I’ve been in Mozambique, my newest home, for almost two months now and haven’t written to catch everyone up at all. Shame on me! I’ve been busy though. I promise. I’ve become pretty familiar with the day to day of a small holiday town that boasts spectacular diving, world class surfing, and some of the most stunning coastline that I’ve ever seen. It feels like I’ve just arrived and been here for a very long time depending on the day. I’m learning who’s who in the zoo and the politics that go along with it. I’ve become pro at local transportation and the bartering thing when buying any and everything I might need at the local and street corner markets. I’ve become an expert pack mule and very skilled at the just-sit-and-wait. Everything moves with bizarre inconsistency here and there is absolutely no control over any of it. Being in a hurry is pointless. Being late is just the way that it goes, even if you left an hour early. No one gets upset about it because… really… what can you do? Time is irrelevant. This is Africa, baby.
Two days after I arrived, I moved into a rough and rustic little house that I kinda sorta share with a girl named Natalia who I met through people at the guesthouse where I was staying. It’s like a mini duplex; two separate entrances, I have a bedroom, a sitting area, and a mini, make-shift kitchen; she has a bedroom and a proper kitchen. Both are completely self-contained units so it’s not really sharing a house but I’m welcome to use her kitchen if we need it. I don’t need it. Pretty old house and lots of issues with the general maintenance but a beautiful view of the sea, a 20 minute walk from the chaos of the noisy centre market / tourist spots, and an instant new best friend. Just love her. She continues to help me with all of the basic needs things that would have taken me forever to figure out on my own and has introduced me to everyone she knows, which is everyone as it’s a small town and it doesn’t take long to get to know who lives here, who does what, and how it all goes down. I’ve been so lucky – I’m not sure what I would have done, would do, without her. She’s from Slovakia, is a dive instructor, has been here for 6 months, speaks a ridiculous number of languages, and is absolutely wonderful. Very lucky indeed.
I initially found a job bartending at the busiest bar in town and was really loving the opportunity to socialize and be right on the beach but the money was tight. I kinda miss it but know that it wasn’t the best thing for me. I’m currently working at a newly opened place that is in the process of being developed. We’re trying to make it into a café and eventually a proper dining place. Right now I coordinate different activities for people who want things to do in Tofo, supposedly for commission but it’s slow season so it will take some time. Generally I’m an information stop with a quick snack and drink but the plans for the place are quite impressive. It’s a beautiful space just being developed slowly. Painfully. So for now I just simply spend my days watching the world go by, entertaining the occasional visitor and keep my fingers crossed for some busy times sometime soon. Again, the pay is so low that I’ll actually have to keep withdrawing from my bank account to survive. Tell me how that makes sense?! I’m working 8 - 9 hrs a day 6 days a week and can’t cover my rent and basic needs in Africa. Sigh. Good times! It seems like everyone here is in the same boat though so we focus on the “experience”, not the cash.
Oh and yeah, you read that right. I work 6 days a week. Everybody works 6 days a week. I’ve got it easy, my days are relaxed to the point of boring. Everyone in the dive industry works 10 hour days, 7am – 5pm, 6 days a week. And that one day off? Yep, you guessed it. Laundry, shopping, cleaning. Good times. Sadly, in the two months that I’ve been here, I haven’t had a day where I have just relaxed and hung out. It’s not an option because there’s no time to get everything else done. That being said, I haven’t been in the water yet either! Here I am, at one of the most incredible dive destinations and I haven’t been diving yet. *sniff. sniff* Yes, feel sorry for me. I need it. Especially when all the dive friends come back listing off the various creatures they were just in the water with. This place is pretty fabulous.
That being said, it’s a tourist town. Other than the street market in the centre of town, almost all businesses are white man owned and run. We are so close to the South African border that this is the latest and greatest investment opportunity. Tons of houses and businesses under development all over the place and many families have their holiday homes here so they’ve been coming for quite some time. South Africans everywhere, a few English folks, and then a random smattering of us strange ones, the Canadians, Kiwis, and Aussies, etc. Mostly S. African tourists but still lots of backpackers floating through. As for the “African experience”, umm… not so much. But it’s such a beautiful place. And I’ve become quite good at navigating the African towns and cities via terrifying local transport which is a major feat and an African experience in itself so I continue to learn. Every day I continue to learn.
