Birthday

I had a fantastic birthday last Friday! Thousands (or at least so it felt) of birthday wishes on facebook and a great night in the company of my friends in Pemba. We started the evening with a sundowner and dinner at Kauri and then went on to – of course – Russell’s Place. I had fun :)



Training has been a bit up & down this last week. Mostly down unfortunately. It started last Thursday and hasn’t improved much since. But I guess that’s just how it is, some weeks are strong and others just crap… I’ve been staying up a bit later than usual this week as well, so maybe that affects me more than I thought it would.

Catisha, my embregada (maid), has been sick so I had to wash my own dishes a couple of times this week. Imagine how horrible my life has been these last days ;) Luckily she’s ok again and came back to work today. Unfortunately I can’t afford a maid in Sweden, so I guess it was just good preparation for coming back home. I will miss her.

Today I went to see Louisa – my new Mozambiquan friend. She moved to Nanhimbe a couple of months ago and she speaks English. She was born in Lichinga, Niassa reserve, and has lived in South Arica 13 years. There’s where she learned how to speak English.

She told me she met her husband, who comes from Nanhimbe, when he was working in Lichinga 2 years ago. He asked for her telephone number and then it took a whole year before he called. And said he liked her and wanted to marry her. But before anything was settled he came back to Lichinga to visit her and her family. She also went to Pemba to see what it was like before the wedding. They got married in Lichinga in the end of September and the next day she moved to live with him in Nanhimbe. Quite a bit different from our way of doing the same thing…

She also told me her sister gave her one of her babies to bring to Nanhimbe. Louisa has a son herself, he is 19 years old and is studying agriculture in Lichinga. Her sister has 3 children and the youngest went with Louisa – also a bit different from what I’m used to! But from the way she talked about it, it felt like the most natural thing in the world. Since I don’t know her good enough yet I didn’t want to inquire too much. Maybe next time. Her sister is 20 years old and has been married since she was 14. Louisa got married the first time when she was 16 and had her son when 17.

She is an accountant and is looking for a job at the moment. She doesn’t like to just sit around the house. Like her “sisters” in Lichinga she wants to work. But she thinks the women in Pemba are very different and lazy. She doesn’t think they are interested in working and only want to marry because they want money and nice things. I really can’t say I know anything about that. I can see that almost all women stay at home, at least here in Nanhimbe, but if it’s because they can’t find a job or they don’t want to find a job I don’t know.

It was really interesting and nice to hear a bit more of a woman’s life in Mozambique. I’m sorry I haven’t learned enough Portuguese to have the same conversation with my neighbors.

Christmas time in Pemba

For me it’s a bit surreal that Christmas Eve is only 2 weeks away. The shops in town are decorated with all the glittering stuff and the staff is wearing Santa Claus hats. The sun is beaming from a clear blue sky and summer is definitely here. I’m sweating 24/7 again since both temperature and humidity is climbing again. Very strange feeling to say the least!

I must admit that I would love to go home for Christmas! I will miss my family tons on Christmas Eve and, even if I will be in good company, it’s just something special with Christmas and family. It’s the first time I’m really home sick on this trip actually, which is not too bad since it’s not too long until I’m going back.

Yesterday I woke up to a horrible stench – the rat I’ve being trying to kill a while now finally did die! Probably a couple of days ago, considering the smell… And he decided to put himself to his last rest just above my bed, on top of the ceiling. Thanks to Frank I could go to bed breathing fresh air in the evening => he crawled up under the roof and threw the rat away. What would I do without him?!?

And today Anne Laure and I ran as usually Thursday mornings at 05.00. It was a bit strenuous today for some reason, so we decided to walk the last bit. But that’s ok, we gotta have mornings like that as well.

Fan

Isn’t it amazing how a simple thing as a fan can improve life so much!?! A friend of mine said, when she found out I have been sleeping without one until now; you’re even tougher than the Africans! I don’t know about that, but it has been kind of hot from time to time. The worst part for me, sleeping in a single bed, is to lie as far out on the sides as possible in order to find some cool space when turning. But now I have my fan :) If we have electricity that is… It’s been a lot of the “power on/off” lately, and I really hope that’s going to change soon!

