Ilha de Moçambique

A few weeks ago my friend Panda and I returned from an absolutely amazing trip to Ilha de Moçambique (Mozambique Island). Over the next few weeks I'll chronicle the various pieces of the trip but let's start with a basic overview of where we visited.

Mozambique

A typical idyllic Mozambique beach

This approximately 800,000 sq km coastal country is a treasure trove of beautiful sights and complex history. Inland, there are mountains to climb and national parks to explore. Along the shores of the India Ocean there are several large cities, picturesque beaches, and fish fresh from the sea.

"Vascodagama" by
Ernesto Casanova

History

In 1498, the explorer Vasco da Gama first made shore in the area populated by both Bantu peoples and Arab and Persian traders. By 1505 de Gama's Portuguese brethren had established important posts here for their gold, ivory, and (ultimately) slave trade routes. In the 17th century, they divided much of the terrain through land grants called prazos but it wasn't until the late 19th century that true Portuguese control was established through a treaty with Britain. Between the 1920s and 1950s more and more colonists arrived as a result of ministry official and eventual Prime Minister António Salazar's policies barring non-Portuguese investments in Portuguese colonies. Mozambique obtained independence from Portugal in 1975 after close to 15 years of fighting. The new country struggled with infrastructure, education, and civil war. 1994 marked their first democratic elections and a new period of peace. Since that time Mozambique has been heralded as an example of the possibility of democracy and post war unity in Africa. 

Today

Today, the land is primarily populated by traditional ethnic groups with only 10% speaking Portuguese (the official language). Of course, that one-tenth of the population is the fraction primarily seen in cities and vacations spots frequented by tourists (as we did). The majority of Mozambicans are employed in subsistence farming with just under 70% living in rural settings. As in most of Sub-Saharian Africa, Mozambique has been hit hard by the HIV epidemic with a world prevalence ranking of 8th and 1.567 million people living with HIV. The primary religions are Catholicism and Islam (we stayed down the street from a Mosque during Ramadan and were woken nightly at about 3 am with prayers).  

A beach on the island

The Ilha

Our trip was spent almost entirely on the Ilha de Moçambique. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a 3 km long islet crowded with homes made through traditional methods and speckled with cobble stoned streets.

The name

The country was actually named after the island and not the other way around. When Vasco de Gama arrived he asked for the name of the place and locals said, "Ali Musa Mbiki". This was not actually the name of the island (it had none at the time) but rather an Arab trader who had become sultan. de Gama combined that into Mozambique which became the title for the island and later the territory. 

History

The fort

Prior to de Gama's arrival the island was already an important trading post between Madagascar, Persia, and Arabia and the introduction of the Portuguese expanded it to include routes between Western Europe, the Indian subcontinent, and China. The Fort of São Sebastião protected the island for centuries and still stands today as the oldest fort in Southern Africa. During a months long siege by the Dutch, Portuguese soldiers were able to hold claim to the island by retreating into the fort and closing the doors. 

Items from shipwrecks (like the porcelain
in the lower right) still wash ashore

The importance of this stop on trade routes lead the island to be the capital of Portuguese East Africa until it was moved at the end of the 19th century. So many vessels coming through also meant many were wrecked in inclement weather. Artefacts continue to wash ashore from these sunken ships today.

A home made by traditional techniques

Since the establishment of a port to this day the same building techniques have been used. Stone was mined from the centre of the island and transported to the edges for longer lasting buildings. The quarry was then turned into a settlement which holds a combination of brick and thatched homes.

One of the Catholic churches

Today 

The people of the island are a mixture of descendants of Portuguese, Bantu, Swahili, and Arab with a small expat community as well. There are two primary religions: Islam and Catholicism.

Fishermen repairing a net

Fishing  is the primary occupation with seafood dominating the diet on the island. Throughout the day men can be seen carrying their catch, repairing nets, and doing upkeep on wooden boats. 

The Governor's Palace

Tourism

There are several museums concerning the history of the island. The Fort, the former Governor's Palace, and the Maritime Museum are run by the same organisation and can be visited for one admission fee. 

Locals can be hired for the day to take tourists across the bay to various beaches and islands but unless you are fluent in Portuguese it is very difficult. Only one or two English speaking guides are available. If you're interested they will find you in the square in front of the museum or on the dock. There is one tourism company called Ilha Blue (they will be getting their own post to come because they're awesome) which offers packages such as snorkelling, sunset cruises, whale watching, and a walk through a Swahili village.

