We woke up in the morning and the others were already up. It was nice to take a hot shower with good water pressure and went outside afterward where I saw Kristin sitting on the deck. The view was a rolling, green hill down to a vast beach with some pretty big waves. It was overcast so a little gloomy and the water looked pretty ominous, but still beautiful.

We gathered our things and headed down to brekky where some others were waiting and already drinking coffee. We asked for some also and oddly they brought us the cups in one trip, the coffee and water in another and then the milk as an afterthought…despite asking for all of it. Again, this is normal and to be expected.

I’d heard a dog barking and there was an ancient little doxie who was limping around and policing the porch with a white lady sitting on a picnic table nearby. I inferred perhaps that was the owner, who did say it was her dog, who I greeted and petted avidly.

Brekky was still going to take a while so we went down to the beach ot take a look. There was somewhat steep slope going into the water and you could tell there was a significant undertow there- which explained the sign that said no swimming. The waves sloshed together like a washing machine- but out a ways could have been good surfing ones.

There were a ton of little crabs running around and I started looking for shells. Bryan wanted to get his feet wet and while it wasn’t super warm, the water was surprisingly not cold either. We found Amber and later Lindsay on the beach also exploring and taking pics- and thankfully Amber snapped a few of us. I’d found something that looked a bit like an urchin shell but Mat said it was a piece of a spiny lobster shell. The shells otherwise were not particularly special or unique but I always collect a few.

Upon heading back for brekky, we came across a guy who had been setting up his wares for sale. He had scarf/ sarongs, handmade bags and some other trinkets- and I’d told him that I’d check it out when he was set up. He showed me a nice green sarong with fringe that said Mozambique and had turtles on it- which I liked instantly and wanted. But at this point I still didn’t really understand the money exchange rate- so called on Kristin to help. I am usually good at this stuff, but it’s like I just turned off anything that was remotely “tedious” thinking and could not use this function!

It turned out to be about $7 or so I think and as I was buying it another guy came up and was trying to sell me things too- but I told him I was loyal to the first guy (whose name I now forgot). I only got that but Kristin had gotten a cute reversible bag which I wished I’d have gotten too…but lucky for me I’d find one elsewhere.

We also met some girls walking on the road with their dog who was really well behaved. I’d never really seen local people with dogs- kind of just dogs near them…but this dog was friendly and listened to them. I asked to take a picture as they were all dressed so pretty and of course I loved the dog.

Brekky was delicious with eggs, both scrambled and fried- and they did the “full english” also with hot dogs and beans too. We all feasted for a while and then it was time to get on the truck again for another somewhat long ride. We all groaned a little bit about this, but it would be fine of course. Amber and Lindsay remembered it was actually my bday and said it felt like a dream, but that it was really just the start of my bday after all. It did already seem like it had come and gone- but there was still the day ahead to be one day older!

I saw what had happened to the window, which the guys had since tried to fix with a piece of fiberboard and tape. It seems that the window and hydraulics itself are not just inset in metal- there’s a whole black glass frame around that, which also broke- so a much larger panel/ segment than we’d anticipated. Hondo was a bit worried about his job, but of course Mat would fight for him…but you still never know what “they” will do. I do think the company that Mat rents the trucks from will listen to him so hopefully this won’t be a problem for either of them later.

We loaded our stuff up and slowly made the journey back down the narrow sandy road- with Hondo going so slow and carefully through the branches that had busted the window before. It was harrowing with lots of screeching thorns and branches scraping along the roof and sides, but we made it out unscathed this time.

We noticed this area was much more tropical with mostly palm trees and other warm weather types of flowers and bushes, including some really beautiful pink and purple ones (I think bouganvilla and jacaranda). We noticed what seemed like some other resorts too, though many of the buildings were dilapidated and missing roofs and run down- but there were a couple that weren’t. In all, it seems back in the day, this must have been a really nice resort area…and could be one day again, but who knows.

On the road again it was more tropical, sandy and hotter- but still probably not as hot as you’d imagine. This trip the weather was almost like it’d been at home- 70’s and 80’s…so it wasn’t too bad sitting on the truck with the windows open. 

We passed many villages, people walking here and there- especially with large loads on their heads- and finally we stopped at a gas station where some little kids were around. Marina had made these postcards with pics of Beyonce and Rihanna and quotes from people like Nelson Mandella to hand out to kids- because the last time she’d had kids asking her about Beyonce (they say Bee-yohn-s- no “eh” at the end). So the kids coming over with water jugs on their heads were given some- and then some ladies started running down the street toward us to get theirs. I don’t know what they thought we were giving out- and they kind of laughed when they saw- but the kids really enjoyed them. There were also some people selling charcoal on the other side of the street- including some kids- and they started coming across the street too. Then the gas station attendants wanted some as well…it was quite a scene as I ran around handing them out as Marina had given me some to share…it was fun and we made sure everyone we could see got one.

I think this was also the day we crossed the Tropic of Cancer- which is always a fun little thing…it was not the “party scene” that the equator crossing was in Uganda (where there was like a monument type thing to take pics with), just a brown sign indicating the invisible line half way between the equator and the south pole. There were a few kids and ladies near the sign (as this was nearly in their front yard) who came forward to see what we were doing and of course they got the Beyonce postcards too. One kid tricked me though and took a couple, and he smiled slyly when I realized he’d pull one over…but we both laughed. There was a young girl who looked like she was 12 or 13 and had a baby- it may not have been hers of course, but she was certainly the caretaker. The others ranged from about 2 to her age or so and there were at least 10 of them. We waved goodbye and got back on the bus to continue further to our next beach resort in Inhambane.

As dusk was approaching, we entered the city- and had to turn around a few times, but we finally got on the right road…and just after dark ended up at a small town with some beach huts on either side of the road. We gathered first at the restaurant/ bar which had internet so we were all entertained for a bit, but we were getting hungry and wanted to go to our rooms. Eventually Mat came out with the keys and someone lead us to our hut- which was just across the road and down some steps…which was not far from the “dorm” rooms set up where dinner was to be prepared.

However, Hondo was trying to park the truck and it got stuck in the sand…and the tire just kept sinking deeper and deeper- until it was resting on top of a pipe (either water or electric)…either was bad. Of course Bryan and Jon were ready to help- and we had to hold Gordon back who also thought he would push…but Mat was sweating, took his shirt off and looked pretty stressed. He told Bryan and Jon he just wanted us to go eat dinner for the time being and he’d come get us if they needed it. I was pretty worried as he looked like he was really sweating and although he is in good shape was a little worried he’d have a heart attack or something from all the stress and exertion. Bryan said Mat was at the point where he couldn’t even talk, just grunt and he’d been there before…but that he and Jon would go check on him again soon…

I can’t recall what dinner was but of course it was good…and the truck fiasco was still not done but Mat said to go to bed and even they were ready to leave it for the night because they’d done what they could do at that point. So we wandered back to the hut, which was pretty cute.

It was a thatched hut with a high ceiling, divided into 2 bedrooms, a bathroom and an open kitchen/ sitting area. The rooms did not go all the way to the ceiling (but the bathroom walls did) so it was definitely a “cozy” place, but we’re all friends! This time Bryan and I got a double bed and Jon and Kristin took the two singles- and Jon apologized in advance for any yelling he might do in the night…we all laughed and I fell asleep pretty quickly…