Surviving the storm

Mozambique has had a tough time of it lately, in spite of the enormous strides made by her people towards a peaceful society since the civil war ended nearly fifteen years ago. Leaving aside the serious floods in the year 2000, the last few months alone has seen a munitions factory on the outskirts of Maputo go up in flames and subsequently turn the city into a mini war zone, then a category five cyclone with 300km an hour winds ripped through the resort town of Vilankulo. These setbacks must be hitting the local population hard, but the people of Mozambique are still smiling and laughing in spite of the difficult times. The last journal left off in Tofo, from where my travels in this fascinating country continue.

I headed back to Inhambane in a chapa crammed with locals, and from this former Portugese slave town headed across the bay in a ferry to Maxixe. From there travellers connect with another chapa for the 4 hour ride north to Vilankulo. I met three volunteers on the bus who are working with disadvantaged children in Maputo, and were heading to the beach for a fortnight of well earned rest and recuperation. I fell in with these great people and we checked into a nice hostel on the beach after arriving in Vilankulo. The cyclone damage is clearly evident in Vilankulo and the tourist trade had dropped off dramatically in the six weeks since the terrible storm. Tourism plays a vital role in the economy of this tropical paradise, and in spite of some travellers saying not to go I'm glad I headed up to the beautiful beach to stay while witnessing the town gradually get back on it's feet.

The cyclone and a subsequent storm knocked out the internet in the town, and most places including the hostel are relying on a generator for power. Our hostel was 1km down the beach from town, so walking at night wasn't an option as it was pitch black and potentially unsafe. But the beach, however, is superb and even more picturesque than Tofo. It features beautiful white sand and an abundance of tropical palms that somehow survived the fury of the cyclone. The roof and walls of the resort restaurant were completely destroyed in the storm, and only the foundations remain from the former structure. Therefore the reception area doubled as the temporary bar and ordering point for meals while we were staying. There were still some guests in Vilankulo, including a very enterprising Frenchman who worked solidly for five days to get the only internet connection in town, the going price to check your mail being a beer.

Vilankulo is a very famous diving and snorkelling location, and features the spectacular islands of the Bazaruto archipelago barely two hours away by motorised dhow. We spent the first few days relaxing on the beach and swimming, where one English volunteer shared her extraordinary tale with me. She lived with her host family on the outskirts of Maputo, and was heading home when the munitions warehouse went up in flames. She spent two hours with a group of locals face down in the dirt, unable to move as bullets and missiles whistled above their heads. One bomb actually destroyed her family's house, and she has been forced to move in with an alternate host family. The remaining munitions are now being moved, but the disaster in Maputo cost over 100 lives.

On day three we signed up with Dolphin Dhows for a snorkelling trip to two mile reef and Bazaruto island. The weather was perfect and we spent an excellent morning snorkelling on the reef, one girl was lucky enough to swim with a turtle which made me very jealous, and afterwards we went to the island to explore while the crew prepared a superb lunch. Bazaruto Island is one of the most beautiful places I've visited, and features azure waters and sand dunes to climb for superb views over the island and out to sea. The cameras were furiously clicking away, and you can't really go wrong with such spectacular views on offer. After lunch there was the option of another snorkel on the island and then we headed back to Vilankulo to complete a great day on the water.

On our final day we headed to the markets to shop for ingredients to cook for the evening meal. This was a real African experience for me, as the others have become accustomed to the crazy scene that was unfolding. I simply stood there with my sunglasses on mesmerised by the whole thing. The volunteers often shop for their families in Maputo, and have very good Portugese skills but still shopping must be trying at times. I swear that every stall we went to had a crowd of at least fifteen people surrounding us. Whether they were trying to attract us to another stall or not they seemed fascinated to watch regardless. It was crazy and when we went to buy some fish they were being thrust in our faces from all directions, we were literally surrounded by flying fish. Somehow we purchased everything and managed to extricate ourselves from the scrum, going back to the hostel to cook up a great meal.

I had an excellent time in Vilankulo, and there is lots of tourist potential on the coast of Mozambique heading into the future. The resort towns will probably be unrecognizable in the next ten to fifteen years because of the impressive diving and snorkelling attractions; so if you like unspoilt paradise that's easily accessible from South Africa perhaps now is the time to visit Southern Mozambique. The tourist attractions on offer will inevitably lead to substantially more tourism as this special country looks to the future.

I parted company with my companions and jumped on a chapa from town to connect with an express bus heading down the main highway from Beira. Ah connections, as I always say... sometimes they work and sometimes they don't, but usually they do! It's always an adventure, and on this trip we spent half an hour on the side of the road because the chapa was overheating. But our driver and his assistant got things sorted, and in my case with barely fifteen minutes to spare. The last bus for the day arrived soon after I reached the highway, and for the first time on my trip I was in a luxury air conditioned bus for the nine hour journey south to Maputo. Mozambique is a unique and intriguing travel destination and it's been fun speaking some spanish to communicate with the locals, the language being very similar to Portugese. In spite of the crushing poverty that sometimes confronts travellers the future is looking brighter for the people of Mozambique; in a country where,........... basically all of you should be here now!

"I will go anywhere, as long as it is forward." Dr Livingstone

Top 3 Hotels/Restaurants
Baobab backpackers - Vilankulo, Mozambique
Zombie Cucumber backpackers - Vilankulo, Mozambique
Mimmo's restaurant - Maputo, Mozambique

Top 3 Sights/Activities
Dolphin Dhows snorkelling on two mile reef - Bazaruto Arhipelago, Mozambique
Dolphin Dhows island nature walk - Bazaruto island, Mozambique
Coconuts nightclub - Maputo, Mozambique

As I continue my travels, until next time it's signing off for now

Tom

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