A delicious seafood salad

There are multiple restaurants scattered along the island. Most are run by expats with one or two run by locals. All have traditional food (primarily seafood) and employ locals. The establishments take turns for days off so business gets spread around.

There are a few hotels (Patio dos Quintalinhos, Casa Branca, and Hotel Omuhi'piti) but the cheapest lodging (and in my opinion best) options are home stays which operate like hotels in a local's house. Panda and I stayed at Amakuthini (also known as Casa de Luis) which was essentially a hostel in Luis's courtyard. She offered both dormitories and private rooms and for an additional nominal fee, dinner (which were some of the best meals we had on the trip). Other home stays are Casa de Dona Kero, Residencial Amy, and Casa de Dona Shamu.

Further Info

Panda and Jade at the Fort

Like I stated earlier, I intend to go into much greater detail on specific parts of the trip so keep an eye out for that. But for now here are some sources I used to double check history and sites useful for planning the trip:

Lonley Planet-I used their Southern Africa guide and their website 

Ilha Blue Island Safaris

CIA World Factbook 

UNESCO

~Jade 

The Wind in the Trees

A few weeks ago I woke up with the Bastille song Pompeii stuck in my head. The refrain goes: But if you close your eyes,
 does it almost feel like
 nothing changed at all?
 And if you close your eyes,
 does it almost feel like
 you've been here before?

As I laid in bed I closed my eyes and thought about those words. The song is talking about the destruction of a city (I think) as a metaphor for a crumbling relationship. Bits and pieces are perhaps applicable to me but in total not so much. However if I only look at the chorus it becomes very apt to the life of a wanderer.  

In all my travels if there is one thing that I've learned it's that the wind in the trees sounds the same everywhere. As a child I would fall asleep watching the shadows cast across my room and wake up to the gentle swishing of leaves. When I was in college I would sometimes imagine the sound of the creaking trees outside my dorm were actually the overstressed boards of a tall ship on which I was having a grand adventure. Occasionally when I was living in Louisiana I would wake up convinced I was back at my parents house because immediately outside the window of my bedroom in both places was a cluster of cottonwoods. I would then be really disappointed that the smell I thought was my mother's cinnamon rolls was actually my roommate's sticky buns (still good but not the same). I had the exact same problem for the exact same reason when I was studying abroad in Vienna minus the cinnamon rolls. Now that I'm in Botswana everything in my life is oh so very different. And yet, on a Sunday morning when I'm lying in bed, if I close my eyes and listen to the wind in the trees it almost feels like nothing's changed at all.

~Jade


Final note: because of schedule changes for both of us, Sputnik and I will now be posting on Fridays

The Smoke That Thunders

I have reached the end of my Thursday and run out of time for blogging. So today I will simply give you a photograph of Victoria Falls or, as it was known before the British arrived, Mosi-oa-tunya (the smoke that thunders). Tomorrow when I have more time I will do a proper post. ~Jade

It's been a long time...

Since you've seen our smiling face(s)

It's been a long time

Since we've seen a sunny day.

But we don't mind

No we don't

As long as we've got you next to me (us)

Ok, badly paraphrased/altered Cake lyrics aside...it's been WAY too long since we actually did anything on this blog. Sputnik and I are taking action to correct this. We have recommitted ourselves to regular posting. I know what you're thinking. Undoubtably it's something along the lines of "We've heard this before. Two years ago you said this same thing and nothing changed. You've had this blog for years now and we've only seen a handful of posts. You guys suck at blogging!" Or maybe that's not at all what you're thinking. Maybe you're ticking off types of cheese in your head or rehashing a recent fight with your lover or planning your supreme take over of the world. I wouldn't know. I'm not a very accomplished Occlumens. 

Anyway, this time we're for real. We have a plan and intend to carry it through. We've actually even set up strategies for ourselves to make it happen. And we're informing you so you can bug the crap out of us if we don't keep our word. So from now on you should expect new posts every Thursday. 