Last week turned out to be a bit of a party week => Nelson’s good bye party Tuesday evening, Pieter, Amaya and Megan leaving Friday so we had to do something about that Thursday night and Saturday birthday party… I was a bit tired yesterday :/

This week will be all about training instead! It started good with a 10 km run this morning followed by a session of Pilates. Feeels great!

Now Internet at Russell’s again – my mobile Internet at home turned out not to be the big success it seemed last week :( It will probably work really well from time to time, but I can unfortunately not rely on it.

Travelling…

…can sometimes be exhausting. Like this trip to Malawi; 7 out of 9 days on the road! Was it worth it? Yes, definitely in most ways, but I don’t want to do it again shortly ;)

Last Sunday morning at 03.00 I knocked on C’s door and off we went. Almost 13 hours later we arrived in Mocuba after a long, but nice, drive on mostly very good roads. We had stopped I Nampula for a quick brunch and had also waited about an hour and half in the morning for a car we were co-driving with the first day. That part of the day was the least appreciated by far – imagine we could have slept another 1½ HOUR!!! Anyway, it was ok and it certainly helped us sleep like babies the first night of our trip.

On the road in Mozambique



Nampula



Next day we left Mocuba at about 09.00 am and arrived at the boarder ca 5 hours later. Everything went well and we could continue towards Mulanje after not much more than an hour. All the way through Mozambique the landscape changed and became more green and lush. In and around the Mulanje Mountain there are many tea plantations so coming into Malawi it was even lusher and the surroundings were very beautiful!



Malawi:)






The day after we arrived I explored the Mulanje town by foot. It’s quite a small town, but very nice with the mountain and tea plantations surrounding it. I had decide to go Lake Malawi since C would be busy with meetings the next couple of days, so the day after I was on the road again… 11 hours in mini buses and on the back of a truck was definitely an experience. By the time I arrived in Cape Maclear I was exhausted and starving. With both of those sorted I crashed at 09.30 pm and slept very well the whole night!

In the morning I woke up to this beautiful view (it was dark when I arrived so I had no clue what to expect)



And after breakfast my guide Patric took me to Thumbe Island on this canoe



There I snorkeled when he was feeding the fish with bread – it was like being in an aquarium!! I had a thousand beautifully colored fish around me going for the bread. AND me! I tell you; they have sharp teeth :) We also paddled around a bit and I saw many big birds hunting for fish, Fish Eagle among others.

In the afternoon I strolled around the village and for lunch I had banana & garlic toast. Try it – it’s really good! After lunch JB taught me how to play Bawo, which apparently is a game played all over Africa. I haven’t seen it before, but it was a lot of fun, and I actually managed to win one game.

It was a very nice and relaxing day which I really needed, because the day after I started my journey back at 04.00 am. Another long day on the road and it began with me missing the big bus I intended to take. So I ended up in mini buses…again… The actual ride is mostly quite ok (even if the buses are loaded with people so you barely fit in), it’s the 1½ - 2 hours driving around filling up the buses to maximum before starting that drives me crazy. And when I think the bus is finally full they squeeze in at least 4-5 more people who usually have to stand up because the seats are more than filled up already.

The mini buses are not in the best shape...




Anyway, after another 10 hours I was back in Mulanje and could take that longed after shower. And then, the next day we headed back to Mozambique. 3 more days of traveling before I came home left me exhausted for a couple of days! But I have seen a lot more of Mozambique and I have been to Malawi – so yes it was worth it :) I also got my new visa, which was one of the reasons I had to leave the country. Doing it in the company of C was a whole lot more fun than being on chapa’s to the Tanzanian boarder and back!

Malawi

Tomorrow morning 03.30 C and I will head off to Malawi!

It will be my first journey south of Pemba. Hopefully I will have Internet access, but if not I’ll be back in about 10 days. And then I promise to tell you all about it!

