Embraced by Africa – Mozambique

Behind the cold walls of the mission

It was the evening of the third day of our journey, when I finally felt African soil under my feet and in a special way “returned” to the story of my childhood. It was a story I was writing, ever since I can remember my dreams. It was in my diaries, I’ve kept secret from curious eyes. In them I’ve travelled the vast savannahs, ran with wild animals and exchanged wisdoms with the natives, who always filled me with respect and homeliness. The moment when dreams turn into reality is the one you never forget and it was the moment I had when I came to Africa.

Sharing doesn’t mean giving and having less, but giving to enrich yourself. Thus I decided to help as much as I can, to bring a sparkle or two to the eyes of these children, which mirror the greyness of their empty daily lives. For a while I became a teacher, a nurse, a mother, a confident and a friend who thought and learned about the beauty and hardship of our lives. In my spare time I also explored this wonderful African country and my very own adventures soul.

In all this time I’ve spend among the warm smiles of children and their playfulness, nothing was too difficult or too far. We could always just drop what we’ve been doing and play, laugh, and just be what we were. Happy, going with the flow, sincere, with sparkles in the eyes. This is what I miss here in Slovenia – every single day. There’s no spontaneous laughter, no sincerity in the eyes, no music on the street, no barefoot dancing in the dust, no moments, when time stands still. We’re lost in material goods we’re piling together with no end. We’ve lost not knowing we are, we’re caught in our heights and illusion of the perfect world. I learned fast, no knowing I’m soaking in the world like a child, learning hand crafts I never knew existed, preparing new dishes, making jewellery from natural materials, a new language, to listen the people around me and to listen to myself; to express my feelings with laughter or tears, I’ve become myself and learn now. The life in the mission, lead mostly by Italian and Portuguese sisters, is much different from what we’re used to back home. The day is divided into parts and each girl has her chores for weeks ahead. Fear, respect, humbleness and hard work are the constant behind these walls that know only very little love. The offer a sort of shelter from the outside world, which is very cruel and as a starting point for further life – from elementary to high school. The girls start trusting strangers quite quickly and except them in their midst, but still miss the warmth of the true family shelter. It’s true, they have a roof over the head and three warm meals a day and can go to school every day, but they lack what counts the most – love and sharing their feelings with the people you can trust.

Under the coconut trees and into the whale land

The say, that even if you’re doing what suits you like a glove, you need to take a day or two off, to relax and clear the head. I’ve needed that myself as well. And not because I’d not enjoy where I was, but because it was a shock to be constantly among the people, who speak a language you don’t know and live completely different than what you’re used to from back home. Being among children, who unselfishly yearn for your attention and play 24 hours a day, and simply being in a different part of the world, where people are really black at night and only their smiles shine, I’ve decided to go north.

There were endless miles of a wide road behind me, the only link between South Africa and Tanzania. It runs for thousands of miles through Mozambique and is one of few asphalt roads. The country passed me by slowly and left a deep impression. Low bushes, baobab trees and coconut trees were stretching towards the coast. You have the feeling everybody is walking somewhere and waving cheerfully to greet you. The women with colourful loads on their heads were walking along the road to the end of the day. This gave an eternal magic to the land, which cannot be taken from me. I also cannot forget the jam packed minibus that never really is completely full, for there’s always a place for another passenger with an animal. You get used to ruching down the bad road catching time, you’ve got left and banging your head into the soft roof of the bus. But still, everybody is smiling, talking and after a long travel of many hours of shaking with the babies, chicken, pigs, white clad girls and tall men, women with baskets full of fruit and vegetables, suitcases and me aboard, we arrived.

After a difficult day long ride from the capital through the provinces of Gaza and Inhambane, to the small coastal town of Vilanculos, I was longing for the blue Indian Ocean. Without hesitating I jumped into the water, despite my fatigue and new impressions. It was surprisingly warm, which was not normal in the winter days. The long sand beach, covered with white sand, and in the shade of palm trees, made me relax and calm down. Only the birds were making me company, circling the waves. Despite the beauty on the surface, I was wondering about the depth of the sea, so I went diving off the island of Bazaruta. I dove into the rainbow of fish all sizes and shapes, boasting in their colours. It was divine and indescribable. Coming face to face with a tortoise, seeing huge mantes and blowfishes, scats and blue sea stars and if you’re lucky even whale sharks. Mozambique is one of few countries that still host this huge species of fish, completely harmless to men, for it only eats plankton. There are good chances you’ll see one during a winter diving safari. Vilanculos prides itself with many native straw houses, and almost no buildings, except the school, church, bank or a larger shop. They live from fishing and selling tropical fruit and vegetables at the market place. Beaches are full of drying fish nets, in the hot sun, with a backdrop of houses and coconut shells piling together with seashells, which remained of a tasty lunch.

While I was travelling from place to place I spent a night at hostels with ridiculously low prices or I’ve spent a night at friendly locals. In exchange for food above the head I’ve offered to cook something – made from local food, which is so varied, as the land itself, with the predominating sea food with additions of coconut milk. There’s always also lots of fruit and vegetables, for the land is very fertile, with many sweet goodness growing here (like coconuts, mango, bananas, oranges, papaya, avocado and numerous nuts).

Despite the modesty and poverty, which is the heritage of the civil war between the years of 1977 and 1992 (when Mozambique was turned into a slaughter house) the people are still friendly and warm. This primal African country is still unspoiled by mass tourism, but sooner or later one of the local wealthy men will turn it into a concrete hotel. They are invading this country as surely as the Portuguese were 400 years ago, due to the profitable slave trade, which lasted until the end of the 19th century.

The before mentioned road is still under construction, and they are trying to cover the bloody past, but the further north you go, the further back in time you go. You get to see many police patrols, searching the arms and drug smugglers. But still they are known as the most corrupt public officials in the whole continent. So you know, if they stop you, you will have to pay something for something. The easiest way to avoid that is to travel with local public transport, but you might miss out on adventures you’d have while travelling on your own.

The magic moment when my dreams caught up with my reality, will remain with me forever. Unspoiled nature, boasting all around, warm and loving people, mostly children, with loud and sincere laughter, simple and lively, are in my mind every day.

I shall return to this half of the world, into the embrace of the true Africa.

Nina Žnideršič