Some will be by me (Jade) alone, some by Sputnik, and some by both of us. From me you can expect several posts chronicling the trip I just took with my visiting parents around Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe as well as a few musings on travel in general and trips I'm in the process of planning. I won't speak for Sputnik but from the two of us you can expect to hear about the trip we're planning for the end of this year/beginning of next year, a false start trip we were thinking about and the trip we're planning for 2016 (this one is a small but super exciting). 

For now I'll leave you with a picture of a lion picking its nose. See you next week!

~Jade

Mmm...boogers!

Update from Jade

It's been a year and a half since either of us has written on this blog and A LOT has changed. I'll let Sputnik fill you in on her own life but this post will let you know what's going on with me and what you can expect in the future.

Last June I moved away from Louisiana after 3 years of teaching. It was a difficult decision to leave the students and state I loved but I had to look at what was best for me long term. My darling brothers came all the way from Seattle to help move me up to the DC region. I will have to describe that trip in detail another day. I ended up living in Northern Virginia to pursue my masters degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Management at George Mason University (GMU).

One of the main attractors of GMU for me was their participation with the Peace Corps in a program call Masters International (MI). MI students spend some time (usually about a year) in a graduate program, go into the Peace Corps for a full 27 month service, then return to their campus for a short period of time. Their service assignment is related to their studies and incorporated through a project.

Botswana is the dark blue country.

I am now approaching the end of my second semester at GMU and a little over two weeks ago I was officially accepted into the Peace Corps as a MI student. I will be serving in Botswana working on a HIV/AIDS capacity building project.

It probably goes with out saying that I am beyond excited about this. Serving in the Peace Corps has been a dream of mine since I was a child. I think it's fair to say that I am realizing one of my life goals.

With this life changing event comes a fair amount of preparation. There is the usual amount of doctors visits, etc. that come with traveling overseas in addition to specific requirements which must be fulfilled for the Peace Corps as well as final papers and presentations for my academic life.

One of the Peace Corps expectations is that you will prepare your life for the full 27 months of service. This is no easy feat. For me, a big part of this is basically as soon as I finish with classes moving everything I own from Virginia back to Seattle so I can store it with my family. The big move will be taking place May 29th.

After that I'll have a few months to spend with my family before heading to Orientation (which takes place in the US) on August 12. Immediately after that (August 14), I'll fly to Botswana to begin my Pre-Service Training.

This is a very exciting and busy time in my life which I would like to share with everyone. I intend to use this blog as a means for updates about the whole process. Since Sputnik and I have already established its theme as travel I will do my best to focus on that aspect of this adventure. While I'm still stateside you can expect updates as things occur (shots, acquisition of items, the big move, etc) but once I get to Africa it is entirely possible that my internet will be spotty at best. That is an issue I will have to tackle at a later time.

Today I shall leave you with a picture of the only purchase I have made thus far in preparation of departure (to the right).

~Jade

Butterbeer

Jade and Sputnik tasting frozen butterbeer at Universal Studios

This is where our dorkiness comes through. Butterbeer is one of the most amazing drinks you will ever have. I've been fantasizing about its flavor since I was 12 years old. Last April I finally got my chance when Sputnik and I spent a week in Orlando with our friend Ash Tree. At some time I'm sure we'll go into detail about the whole trip but for now I'd like to focus on the butterbeer.

If you don't know, butterbeer is a beverage of wizards and witches from Harry Potter. The first time Harry tastes it he thought "it was the most delicious thing he'd ever tasted and seemed to heat every bit of him from the inside." J.K. Rowling was quoted in Bon Appetite as saying "I imagine it to taste a little bit like less-sickly butterscotch."

With the opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Orlando Island's of Adventure, many fans (myself included) were particularly excited to finally taste the brew. Universal's version is not exactly what's described in the books but it's pretty darn good.

The version in the book should be slightly alcoholic; not enough to effect a teenager but plenty to get a house elf wasted. Since Universal's is mostly (I believe) aimed towards children there's no booze. Harry and his friends drink butterbeer two ways, cold in a bottle or hot in a mug. Again, the theme park has a different take. The only option is in a mug either chilled or frozen. Both are delicious. I feel the differences can be forgiven since the park has their own perogative.