Ciao for now – I need to start packing :)

Rat

The story of my house guests continues; while I was away a rat moved into my house in Nanhimbe. He is the one house guest I appreciate the least so far and I hope I will find a way to kill him soon! The other night, sitting peacefully reading in my couch I saw the little bastard peak out of the ceiling and start walking upside down towards me! Jesus – I really didn’t like that move. Fortunately he saw me suddenly and returned through a crack in the bamboo ceiling. Coming home the day after, I heard him in my trash bag and immediately called Frank. I’m too much of a coward to get close myself, but Frank couldn’t get him either. Well, well one of these days will be his last! Maybe I’ll borrow a cat and let it up on top of the ceiling where the ugly thing lives – I can hear him roaming around up there, lying in bed at night :/

Other than that I don’t have much news at the moment. Life is getting back to normal; I get up at 04.45 for my run with Anne-Laure Tuesdays and Thursdays. Then I run with Frank Wednesdays and Fridays in the afternoon and then all 3 of us go for a longer run Sunday mornings. In between I walk or run by myself and am supposed to do Pilates at least 3 times per week… I will start the Pilates tomorrow again ;) I know my back will get so much better once I’m back on track with that training as well. Summa summarum: training feels good and I’m getting stronger and in better shape every week. Have lost a couple of kilos too. (Was about time…)

It feels like it’s getting hotter by the day now, the temperature goes up to 33 ̊C in the shade and inside my house it never goes below 27 ̊C. It starts to get harder to fall asleep because it’s just too warm. I really need to buy a fan soon. And after running I’m sweating so much you would think I was coming OUT of the shower instead of getting in.

Be careful with what you wish for

Finally back in Pemba! I have spent the last 2 weeks in Ibo with almost no access to Internet. This time I wasn’t able to get into my blog at all, I tried several times without success.

And last week we had our first charter; Oliver & Fiona from Australia sailed with us four days. It was a great trip with lots of snorkeling, nice trips around Quirimbas and fresh crayfish (Pieter caught two while snorkeling, using a hook he made out of some stuff he found on the boat). We went to Rolas, Matemo, the Sandbar, the wind was quite strong the whole week so the planned trip to Pangane didn’t work out unfortunately. But we had a great time anyway :)

On my way back to Pemba one of my wishes was fulfilled – I got to ride in the back of a chapa (the local buses are called chapas in Mozambique). And I am happy about the experience, but I don’t necessary have to do it again… IF that truck was approved of in Sweden for public transportation (which of course would never happen) it might be for maximum 10-12 people on the wooden benches. At one point I counted 32 adults and 10 kids, 1 rooster and 2 chickens (alive of course…) not counting the guys on the roof – probably another 5-6 people. It was uncomfortable to say the least. The bush roads aren’t exactly smooth, I don’t know how many times I flew straight up when there was a bump in the road and landed on my behind hard on the wood, but it must have been at least a thousand!! I had people everywhere; on my feet, in my lap, on my head etc. 5 hours I spent on that chapa ;)

Sitting there I started thinking about how uncomfortable I was and that I never, ever want to sit in the back of a chapa again and I realized how fortunate I am => I actually have the opportunity and money to choose a more comfortable way of traveling. Because how poor I might be I will never be as poor as the people of Africa. This is their reality! Every day.

And that goes for everything in our different lives. As Elder said when we talked about it earlier today; if we get sick we have a way out if we need. Via insurance, family, friends or own savings or however we fix it. But if you’re an African, living in a village in the bush with no money you can’t get anywhere – you can only hope you’ll get better and rely on whatever care you can get right where you are.

Small chirurgia

Yesterday I went to the hospital – again… I’ve had more incidents since coming to Africa than the last 20 years in total. Anyway, this time it was my toe nail. The one that fell off a couple of months ago, or the new one growing out to be a bit more accurate. It had started growing down and into the flesh. I was really freaked out before going because I thought it would hurt. But it turned out to be totally ok and now I hope it won’t bother me ever again!

Being in Pemba again is very nice though! I’ve been here a week already and will go back to Ibo Saturday morning. In the company of Frank & C – they are coming to spend a long weekend on the island. Hopefully the winds will be with us and not blow too strongly so we can go out with the boat for a sleepover.

And tonight is movie night at Russell’s :)

Bats,

cockroaches, spiders, a grasshopper and some big furry thing with about 10 000 legs are my new house guests. The bats are ok, they just hang in the roof as long as I am awake and the lights are on => one on the porch and one inside the house. But they wake me up in the middle of the night with their uuuiiiiiii-sound. The cockroaches I’m not afraid of, but they are big and disgusting. The spiders I hope are not poisonous – I certainly tell myself they’re not… The grasshopper is ok as long it doesn’t attack me and the other unidentified thing is kind of ok as well, it doesn’t seem to take any particular interest in me:) We don’t have that many mosquitoes yet, but I’m sure there will be plenty when the rains come.



