so i am in mocuba, mozambique again! fourth visit and probably the best journey here that i've ever had. it was quite fun making my way here alone, coach overnight from pretoria then plane from maputo to quelimane then 'chapa' = very old, dangerous minibus crammed with as many people as possible to mocuba, then walk to the one friend i knew where she lived (bernadette - an english-speaking south african) for a fantastic welcome considering she had no idea i was coming and it was dark! i thought the taxi in maputo held together by brown tape was funny, but the chapa was definitely my favourite part of the journey just watching the land pass by all green and lush after the rainy season, and the dusty road and beautiful people. i had a helpful guy sitting next to me who spoke a fair bit of english so that was great. only slight snag was the windscreen that was cracked and fixed with superglue that then developed new cracks on our journey as we bumped over potholes! still i got here fine so that is a result.
my first night with bernadette seemed too easy as she has such a lovely setup and made me feel so welcome, it was just a complete joy to be back in mozambqiue again. then last night i finally managed to meet up with innocence who i've actually really come to visit and am now staying with him and his family. i guess it would be fair to say that is slightly more of a shock to my system, but i think i will be fine. they are certainly looking after me very well. i just mustn't think too much about where i was just one week ago as the differences between here and home are just too great for my mind and body to take in.
i am pretty exhausted from sleepless nights and the heat that has caught me by surprise. it will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me but i have managed to get ridiculous sunburn on my arms already - my hands look like they have some major skin disease! in fairness its not just my fault this time, i'm taking malaria tablets that reduce your skins ability to produce melanin so sunburn was always likely to be a problem. still apart from that i am fine, mostly really full of joy to see old friends and happy to be back in a country that has such a place in my heart.
i am not sure i will stay as long as i had first thought though as i have the offer of a life back to johannesburg on the 20th march so we'll see, but if i feel i have seen all the people i need to i may leave early and return to better comfort! its not just the lack of comfort that may encourage me out though, it just is so hard to respond to person after person who has such a sad story to tell of hunger because the last two years harvests have been so bad, of death from aids or malaria or countless other troubles. i have trouble reconciling the blessings in my life with the poverty of theirs.
sorry for the lack of pictures but i really don't think the technology here will stretch that far! missing you all a lot more than i expected. it is surprisingly difficult to be away from friends and family, when i think its only been a week. i dream about various people from my life back home every night which is a strange thing to wake up to. so every morning its an effort to put my head and heart back into mozambiquan gear and try and set aside the absence of loved ones.
well this is getting a bit too long and is a very mixed summary of where i'm at, but thanks for remembering me and i'll bring more news soon.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Lovely to hear your news. The sights sound wonderful it makes us want to be in africa again too.Travel experiences brought back memories of journeys through Kenya and Nigeria.We are getting lots of rain here at the moment which means our garden is flooded.It is hard to imagine the heat and drought there. Shaun has been inspired by your blogg to set up one himself to post comments and thoughts on the ashley bible studies. The real challenge is not doing the bible readings but acting on the thoughts they generate. Anyway, we look forward to hearing more of your travels. We pray for your protection and that the sunburn doesn't get too itchy! love Shaun and Carole
Your holiday sounds like my job! very hard to hold more than one reality in your head and keep open and real to those who have/ are suffering. It is early days still and I am sure the rollercoaster of emotions will settle a bit. Glad yo can hold your options open so that you can take things in your own time. If you need to take time out to reflect that is always a good option :) Look forward to the next installment Sx
hey that all sounds really interesting and fun but sad as well, a mixture of emotions. it is lovely to here of what is going on with you, love ya lots and missing you loads hannahxxxx
Post a Comment