Mid February and I think most of you are squirming to break free of Old Man Winter’s icy grips. While it’s the rough season here as well, the occasional burst of rain showers and the mighty impressive 4 metre waves barreling down on the shoreline makes things all the more fabulous in my mind. There’s nothing quite like an angry, dark, green-grey sky churning and swirling over the frothing and foamy sea just before sheets of hard, hot, horizontal rain are fiercely ripped free by a wind straight and strong, laced with a stinging, salty spray that flattens the landscape straight off the sea and sends every living creature screeching and squealing for cover. I love wild weather and being right here, right on the Indian Ocean, it never fails to disappoint. From sun shining so hotly it can blister newby white skin within minutes to electrical storms that shame the most elaborate fireworks display to rains that pour so heavily they flood streets, homes, and businesses in the blink of an eye. It’s incredible here. It’s Africa. There is magic in everything.
That being said, I’m desperate to be on the move. Desperate. It’s comfortable here. I know most people and places around town, most faces and features have settled into a sense of the familiar so it’s time for me to go. I had no intentions of coming here to settle but as is the case for so many of us here, it is far too easy to get stuck. I got sidelined, distracted, lost my way, but now that that has become clear, the push is on to get a move on. Being the planner that I can annoyingly be, I am hoping to secure some kind of work for a little bit down the road so that I have something I am moving forward to, but if nothing takes shape in the next few weeks or so, I think I’ll just have to go and let things sort themselves out along the way. I’ve seen so very little and done even less; it’s time to shake things up a bit. Suggestions are more than welcome folks… bring it on!
I will miss the home I’ve kinda created here. Tofo is a very special settlement nestled in what has to be one of the most beautiful places, here in Mozambique. The views never cease to take my breath away; the kindness of the Mozambican people I meet or interact with everyday is uplifting, and the comforts of a ready-made, easy, western style sense of community and camaraderie welcomes every newcomer who decides to unpack for a while. Of course it’s being developed at an alarming rate and those who have been here for some time are saddened by what they see as too much progress but what can you do? Isn’t that the case for most places on the planet? Trying to find the balance between economically improving the impoverished lives of those in the area with maintaining the rural “undiscovered” charm that first attracted those initial discoverers is a near impossibility. Whether I’ve come at the upswing or the downfall of this place is irrelevant; I continue to be thrilled and inspired and feel very, very blessed to have had the time I’ve had here. It still kinda feels like a dream.
And in that dream, I have redefined what I consider the bare minimums of existence and what has become a luxury. Here is a quick wish list of my blissful luxuries, most of which we’ve discussed before…
*Uninterrupted electricity. We have power cuts here on a regular basis, sometimes for a few minutes, sometimes for the day. It can be because it’s raining, it’s windy, maybe the sun is shining, the weather is too perfect, or sometimes for what seems to be no possible reason at all. More or less, there’s simply a murmured groan and a few curse words muttered in unison as either computer work is lost, the fans cut out, or business comes to a temporary halt then we shrug our shoulders and carry on with what we can. Temper tantrums over power cuts are reserved for the new-to-Africa tourists and we all tend to find this quite funny. Poor poshy pants.
*Proper hot water showers. Now, I do have the glorious ability to soak this up when I’m at work at the dive shop but it’s not an option for me at my house. So first thing in the morning or before crawling into bed after a day that has just been a bit on the miserable side still consists of a cold water stand up shower or a cup and bucket hot one. And those options are available only if there is water. Yes, we often run out of water as well.
*Washing machines. I wash all my laundry by hand and it takes forever and ever and ever and really never seems clean. Oh how I want a washing machine.
*Transportation in a vehicle where there is one bum to a seat and those bums belong to people, not animals, bags of produce, or other random packages of suspicious or smelly stuff.
*Sleeping without a mosquito net. While I insist that my superhuman power is that I am immune to malaria, I have a house full of mosquitoes so won’t take the chance. I want a big, comfy bed not covered in netting.
*A room, a space, a ledge, or a floor that’s not home to a variety of ants, flies, or some other lively bunch of creatures. It’s sad that for most of us, it’s quite normal to just brush a handful of bugs off of the countertop or couch or plate before continuing on with the task at hand. Seriously. I try not to think about it too much. I’m sure I’ve consumed a lifetime’s worth of protein through insects I’ve ingested being here. Gross.
*Really good peanut butter, soft toilet paper, effective deodorant, chewing gum that lasts more than three minutes, being able to communicate effectively (I am TERRIBLE for not having learned Portuguese!), and a few other randoms that I’m sure I’ve been surviving just fine without.
Things I love that you just can’t get at home:
*The freshest fruit you could ever imagine. Mangoes the size of my head, pineapples the size of a small child, bananas in every size, shape, and colour, passion fruit, papaya, and so much more sold on the street or out of baskets piled high on the heads of local women walking by. Colourful and so dripping good! Weird thing though… as cheap as the fruit is, the veg can be bizarrely expensive. Haven’t quite figured that out yet.
*Completely unspoiled beaches. Walking along the water you are hard pressed to run into very many people at all, even when it’s stupid busy tourist season. There’s just so much perfect coastline that there’s room for everyone to find their only little spot of heaven.
*Being able to say hello or chat up any random person and not be looked at like you’re out on a day pass from the local asylum. Tourists are friendly and locals are even better. Everyone says hello, everyone wants to visit – it’s so nice!
*Riding wild and free in the back of pickup trucks or motorbikes. One of my most very favourite things in the world. Hair whipping in the wind, dust stinging my face, feeling the world whizzing by... I usually choose the back of the truck even when there’s space in the cab – it’s just so freeing!
*Instant marriage proposals. Now, to be honest, we all know that it’s not me they really want, it’s the ticket outta here, but on those ugly days, when you just want to walk around with a bag over your head, it’s always good for a little ego boost. Funny, and ego boost.
*How free and unrestricted the children are. I remember being mortified initially, seeing kids more or less completely unsupervised in situations that I saw as imminently fatal or developmentally unrealistic until I stopped to really take a look. It’s very rare to see kids, of any age, crying or carrying on for any length of time. Everyone takes care of everyone, everyone knows everyone, and when you have very little, the happiness of just being a kid seems to come so easily. It’s fascinating to see toys made from discarded soda cans, games being played with a coconut husk, how just sitting together always erupts into giggles and fits of laughter, and how even when they’re working, selling bracelets or fruit or phone credit, they are still goofing around. The kids are HAPPY and they are kids. It’s absolutely gorgeous.
Mozambique, Africa in general, has been very good for me – I think I’ve become exceptionally easy to please. 10 minutes could mean a couple of hours, tomorrow could mean sometime next week, and now may mean never but what can you do? Yelling and screaming does nothing other than get you all hot and sweaty… there’s no point to being bothered. This, of course, has done wonders for allowing me to develop my sense of tolerance and patience while practicing my “roll with the punches”. Which again is why I am so ridiculously excited about getting a move on! The next time I write, I will have a plan. Okay, well, maybe not a PLAN, but I’ll have a next step, I promise. Check back in soon to see what my next big adventure is going to be, I think it’s going to be a good one.
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