Mozambique (weeks 20 & 21)
We had an amazing time in Mozambique. Granted, we only saw a tiny fraction of the country, but we found our little slice of paradise and soaked it up as best we could.
Similarly to Madagascar, we arrived in Mozambique with one week planned and one week free. We took a bus, ferry, and chappa (local minibus) for the 10hr or so journey up to Tofo, a small town on the ocean, famous for the discovery of the Giant Manta as well as for being one of the best diving spots in the world. We were specifically interested in seeing whale sharks, and we were lucky enough to get to snorkel with one! We also saw countless humpbacks, mostly mothers with their calves but even bigger males, too, breaching in the distance, a green sea turtle, and pods of dolphins. Mantas are generally easier to see on dives; we decided not to dive as it has been a few years since we last went, and I got so seasick on the 2hr boat ride that I was sure I did not want to suffer through another journey.
We thought of going farther up the coast to Vilanculos, a touristier town which used to serve as a slave trading port and the gateway to the spectacular Bazaruto archipelago but decided against it. We fell in love with Tofo's vibe, have both seen spectacular reefs before, were wary of spending the money for that journey (we still have so many more months of budget-conscious travel to go) and, after my seasickness, figured it would not be a fun trip for me in any case. Besides, this would be our only chance to sit back and relax for a couple of weeks; we'd be moving at our regular, faster pace for the rest of our travels.
We thought of going farther up the coast to Vilanculos, a touristier town which used to serve as a slave trading port and the gateway to the spectacular Bazaruto archipelago but decided against it. We fell in love with Tofo's vibe, have both seen spectacular reefs before, were wary of spending the money for that journey (we still have so many more months of budget-conscious travel to go) and, after my seasickness, figured it would not be a fun trip for me in any case. Besides, this would be our only chance to sit back and relax for a couple of weeks; we'd be moving at our regular, faster pace for the rest of our travels.
We did not regret staying in Tofo. We made many acquaintances and some good friends, got to know the town's happy dogs, shared some delicious meals, and spent time in our favorite cafe, on the lovely beach, and in the ocean.
It was interesting to talk to people from the other side of the world and get to hear some of their life stories and points of view. As like-minded people, we were basically on the same page when it came to world issues, but we learned a lot more about the region's political and economic situation from their first-hand experience. We talked a lot about consumerism and the cycle of products. Africa is still an economic colony of the world powers, in a most painfully obvious way. Precious materials are extracted from Africa for our must-have products. Once their artificially short life cycles are complete, many are sent back to leak their unmanageably toxic components back into the earth from which they were extracted (think electronics, home appliances, and old vehicles that can no longer meet environmental standards, to name a few).
The oceans are dying here, too; 15 years ago, seeing whale sharks on an ocean safari was absolutely guaranteed. They'd see hundreds per day. Now they are uncommon, becoming rare. The corals and the fish populations are also decreasing. It's bad news; we all wondered what would happen to the world in the coming decades. Things need to change, very quickly, and on a global scale.
As we flew out from Maputo, we cruised well above the dull gray slab of smog obscuring the landscape below. This thought often pops into my head when I see a city sprawling to the horizon from a plane and is only reinforced by the exponentially bigger patch of smog often omnipresent in big stretches of the globe: we are like a plague on the earth. On an individual scale, we are capable of so much love and beauty...but, as a whole, we are well on our way to poisoning our essential needs for survival: the ocean, the air, and the earth. We can no longer afford the luxury of thinking that our country is better, cleaner, or safer; the oceans and air don't respect borders.
It was interesting to talk to people from the other side of the world and get to hear some of their life stories and points of view. As like-minded people, we were basically on the same page when it came to world issues, but we learned a lot more about the region's political and economic situation from their first-hand experience. We talked a lot about consumerism and the cycle of products. Africa is still an economic colony of the world powers, in a most painfully obvious way. Precious materials are extracted from Africa for our must-have products. Once their artificially short life cycles are complete, many are sent back to leak their unmanageably toxic components back into the earth from which they were extracted (think electronics, home appliances, and old vehicles that can no longer meet environmental standards, to name a few).
The oceans are dying here, too; 15 years ago, seeing whale sharks on an ocean safari was absolutely guaranteed. They'd see hundreds per day. Now they are uncommon, becoming rare. The corals and the fish populations are also decreasing. It's bad news; we all wondered what would happen to the world in the coming decades. Things need to change, very quickly, and on a global scale.
As we flew out from Maputo, we cruised well above the dull gray slab of smog obscuring the landscape below. This thought often pops into my head when I see a city sprawling to the horizon from a plane and is only reinforced by the exponentially bigger patch of smog often omnipresent in big stretches of the globe: we are like a plague on the earth. On an individual scale, we are capable of so much love and beauty...but, as a whole, we are well on our way to poisoning our essential needs for survival: the ocean, the air, and the earth. We can no longer afford the luxury of thinking that our country is better, cleaner, or safer; the oceans and air don't respect borders.