Other than that I’ve only seen goats, chicken and cows on the island so far. I think there are snakes, but thankfully they seem to be quite private and don’t show themselves too often. This morning, running by a big flowering tree, I could hear what must have been a million bees humming. It is possible to buy Ibo honey I’ve heard, so I’ll see if I can find some later today.

Big waves

Yesterday we went with some friends on the boat, aiming for the light house with dolphins and good snorkeling waters. Unfortunately we didn’t make it. As soon as we came out of the sheltered waters behind Ibo the wind picked up quite a lot and after another 5-6 k’s we had to turn back. 2 people already sea sick and the motor starting to struggle.

It turned out to be a very nice day anyway – once back and securely anchored we made lunch and had a pleasant afternoon. Almost no wind and great company.







After having dinner at Miti Miwiri I began watching “The devil wears Prada”, but had to flee the building when a giant grasshopper started to attack me. It was all for the best though – it was already 8.30 and I had set my alarm to go off at 04.20 today. Sooo, this morning I had an early run followed by a nap after breakfast :) And then some Portuguese studies before lunch. Just finished the movie and will now order take out-dinner at the Pastelaria.

Adventures

Yesterday morning I was just waking up, preparing for my morning run, when my phone rang. It was Pieter and I was amazed he even got through – here on Ibo we normally have signal only at the circle outside of Miti Miwiri. Luckily this morning it was extended to my bedroom so I got the call, but I still had to go outside to call him back in order to actually get in contact. I knew already that he was in some kind of trouble => he wouldn’t have called me at 05.00 otherwise… It turned out he had lost the one anchor we had left after losing the first one last Sunday. He was drifting at sea and needed help.

I started looking around for people who could help me find a new anchor and eventually get me to the boat, which I had no clue where it was… Eventually Assane found a small anchor and we went out to try and find the boat. Luckily enough Pieter had gone back into the channel and we could easily get to him. The anchor was way too small though, so we had to slowly cruise closer to Ibo and finally put the boat on the sand in low tide, right outside Cinqo Portas.

Pieter and Aidad (a very skilled diver from Ibo) took their snorkels and masks on the canoe and went back to the spot where she was anchored earlier. I never thought they would find the anchor, but Pieter told me that it took Aidad only 5 minutes to locate and bring it up. Amazing!!! This guy knew what he was doing!

When the tide came back in the evening we took the boat out and anchored it at the right spot again. I was of course on board doing my duties as deck hand :)

We woke up today with heavy rain, but at the same spot! Very good! After doing some tricks (Pieter, not me) with the motor to get it started and reloading the batteries we took the canoe back to Ibo. Pieter returned to the boat after dropping me off and I went to get some breakfast at the house.

Later I went for a walk… and got lost… It wasn’t for long and I never got really worried, but lost I was! Eventually, after trying various paths that ended up nowhere, I decided to back track and after 1½ hours I returned safely to where I began from :) Ibo is a very small island, so I doubt it’s possible to get really lost but for a moment I couldn’t help myself from thinking I might spend the night in the bush… Without big wild animals it’s not a great danger, but nevertheless a not very pleasant experience I gather! So I celebrated the good return with a shower and a couple of glasses of wine. And now it’s time to go to bed. It is almost 9.30 and way passed bedtime for me already.

Goodnight amigos!

Kabanga

Last Friday Pieter and I were supposed to get up at 03.00 am to take a chapa to Tandanyang, wait for the high tide there (approximately 6-7 hours that day) and then take a boat to Ibo. But we were lucky enough to get a promise of a ride instead; there was a car leaving at 10.00 with room for us! Can’t complain about that! We went to the Chinese restaurant in town to be ready for the car to pick us up – which it did; 4 hours later :) Its good have some of that Africa-patience from time to time! The ride was nice and fast and we only had one hick-up when the motor started to boil in the middle of nowhere. Luckily we had enough water to take us to the next village. After some work on it we could go on and was in time for the boat, just minutes before it was about to leave. Here everything revolves around the tide. Boats can’t wait too long if the tide is going out…



Waiting...



Car trouble





It’s great to be back, feels even better than the first time actually. It is such a beautiful, quiet little island and I really look forward to the coming 3 months I am going to spend here!

Arthur and Winnie (owner of the boat I now work on) was here the first three days to show us how things work both in the house and on the boat. I will probably stay in the house most of the time while Pieter will live on the boat. For me it’s easier to be on land since I usually go for a run early in the morning. The boat is approximately 1 km off shore, which certainly would make my work out even better because I would have to take a canoe before starting my run, but I’m too lazy for that at the moment – running at 05.15 is enough for now :)

Saturday evening I stayed behind when the rest of the gang went to the boat for a first check up. I walked around the village a bit and ended up outside the comandante’s house and was treated with Kabanga from his family. There were 5 women and children sitting in front of the house and the comandante himself on the porch. They were celebrating Independence Day on Ibo, September 25, with their own-brewed beer => Kabanga. It was quite thick and tasted a little bit like weissbier, I understood it is made out of sugar (but am not 100 % sure I got that right) and I must say I really liked it. They were very nice and I sat for maybe 45 minutes “talking” to them. Later that night I went to Miti Miwiri (means “Two Trees” and is the lodge next door to Arthur’s house) for dinner and there was a dance performance with young girls in beautiful dresses made of Capulanas. A very nice and festive evening!

Kabanga






Sunday morning we headed off to the boat. Jürg, one of the owners of Miti Miwiri, his parents and a couple of friends to them went with us on this virgin sail. We started by going to the light house to do some snorkeling. Arriving there we got a big treat; dolphins :) Unfortunately they didn’t come close to us while we were in the water, but we got a good, close and long look at them from the boat. I was occupied with the anchor at the time (;)), so I didn’t get any pictures sadly enough. But apparently that is where they usually hang out, so I’m sure there will be plenty more occasions for me to get those pictures later.

After snorkeling we went to the Sand bar (a sand bank which only appears in low tide) and cooked lunch before heading back to Ibo. It was a great day!!





Yesterday Arthur and Winnie went back home to Belgium, so now it’s just me, Pieter and the boat. I have to find a tailor today to sew pillowcases, a couple of sheets etc. Let’s see if my Portuguese holds up for that challenge…

Pembaldon

Monday evening was the first day of Pembaldon – Pemba’s answer to Wimbledon! The first night there was only 3 preliminary matches, but last night there was another 4 and it continues every day until Sunday when the finals are scheduled. There are actually 37 people playing in the tournament which is on its second year now. The participation has more than doubled since last year. And who knows, maybe I’ll be in next year if I’m still here ;)Frank signed me up this year as well, despite the fact that I haven’t held a racket since I was 10 years old… But fortunately the numbers ended up uneven so I was released. Also; I will not be here until the end and it would be a shame if I made it to the final and couldn’t be here to win – yeah right!! I’m a bit bummed I will miss out on the festive weekend though!

Anyway - two more days and then we’re off to Ibo. Pieter and I will take a chapa (local bus) leaving Pemba at 05.00 Friday morning. That means we have to be at the bus stop at 04.00 :/ But that’ll be ok – hopefully easier to sleep a bit on the way, even if the chapa probably will be crowded. I haven’t decided yet if I will pack in advance or just stay up that night and do all the packing the last hours before leaving. Maybe in the company of a glass of wine (and maybe even C, she is a true night owl).

The mosque…

…situated in front of my house, only 30 meters away, is usually not a big nuisance and I’m starting to get used to it.

It actually depends on which guy is doing the singing. But one of them is LOUD! I was trying to watch Californication the other night when he started his “thing” and there was no way I could hear what they were saying on my computer. He is also the one who always keeps the microphone on during the whole sermon – about 1 hour each time :/ Usually I don’t mind it, if it’s during waking hours, but when he is the one on duty in the middle of the night I sometimes get slightly irritated. Especially since I almost every morning have my alarm set at 05.10 to get up and go for a run before it gets too hot! It’s, to say the least, a bit annoying getting another wakeup call little over an hour earlier…

Eid

Last Friday was Eid, the end of Ramadan. When I came back home after an early walk at 7.00 am, the whole village were gathering at the mosques. Everybody was dressed up in pretty, colorful clothes. The women and children stayed outside listening to the men singing and praying, the Imams had started singing already at 5.30. And since the closest mosque is only 30 meters from my house there was no way I could go back to sleep.

