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.