Bars in Africa: Ilha de Mozambique and Out

Now we come to the exciting conclusion of the family trip. After 3 action packed days in Zam-bro-zia, the family left with a rented car and driver for Ilha de Mocambique via Nampula. Thanks to me having to pay my first ever bribe (400mts to a transit police who saw 4 white people as an opportunity), a gas station in Monapo being our of gas, and some impromptu hitch hiking, it was a perfect example of true Mozambican travel.

After arriving in Nampula City, I tried for 2 frustrating hours to get an ATM card, unsuccessfully. Eventually we gave up, and decided to take a quick tour of the Peace Corps Nampula office. This is where I work with Peace Corps staff to discuss primary and secondary projects, pickup packages, get medical exams, and hang out with other volunteers in the lounge. Having this space provides a safe, cool, relaxed, and accessible oasis in the middle of a hot, dusty, sometimes dangerous, but always agitated city 

Once leaving Nampula, we continued to head east towards Ilha de Mocambique in our private car. All was going well until we hit Monapo, where an empty gas station prevented our car from filling up it's tank. As the gas left would not be enough to drop us off and make it back to the previous station, we hopped out and starting looking for a new ride

Any doubt I had about my mom's ability to be a PCV was immediately dis-spelled as an open-backed truck pulled up to the cross-roads. Almost before we had been told we could hop in, my mom ran to the car, threw her suitcase on top of the sacks of cement, and jumped up alongside it. Seeing this display of adventurous spirit, our private car driver turned to me and said with amazement "You're mom has power!". For the next 70 km (45 miles) we had the wind blowing in our hair and a great 360 degree view of the approaching Mozambican coastline.  

Arriving in Ilha de Mocambique, we were dusty, windswept, but exhilarated. We checked into the lovely Hotel Econdidinho and prepared ourselves for the wonderful comforts of the tourism hot-spot of northern Mozambique.

Our first dinner was a perfect example of these offerings: Flor de Rosa. A charming bar/restaurant with a large rooftop patio that specializes in unique mixed drinks and delicious Italian food (lobster gnocchi, yum!!)

The next day we began our tour of the island. Though I had been there many times, I had spent most of my time hanging out with PCVs at bars. As a result, I had missed out on several of the island biggest tourist attractions, like the Fortaleza de Sao Sabastiao

Built by the Portuguese in 1583, it served as the principal defensive fortification for what was then the colonial capital and slave trading hub of Portuguese Africa. Though never conquered, its importance diminished greatly with the move of the capital to Lourenco Marques, now known as Maputo. Thanks to a it's designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, both the island and the fort are being restored to some of their former beauty

Ilha is famous for it's sleepy colonial-city feel, and the eerily empty streets and alley-ways can be both charming and unsettling. Here my sister and I are walking along side Issufo, one of the many local children who we befriended in our short time there. Though most of the multitudes of young-ins were satisfied by the pleasure of calling us "Macuna" (white person), some were after bigger thrills. Issufo, for example, really wanted a soccer ball, which I gave to him after serving as our tour guide, translator (Portugese to Macua), and companion for the day.

During one of my first conversations with my sister from Mozambique, she excitedly informed me that she had met a girl (Erin) at BU who also had a brother in Mozambique. Finding out it was my fellow trainee and good friend Patrick McGettigan, we began plotting a meet up sometime in the future. Over a delicious dinner at the famous Bar Sara (Anthony Bourdain went there!!), we were finally united and had a great time sharing our Peace Corps and family visit experiences. If you ever make it here, try the Matapa Siri Siri, an island spin on my favorite Mozmabican dish: substitute seaweed for collared greens and cashews for peanuts.

As it was the capital of the colonial government, Ilha has a gorgeously gaudy governors mansion. The tour of the former Jesuit college is a fascinating look at the luxurious colonial life, but the museum's stupid no-photo rule prevents me from sharing it with you. At least I can share the school-house looking outside

Though Ilha itself is not known for its beaches, there are a couple nice spots to take a swim at on the island. Just be careful you don't try to take a dip on the ocean-side, as that is where many of the locals go to do "number 2"

To make up for this lack of beachiness, we rented a sailboat for the day and went out to the nearby Capacera Pequena with Patrick and Erin. Since he lives on the Ilha, Patrick has a wealth of knowledge about the area, and his choice of beaches was not to disappoint.

With a crystal clear ocean filled pool full of beautiful fish bordered by white sand beaches and mangrove trees, Capacera Pequena was truly a picture postcard perfect spot to spend our last day together

The next morning, we checked out of the hotel and headed back to Nampula for my family's flight out. After another 'quick' visit to the Barcalys to get by ATM card (finally successful), we did some souvenir shopping and headed to the airport. Through drop-off, check-in, a pre-flight meal, and security, it was incredible to think how fast the 2 weeks had passed. Soon enough, the loud-speaker was unintelligibly barking that the fight to Johannesburg was boarding, and we began to say our goodbyes. Though it was them leaving and me staying, it felt like I was the one going on a journey and not them. Sure they were starting 26 hours of straight travel, but leaving the comfort and close-proximity love of family for 4 more months of being a solitary foreigner is perhaps the greater adventure.

So ends part 3 of 3 of Bars in Africa. Like all family vacations, this one created plenty of fantastic memories and shared experiences, but also a longing for home. As I finish out these last few months of my service, I will be constantly reminded of what linguistic quirks, cultural traits, and daily activities were most interesting to my family during their visit. It will make me relish the things I love, and look at with pre-nostalgia the things I hate. Above all, this trip gave me the ability to look at the place I have lived in for almost 2 years with fresh eyes and a more contextualized outlook.