But that actually meant sleep in morning for me – usually they start at 4.00 am and sometimes even earlier. And of course they have really good loud speakers… That’s the only thing not so great with my house. Especially since my windows are nothing more than mosquito nets.

And - heading back to the house that morning I had an actual conversation in Portuguese with one of the staff from Russell’s. Albertina is her name and she speaks Portuguese, Makua, Makunde and a few words in English. She has 3 children and lives in Cariaco which means she has to walk approximately 10 km every day to get to work and then of course 10 to get back home at night.

My embregada didn’t show up for work either, which was totally ok since it is a big holiday. But it left me with a problem – I didn’t have enough water to last me the day, let alone the whole weekend. Thanks to my good friend Frank that problem was solved later, since he has running water in his house.

At night I was invited to a Potije (pronounced “pojtie”. Which is a South African dish named after the iron pot it is made in. It’s a stew and this particular one had lots of veggies, potaoes and buffalo meat) at Laura & Smitty’s house on the beach. It was delicious and I had a very nice evening.

Back to normal

It’s funny how easy it is to get used to a new life. Coming back to Pemba made me feel like coming home. I guess it’s the “where I lay my hat is my home” syndrome. It has always been like that for me and right now my hat lies in a small house in Nanhimbe, Mozambique. And I must say I’m very happy about that – it would have been awful if I had wanted to stay in Sweden with another 4 months committed to my new job on the sailing boat in the Quirimbas Archipelago outside northern Mozambique!

These first days I have been hanging out with C, Frank and Jutta of course, been to the camp a couple of times already and planned the grocery shopping for the boat with Arthur (the owner of the boat). I’ve been so busy it wasn’t until yesterday I had time to start unpack my suitcases… And doing that, I realized I have to pack again only 2 weeks from now; on the 24th Pieter and I will go to Ibo and start familiarize ourselves with the boat. (Pieter being the skipper). Exciting!

We’ve also had a power cut since I came and it’s impossible to send sms – so nothing new there :) I’m very happy Internet is working though. And I installed my new thermometer. It was 24 ̊̊C when I woke up this morning and then it went up to 29 ̊C as the hottest today. Very nice indeed.

Back in Pemba

After 30 hours of travelling via Istanbul and Dar-es-Salaam I am back in Mozambique. One month seems like such a long time, but afterwards it feels just as short as always.

I had an 8 hour layover in Istanbul and I think I did pretty well => I managed to not shop more than one CD! And since shopping was not an option I was very glad Klas gave me the “Solsidan” DVDs before I left!

My visit back in Sweden has been really great! I have met loads of friends and spent many wonderful days with my family (unfortunately there wasn’t enough time to see everyone I wanted and intended; it will have to be next time).

But it’s also really good to be back. The weather is very nice at the moment – not too hot yet. The last weeks in Sweden were pretty cold… I didn’t mind that at all though, it gave me an opportunity to wear boots and jackets a while :) I do love this time of year in Sweden when the air is crisp and cool. But I don’t mind taking morning swims in the Indian Ocean either ;) And it was of course really great meeting my Pemba-friends again!

Aunt Katarina

Last Thursday I became an aunt to the sweetest, cutest, most wonderful little baby girl you can imagine! Her name is Klara and I will miss her and the rest of my family, as well as my friends, very much when I go back to Pemba today!

Sweden

Am back in Sweden for a month!

Right now I’m enjoying 2 weeks of meeting friends in Stockholm, Stallarholmen and Katrineholm. After these weeks it's time to go back to Krokek and spend some more time with mom & dad. It's great to be home!

But I must admit I am looking forward to going back as well. Especially with my new job waiting!

