable in this horrible place. We all gather together and make a plan to try get out of this lodge as soon as possible. But the rains are too heavy and the vehicle cant get through the mud so we have to wait for the rain to subside before they fly us to Indigo Bay (remember on the same Island – a mere 5minute flight). An hour later and the rain has cleared so we get ready for our flight. I look out to the sea but see nothing but sand. At this lodge during high tide the sea comes right up however during low tide the water goes out 5km, so as far as you can see there are only sand banks. It’s quite something and not something that can be truly understood until ones actually sees it for themselves. Off on our tractor we head to the airstrip. Our pilots now with sun glasses on (clearly still feeling the effects of the alcohol) and not acting my better. Five minutes later we arrive at Indigo Bay. What a difference, actually completely different from everywhere else we have been staying. This is a large resort which has about 100 rooms and two pools and tennis courts and on and on. It was just so big!! After our inspection, which you can imagine took about two hours, it’s already quite late. So we enjoy a swim in the pool, cocktails on the deck and head back to our room before enjoying dinner. This is our last night and I think we are all feeling mixed about going home or staying longer. All enjoying our time away but also ready to be in our own beds again.
Day 7 – 10 December
Wake up again to more rain. Feeling dampened by all the rain in the past few days and the humidity really high I think we are all pretty keen say goodbye to this island. After a very scrumptious breakfast with everything you can imagine we get packed and washed and ready to head home. 11o’clock we head off for our flight home. Our quick flight to Vilanculous and we set off on our bigger propeller plane back to Johannesburg. Change flights and off to Domestic departures. On to our SAA plane again and head back home. Our flight arrived in Cape Town at 10pm. Another long day of flying but we are home, I take my medication and set off on my wave to sleep.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment