Hugging Africa

 

He is a nice guy. He is Russian and it shows. He has been traveling for three months in Africa, taking his time. His name is Alex and he has a simple plan: completing a circle in Africa, with start and finish line in Egypt. He didn’t tell, but meeting different people and places must also figure in his agenda.

 

Andy found him by chance and I think they get along pretty well. He tried to organize a few things during his stay, the most important being the assembling of a group who made sure that Alex’s motorbike was fit for the road ahead.

 

Alex told how he had this idea of completing a loop in African soil. At this stage, he estimates as much as thirty percent already done. Alex travels alone because all his mates are busy. Despite the unavoidable loneliness and worries, most of the time he feels well and safe. The image of a hostile and dangerous continent doesn’t seem to bother him.

 

From the places already visited he liked Tanzania the most, though he didn’t explain why. However, it’s to Mozambique he intends to return – if it’s correct what a little bird said.

Road to Macaneta

 

From Marracuene to Macaneta there is only a good stretch of dirty road, sometimes passable, sometimes a trap. Any Macaneta enthusiast has already experienced both, for sure! Because it crosses a swamp, when it rains the road almost disappears, changing its structure in such a way that makes it hard or even difficult to use.

 

Besides being a Russian roulette, this road extends across beautiful unspoiled rural sceneries. In terms of tourism, this road itself has a lot of potentialities, being a favorite among bikers. If it only existed a good safe parking for cars (it could be on the other side of the river), and nice transportation for the tourists from the ferry to the beaches, the interest would surely grow. It could be a service from the lodges, a private business or both.

 

This road also offers the possibility of contact with: 1) Country life – by transforming empty like farms into something more interesting. 2) African rural ways – by opening a village and village houses to tourist visits. 3) People, mainly children – but that had to happen in different terms from the actual ones. 4) Commercialization of local products – some are already offered, but it can be improved.

 

A lot more could be said, but this is already a good start. Anyway, it feels like doing something for a place where no plastic bags fly around, yet – or any other kind of rubbish to be precise. A truly rarity!

Road to Marracuene

 

The road to Marracuene is pretty busy, stretching from one of the wildest open markets in Maputo all the way up to the north. Maputo to Marracuene is only 20km, but it can take you more than an hour of driving if you care about safety.

 

There were times when that road crossed a farm area, only with an occasional building here and there, signaling a farm, a warehouse or a church – typical country scenery! Nowadays, there are crowds, buildings and markets non interrupted. There is nothing we can do about it: except for the island Maputo is, with its buildings and well-planned streets, Mozambique has become a truly African country.

 

Witnessing that African way of life must be hard on Western eyes. Though, one day, it can even be proved that they are right: despite all the visible confusion and dirtiness, Africans are not the ones harming the environment.

 

Concerning this matter, I sympathize with the South African approach: allowing people to go on with their lives but within a certain order. All the easiness and carelessness in Mozambique, widely accepted with the excuse of extreme poverty, sooner or later is going to slap into someone’s face.

 

What I have to say is that an area supposed to be for farm productivity and related industries should be maintained like that, and not transformed into dormitory or endless dumbanengue. And if such alterations are unavoidable, then they should happen within a plan.

 

There is no significative vision for Marracuene. That cute village could well be a tourism and museum small town, without having to invest heavily to achieve it. And by the way, shouldn’t a place where Mozambicans fought the colonialism be declared historical and protected?

 

Over the last years, what we have been witnessing is bad taste constructions, empty ruins and the usual proliferation of barracas displaying all kind of stuff, mainly beer and soft drinks. Near the batelão, at least a forty years survivor, women sell fish and sundries without a proper place or shadow to protect them and the products they sell.

 

When the subject is Marracuene, there are so many things to do and so few resources or enthusiasm that the obvious question always is: why even bother?

 

Dumbanengue-street market

Barraca-tent to sell products
Batelão-ferryboat

Red Tea

 

 

 

 

 

My first contact with red tea was in South Africa, where every café offers in its menu the red cappuccino. Basically, a red cappuccino is rooibos tea with froth and a sprinkle of cinnamon. It’s a nice different drink.

 

For people still trying to find the right herbal tea, or more into dark strong teas than the decaffeinated ones, here is a home version of the red cappuccino:

 

Red Tea
To make red tea at home you need:
- any good rooibos brand
- lemon peel
- cinnamon stick
. touch of honey

 

Prepare the tea, wait a couple of minutes, add the other three ingredients and enjoy it.

Best of June 2008

 

This was a month of personal learning and achievements. When the last days of June were still rolling in, Paul and I decided it would be nice to realize a dream we had: spending some time in a small beach hut, so close to the water that we can properly say that our front yard is the sea.

That meant returning to Macaneta for the third time in a row. We had been there three weeks ago, when I still was able to swim. This last time we were startled by the weather: it was pretty windy and cold! As always, I had to learn it the hard way. After a long afternoon walk, I was too exhausted and slept with a wet sarong for a while. As an obvious consequence, I had to deal with a mild cold.

 

There are no words to describe how it is to wake up so near to the sea. Due to the experience, we are now planning to discuss with the owner of the lodge the possibility of building our own beach refuge in our favorite spot. That’s how small dreams give way to medium size dreams.

 

I also leave here a few summarized thoughts from our last summer (very wintry like!) expedition: 1) We must be ready both for winter and summer conditions when beach traveling during June, July, August and September. 2) If we want to avoid weekends, we must leave Tuesday or Wednesday and return Friday. We got no thrill out of crowded spaces. If you are in Mozambique, ten people feels already like too many. If we liked crowds, we would be in Cascais or Saint Tropez. 3) It is wise to take notes of the existing facilities in different lodges, so that in the future we can be more prepared. 4) We strongly feel that some of the lodge personnel don’t have proper training and there is also the question of all the trash left behind by uneducated weekenders. 5) My “photographing attacks” during beach adventures are not pure narcissism, but a reaction to the irresistible tones and shades created by the light. 6) Macaneta people are learning the meaning of tourism, thought it’s a shame the lack of organization and support. It’s heartbreaking to see children so young like two dancing on the sides of the road. Besides dancing children, Macaneta offers a wide variety of local attractions like river, beach, rural settings, fishermen, painters, woodcrafters, cashew-nut sellers, guitar players, and a few more – all making a living out of the occasional generosity of tourists. Where else in the world would you find a public toilette sign like this? Despite a little faded, it’s still possible to notice the “oooooo!” of the user.

 

Anyway, a best is still a best. Hopefully, the hut house is going to be still available when the next summer comes!

The Week After

 

The week after a party is always quiet. Even my dog Thoth has to catch up on his sleep. I wonder why?!…

 

Just for the record, this is my own perspective of the main events of our last week of June: Saturday) Andy’s party started before lunch and went on up to midnight. Sunday) Was there a Sunday? Monday) We are barely raring to go and I also remember a certain degree of uneasiness due to political differences… Tuesday) I found a dying spider in a meaningful place. Consequently, I’ve been worried. Wednesday) I had the peaceful day I deserved, after all the kicking and punching of the previous day. Thursday) TD is leaving for France and Holland. Organizing, shopping and dancing… That should be enough to describe how it was. But no! Maybe because of the spider, I also had to cook and plan meals for the weekend. Our “chef” Tieta is very sick and I don’t know when she will be back. Friday) Isn’t it wonderful when we can fulfill a dream that we have – even if a simple, tangible dream?

 

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A semana depois de uma festa é sempre calma e silenciosa. Até o meu cão Thoth tem de pôr o seu sono em dia. Por que será?!…

 

Só como registo, esta é a minha perspectiva dos principais acontecimentos da última semana de Junho. Sábado) A festa do Andy começou antes do almoço e conttinuou até à meia-noite. Domingo) Qual domingo? Segunda) Ainda estamos com pouco entusiasmo para prosseguir e também me lembro de um certo mal-estar devido a diferenças políticas… Terça) Encontrei uma aranha quase morta, num sítio com muito significado. Consequentemente, fiquei preocupada. Quarta) Tive o dia de descanso que merecia, depois de todos os kicks e socos da véspera. Quinta) O TD partiu hoje para França e Holanda. Organizar, fazer compras e dançar… Isto devia ser suficiente para descrever como foi o dia. Mas não! Talvez por causa da aranha, também fui forçada a cozinhar e planear refeições para o fim-de-semana. A nossa “chefe” Tieta adoeceu gravemente e não sei quando regressará. Sexta) Não é maravilhoso quando podemos realizar um sonho – mesmo tratando-se de um sonho simples e realizável?

Famba

 

I knew I would have the opportunity to speak a little of Shangana in Marracuene or Macaneta. The occasion came when I had to check the presence of the ferryboat, as soon as we stopped near the jetty.

 

When I returned to the car I saw a group of eight or ten women, sitting against a nearby wall for protection from the harsh darts of the sun. I decided at once to make them laugh a bit by showing my tottering Shangana.

 

“Famba, Paul!” I said.

 

Their reaction was so strong that I kept my right foot in the same position, without entering the vehicle. For seconds I tried to find a way of surprising them.

 

“Fambani, Paul!” I corrected, peeking at the same time their reaction. A couple still laughed, but the majority showed the surprise-effect I was looking for.

 

So then, when I returned I explained to Tieta what had happened and she confirmed that I had used the words in the right context. Besides, as always happens, I even learned a few more words: 1) Buia alene, meaning come here. 2) Buiani, plural for buia.

 

I am progressing. Like hard tyres through sandy roads, still progressing.

Not Just Another Week

 

This wasn’t just another week for me. For a start, I was admitted by nice energetic teacher in a level 3 tae bo class. I am not sure of what that means, but it has to be better than levels 1 and 2.

 

In terms of fun, this was a surprising and disappointing week. In order to spare you of a long fastidious account, I am resuming my third week of June as usual: Saturday) Traveling and sleeping in a place not far from the Kruger, in order to enter the park early morning, the best time for wild encounters. Sunday) Getting up at the first lights only to find a queue in front of a closed gate reading “crowded-closed”. Though I understand and sympathize with the measure, I cannot forget the sad faces of the children. I hope the Kruger management finds a way to advertise the excess of visitors, sparing us of such disappointment. As if it wasn’t enough, the Portuguese football team had to display its inability to deliver! Monday) A little bit of work + a little bit of fun – just to keep things leveled. Tuesday) Feed the brain with an exhibition + feed the body (muscles) with my first level 3 tae class. Wednesday) There are times when even Seabells have to be architects (literally), changing Andy’s boring  project into something. Thursday) Juggling with dance, football and tae bo. Friday) Checking muscles and bones for bruises. So far it seems that I can take it, and there is a party yet to come!

 

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Para mim, esta não foi uma semana qualquer. Para começar, fui admitida pela minha simpática e energética professora numa classe de tae bo do nível 3. Não estou muito certa do que isso significa, mas tem de ser melhor do que os níveis 1 e 2.

 