It’s “winter” here on the east coast of Africa so things are a little on the chilly side. By winter, I mean our Canadian late spring where it will be low 20’s in the day and cooler at night (that’s Celsius for my American friends) with some cloudy / rainy days. But after the sweltering sickness of experiencing a summer on the East Coast of Africa, I’ve actually been cold here a lot of the time. And I know I’ve mentioned the cold showers. Not cool, cold. I’ve developed this routine where while boiling a pot of water, I wash my hair with the cold water in the sink, then stand in the shower and do the scoop and pour with the hot water and a cup. Takes FOREVER! But it’s the only way I can tolerate it. I’m such a baby. Everyone here is sick all of the time but at least I’m not diving. Being in the water everyday has led to some nasty sinus and chest infections for a lot of these guys and it just doesn’t go away. I’ve been sick more than I’ve ever been but again, what can you do? Around and around we go. My immune system should be able to take on a nuclear war at this point. Seriously.
Now, the coastline. This is unbelievable. The pristine, stunning stretch of ocean as far as you can possibly see still stops me in my tracks sometimes. It’s not the flat, turquoise coloured serenity that you’d find along the coast of Thailand but it’s breath-taking nonetheless. Because of the season right now, it’s endless rolling or roaring waves, depending on the weather, of deep, enticing blues. It’s smooth, golden brown sugar coloured sand that goes on forever and ever. Literally. You could walk for hours in either direction, the ocean on one side, brush covered sand dunes on the other, squeaky smooth beach in between and never run out of space. There are places where the waves crash up on rocky cliffs but it only adds to the beauty of it all. Mozambique boasts 2500kms of coastline, barely touched. And I fall asleep and wake up to the sound of those waves every day. Wow. Life is good.
Have I mentioned the people? I have to mention the people. After my struggles in Tanzania, from the slightly crazed children to the aggressive and nasty men, I wasn’t sure what to expect here, in Mozambique. Well, the difficult experiences of Tanzania were erased within minutes of arriving in this new country. The people here are in firm competition for my heart that still holds Thailand as one of the friendliest places on earth. The people here are HAPPY. Everyone says hello and there are no ulterior motives or sliminess attached. They talk to each other, laugh with each other, help each other, and are generally kind. Of course there are always exceptions, but the exceptions are few and far between. And all of this happiness is not only reserved for them; they are equally inviting to those of us lost and confused wandering through their bustling homeland. A much more relaxed, friendly, accepting feel to this place. Many people I’ve met have echoed these same sentiments, planning only to visit for a short while, staying for much, much longer. This is a very special place.
I’m still feeling pretty unsettled at this point and am hoping for that to change sometime soon. Finding places to live around here is very difficult so even though there are some concerns with my house, I have a place to live so life is good. I’m so far outside of my comfort zone, not in the culture shock sense, but in the lack of stability, predictability, responsibility, and sense of control. Apparently floating and being free can be pretty exhilarating but I haven’t reached that stage quite yet. I still have my frantic moments as I look at my life, or lack thereof, and think I should just get on a plane, go home, and grow the heck up. But then I catch glimpses of the moments I’ve had over here, random experiences that have changed who I am, and I know it’s not time to go home quite yet. I’ve been away 7 months now, I know there’s much more to come.
Keeping in touch is a bit harder here and I think I have less to write about because there is a bit of a day to day routine that really isn’t too interesting to share. A travel blog is SO much more fun than a yes, I’m still in the same place blog. But I know there are things that happen in my everyday life that could be worth writing about because even though it’s day to day for me, I’m in Africa for crying out loud. There is some weird stuff that goes on here! So for now, I’m alive, I’m kicking, and I’m appreciating the fact that my life is so far from anything I could have ever imagined that I still have to pinch myself from time to time. What a wild and entertaining ride my universe has laid out for me…
No comments:
Post a Comment