This is a very special guest post written by Joanne’s parents, Doug and Elaine, on their trip to Mozambique in May. It was such a privilege to have them here and to be able to show them what we are up to and how we live day to day. They experienced many firsts: from their first connecting flight to their first time sleeping under a mosquito net to their first time in a kayak. We spent a wonderful couple of weeks together and we were very spoilt by an amazing holiday in Malawi too. Here are their thoughts on their experiences.
It took 24 hours from the moment we left home in Bromley until our plane taxied into Blantyre airport, and we were able to see Andy out of the plane window. Our adventure had begun. As we are much more likely to be found in France with our caravan, we thought that we would write this blog as a reflection on our amazing experience.
Our first experience of Africa was on the roads themselves. Joanne and Andy took the frequent police checkpoints in their stride and crossing the border from Malawi into Mozambique involved filling in lots of bits of paper, ledgers being inked and passports being stamped by the border guards. The whole process was a bit bewildering for us but Joanne and Andy conversed effortlessly with the guards, taking it in their stride as if they were just stopping at a red light.
The main road was tarmacked. All other roads were just dusty red soil. There were few motorised vehicles but the roads were busy with masses of bicycles and people walking. Women typically carrying huge containers of water or other goods on their heads and a baby on their back. Cycling was definitely not a leisure pursuit. Every bicycle had a purpose, carrying goods to and from the market. We saw bikes with numerous goats and chickens strapped to them, pigs’ squealing on the back, huge bundles of wood, charcoal and whole tree trunks. Bike taxis took passengers on the luggage rack to speed you precariously along the dusty road. The road was obviously the lifeblood of the communities where much trade and communication took place. People set up shop on the side of the road. A stall consists of a table made from bamboo with a straw roof or just a cloth on the floor.
In Milange and other towns they have a ‘market’ which is equivalent to our shopping centre. A collection of bamboo stalls, perhaps under a grass roof, with some ‘kiosks’ (made from bricks locally chiselled from the soil and ‘fired’ by setting a fire under a pile of them). We watched while Andy skilfully bartered in Portuguese to buy everything he needed to provide us with very tasty meals each day.
Our first two meals were not without adventure. The first night we ate by candlelight as there was a power cut shortly after we arrived and the second night we ended our meal by fighting a sudden ant infestation that engulfed the whole house. That night we all spent the night in the lovely annex that Nana and Kobus had leant us. We would like to thank them for their hospitality and providing us with a very comfortable place to stay which was much appreciated.
Two unknown white people in Milange was definitely a novelty. Being stared at all the time took a bit of getting used to. One morning we arrived at Joanne and Andy’s house to find two men who made their living carving souvenirs waiting for us. They had heard two new white people were in town and had come across the border from Malawi to find us.
During the first week of our trip we accompanied Joanne to two villages where she was going to teach pump maintenance. This meant travelling for several hours out into the bush along rutted dirt tracks, which looked impassable to us but Joanne and Andy somehow managed to get the huge 4×4 they had borrowed over everything we met! No roundabouts, traffic lights or signposts. Joanne knew which road to take out of town and then we found the villages by one of Joanne’s colleagues waiting at the side of the road to meet and direct us for the final leg. Then another new experience – a reception party. The villagers were so pleased to have visitors that they greeted us with singing and dancing. So many people greeting us, and then treating us with such courtesy in their village. The second village was quite large and the reception crowd was about 200 strong, and given Doug’s dancing and singing ability (no comment anyone) he couldn’t resist joining in which seemed to make the crowd sing and dance even more! In the first village they fed us with a goat curry and bread and then next day we were treated to chicken, beans and rice which was the first time we had ever eaten rice with our hands.
At the pumps, Joanne was swamped by everyone wanting to watch everything she said and did. Maintenance in the first village allowed a very squeaky pump to become silent and in the second village a pump that was covered in long grass because it hadn’t worked for 15 years sprang into life. We were then introduced to the local pump committee members and various village dignitaries, who had ensured that we had the most comfortable seats to watch a short play that emphasised the importance of hygiene.
We were completely overwhelmed with both villages’ generosity and friendliness. Everyone we met in the villages gave us a warm welcome, although they had nothing. It was a totally humbling feeling that brought us to tears. We learnt what real generosity is and it is something we will never forget. We were very privileged to be able to mix with the villagers like this, which you would not be able to do as a tourist and to see what Joanne and her colleagues describe as the Real Africa.
We are very proud of how Joanne and Andy have fitted into life in Mozambique. They have an air of confidence in all they do, taking everything in their stride and being part of both the local and the ex-pat communities. Their grasp of Portuguese is stunning and they have a very homely home! But we can’t help thinking how difficult it must have been in the first days they moved to Milange with a shell of a house, and without the benefit of their current experience. They were very brave.
The second week of the holiday was spent in Malawi, and in a completely different environment, as we were partaking in the tourist industry there. We were able to relax amongst the beautiful surroundings of Mumbo Island in Lake Malawi, the fabulous views from the top of Zomba Plateau and the amazing and very exciting safari that our new travel agent (Joanne Beale) had arranged. During this week of course we had to have tea. Joanne and Andy organised a trip to a tea plantation for Elaine’s birthday which included a tea tasting. Absolutely wonderful, and incredible views of the plantation!
Elaine and I came away from our African adventure hugely grateful to all of the people we were privileged to meet, but especially Joanne and Andy for giving us a trip that we don’t believe will ever be beaten.
PS. Spot Joanne and Andy!
Hands to Learn 
One comment