Em termos de divertimento, a semana trouxe surpresas e desapontamentos. Para vos poupar de um longo e fastidioso relato, passo a resumir a minha terceira semana de Junho como é habitual: Sábado) Viajar e passar a noite num lugar perto do Kruger, de forma a entrar no parque de manhã cedo, a melhor altura para encontros com a vida selvagem. Domingo) Acordar com as primeiras luzes só para encontrar uma bicha em frente de um portão cerrado onde se podia ler: “cheio-fechado”. Ainda que eu compreenda e simpatize com a medida, não posso esquecer a tristeza na cara das crianças. Espero que a gestão do Kruger encontre uma forma de publicitar o excesso de visitantes, poupando-nos a um desapontamento como este. Como se isso não chegasse, a equipa portuguesa de futebol mostrou a sua usual incapacidade de mostrar resultados! Segunda) Um pouco de trabalho + um pouco de diversão – só para manter as coisas niveladas. Terça) Alimentar o cérebro com a visita a uma exposição de arte + alimentar o corpo (músculos) com a minha primeira aula de tae do nível 3. Quarta) Por vezes até as Seabells têm de se tornar arquitectas (literalmente). Quinta) Malabarismo com dança, futebol e tae bo. Sexta) Verificar o estado dos músculos e dos ossos. Até agora parece que estou a aguentar, e ainda vem aí uma festa!

Being an Eco-Tourist

 

Let me tell you, civilized people, that being an eco-tourist is not easy. The first shock is electricity. How many of you have already experienced to live without it? When in the middle of the night you pick through the window, it is so dark that you feel afraid. Most of you have already forgot, if ever knew, how darkness can be so deep.

 

For the first minutes, hours or days, depending on the person you are, it is pretty difficult. It is like living a new life, learning how to do things differently.

 

The moment I saw the system used to give us the luxury of a warm bath, I just couldn’t believe it would work. Nonetheless, a few sticks of wood burning below the metal cylinder not only allow us to enjoy that bath after a short while, but to have hot water for more than fifteen consecutive hours.

 

Then, when you get used to the new conditions and to different gadgets helping you through the same daily routines, you start to see things that at first you could not see: space, silence, unmistakable purity of the air, kilometers and kilometers of beach without a single plastic container… The next step is appreciating the effort of the people who conceived and build a very basic lodge, mainly from available local construction material.

 

I could understand the difference and the meaning when the next day I visited the busiest part of Macaneta. I couldn’t avoid a cleaning crusade of my own. Someone should see the difference and appreciate the efforts of conservationism. Instead, the naked truth is that eco-tourism (or even simple tourism) doesn’t have the support it should have. Most of the operators sit and wait for better times, or worst. In the case of the lodge I am talking about, the owners wait for the result of negotiations to sell more than 5km of beach to a big hotel chain. Next time, instead of an eco-lodge we will have sophisticated bungalows, electricity and 5km of beach for any Seabell to confirm how people can be so careless and insensitive.

Paul, The Humorist

 

Lets say that Paul hates the idea of leaving home, but at the same time he loves when he does it. That is the truth! A contradiction, he is. When we were on the road to a lodge located in an isolated area of Macaneta, he was all smiles and excitement.

 

Suddenly, the road turned into three kilometers of desert-like sand and the car started to swing and complain. He panicked.

 

“Something must be wrong. I can smell burning!” I said right before he had to stop just a few meters from the lodge sign.

 

“Do you know what is wrong? I am wrong here! I am not a *** Indiana Jones!” Paul said while he tried to guess what the problem was. Being a 4×4, it was supposed to cope with all types of road.

 

I walked to the lodge seeking for help. As it was soon to be proved, Andy and Paul had neglected the simple rule of preparing the tyres for that kind of road. Help arrived in the form of two men and a woman from the lodge. They took charge of getting rid of the excessive air. From that moment on, Paul humor only improved.

 

He was particularly critical with the simplicity of the place and its ecological conception. He said he found the owners like coming from a Lost episode. He almost fainted when he saw that we had no electricity.

 

At the end of our stay, which he clearly enjoyed more than he let me know, he told me:

 

“Seabell, from now on I want the following information about the places we visit, by this order of importance: road access, electricity, modality and costs involved.”

 

As far as I can foresee, if I take Paul’s demand seriously I can only stay in the same type of accommodation! Anyway, it was thanks to his remark that I remembered to write a post about things to expect when on a Mozambican beach. It’s fun just to idealize it: Seabell’s Guide To Mozambican Beaches!