In the beginning of June I was offered to work on a dhow from October to December, taking care of guests chartering the boat. It is a wooden traditional boat built as a yacht with 3 cabins, a salon and a kitchen. We can take up to 10 guests on a day cruise and 6 if they stay overnight. I am really looking forward to sailing with the dolphins in the Quirimbas (the archipelago outside the northern part of Mozambique) snorkeling with our guests and just enjoy life on board a boat in the Indian Ocean ;)

The last couple of weeks before leaving I was busy in my new house overlooking the carpenter and other workers doing some odd jobs to get the house in a better shape. It was definitely ok already when I moved in, but there are some small things that need improvement. One thing I wanted is a safe room where I can keep my computer, camera and other things that might be interesting to steal. Unfortunately the carpenter put the lock on that door inside out, so that I have to deal with when I come back. And I was stupid enough to pay half salary to the cement guy after he finished 75 % of the job on the first day => next day he showed up drunk…and the next day and the next… Finally he brought another guy who could finish the job. Otherwise I’m sure it would still be waiting for him to sober up. Another lesson learnt; never pay anybody until the job is done!


My new casa :)





Back yard







My water tank - don't have running water



Safe room



Misiraje (carpenter) and Catisha (embregada)



Catisha comes 3 times a week to help me clean, do the dishes and laundry... I know- it's a life of luxury, but I am also expected as a white person (presumably with money) to employ someone from the village



Amina helping me shop for the house





Next door neighbor outside her house



Neighborhood kids

Sad

Tomorrow is Magda’s last night in Pemba this time :( She has been here 8 weeks already; time really does fly when you’re having fun! I’m going to miss her very very much, but cross my fingers she decides to come back soon. Anyway, her leaving calls for a party – tonight!

And Jutta is back! She has been 6½ weeks in Germany on vacation. It’s nice to have her back :)

I also have to leave the country in the end of the month to renew my visa. Am thinking of Malawi this time. Everybody I meet who has been there says it’s beautiful! I will have to go by chapas (local buses) and it will take me at least 4 days or so to get to Monkey Bay and then I’ll probably continue to Kande Beach which is supposedly stunning. The other alternative I might have is to go with Frank to South Africa, by car. That would mean seeing a lot of Mozambique! Which also would be a great trip! The next week will tell which trip it will be – am looking forward to whichever…

My latest adventure…

…turned out to be malaria. And – yeah it is nasty! I know I’ve said it before, but now I have experienced it myself!

It all started with Frank last week. He got really sick and we figured it must be from the bush trip. A couple of days later C went down but nothing happened to me. I felt a little weird and a little nauseous that whole week, but nothing seemed to break out so I thought (and certainly hoped) it was just imagination. Then came Sunday.

Magda and I had been watching the game at Russell’s the night before, with a couple of glasses of wine ;) so I thought it was just a hangover. Not too bad or anything, but I was tired and didn’t really feel like eating. After meeting up with her and Pieter at Mar e Sol on the beach I walked over to C. By the time I got there I was really exhausted and was starting to think that it might be a little bit too much for a “normal” hangover.

Then it took about 4 hours before I was sick, sick, sick. Of course we had gone to Russell’s for the final soccer game, which probably turned out to be a good thing because Frank went home to get me medicine so I could start as soon as possible. But in halftime I had to ask C to take me home – I really needed to go to bed. That was one of the worst nights in my life! If I wasn’t sweating oceans I felt like I was deep frozen, all the time with this horrible ache in my whole body. Still, I must say I consider myself lucky since I didn’t get it in the hot season – that must be hell!

Both Frank and C are much better and they were even sicker than me I think, but thanks to Frank I got medicine very early and that probably prevented me from the worst symptoms.

I recovered quite fast though and am back to normal already.

Moving

Hopefully I will move into my new house this weekend! It has taken me a couple of days extra because things happened that I couldn’t foresee (am beginning to get used to that). Monday I went into town to buy some buckets and pots & pans, without those things I can’t live there. But before going to that shop we had to go to the clinic with Magda’s finger; she had a bite that just didn’t heal and needed to be cleaned properly. Once that was ok the time was after 12.00 so, of course, the shop was closed for siesta. That meant either hanging around in town 2 hours or walk back home and take a nap. We walked back home and took a nap :) Tuesday the ATM machine stole my bank card so I couldn’t take out any money and I didn’t have ID with me so that took another couple of days to sort out. Today I managed to get some shopping done finally, but now C is sick so I can’t get the bed…

Life in Africa is definitely a bit different from Sweden!

Pictures from the bush

With a bit of imagination you can actually see the elephant ;)