Ash Tree and Jade enjoying some homemade butterbeer

About a month after our trip, Ash Tree and I made some of our own based on a recipe found here: http://wizardingworldpark.com/top-5-butterbeer-recipes/2010/08/20/  If you're interested in making it, we used recipe number1. This came very close to what we had at the park. One of the things I like best about this recipe is it can be served warm and easily be made alcoholic (instead of rum extract use actual rum) to more closely resemble what is described in the book. This version was so good Sputnik and I made a batch to celebrate Harry Potter's birthday at the end of July. We can't wait to find another occasion to make it or get the opportunity to return to Universal!

~Jade

Memphis, Tennessee!

Courtesy of Memphis Travel

Jade and I are spending a weekend in Memphis in a couple of weeks to see the touring Les Miserables show (so excited!!!).

We're still researching and prioritizing options for the trip, and trying to make the most of our short time there. Of course we're looking at Graceland and the National Civil Rights Museum. I'm also excited to tour downtown on the streetcar and check out Memphis's musical roots on Beale Street.

I looked at Urban Spoon to find some cheap, highly-rated places to eat. We can't go to Memphis without trying some barbeque, and I found a great-sounding place with a vegetarian option! The award-winning Central BBQ in central Memphis has complete plates for under $10 and sandwiches for under $5 – including a portobella mushroom sandwich that I can't wait to try. We're also going to check out Muddy's Bake Shop, with awesome-sounding cupcake flavors, like prozac and razzle dazzle.

Anyone have suggestions for other sights or great places to eat?

– Sputnik

New Ideas

First, I know I have not kept my resolution. I'm sorry. Finding time is not easy.

Sputnik and I have had a little brainstorm today and have some new ideas. I'm not going to reveal them at this point since we are still working out the details. In the meantime, here's a fun photo of us and our friend Ash Tree from a trip we took to Orlando in April.

-Jade

The Urge to For Going

There is never a time in my life when I wouldn't want to take a trip but at certain periods what I want to do more than anything is get in my car and just drive; grab my tent, leash up Ginny, fill the tank, and set off. There is something so wonderful about a road trip. Driving for hours on end allows my brain to be at peace and truly contemplate the universe.

Joni Mitchell has a song call "Urge For Going". One of the most powerful verses is :
"The warriors of winter they gave a cold triumphant shout
And all that stays is dying and all that lives is getting out
See the geese in chevron flight flapping and racing on before the snow
They've got the urge for going, they've got the wings to go".

Every winter I feel that same sensation of being trapped and all I want to do is leave. Something about the low clouds and freezing weather makes it hard to get the motivation to leave my bed. Summer gives us the sense of possibility while winter locks our souls away. The song has one line which always scares me a little. "I get the urge for going but I never seem to go." Even as I feel stuck by the harshness of the season I have to remember the time will come when the possibility to leave is present. Luckily, Louisiana has decided that the end of February is the beginning of Spring. I'm now looking forward to be able "to go" and working on planning some of my upcoming road trips.

-Jade

Summer Plans?

Shanti Bhavan, about 2 hours from Bangaluru, educates
the lowest caste of Indian children, ages 4-17.
(Courtesy of Shanti Bhavan)

As teachers, we pretty much have our vacation time mapped out for us. So right now we're in the process of making plans for our two-month break this summer. We could tour central Europe. We could road trip across the U.S. We could visit every national park within a 500 mile radius.


Or, we could continue teaching. Today, we went to an informal info session on teaching at Shanti Bhavan, a school for ages 4 to 17 that seeks to provide a world class education to some of the poorest kids in the world. The school is located about 2 hours from Bangaluru (formerly Bangalore) in southern India. Many of its teachers are volunteers who donate anywhere between a month or a year of time working at the school. Kids receive instruction in general academics, as well as arts enrichment, economics and other subjects.

The two of us are considering applying to spend 4 to 6 weeks teaching at the school this coming summer, then spending an additional week or two exploring the country by train. Our room and all our meals (which are mostly vegetarian) would be provided free of cost. All we'd need to cover is airfare and any additional travel within the country.

We're super pumped for this possibility, and we'll keep you informed about the application process and let you know as our summer plans develop. If you're interested in the organization, you might like to check our their website at http://www.shantibhavanonline.org/index.html or their blog at http://sbchildren.blogspot.com/

42 Hours in Vegas

Las Vegas is one of those places about which you hear and think "what's the allure?". If you are one of those people, put your judgment on hold. Sputnik and I randomly ended up there last summer and were pleasantly surprised. The story of how we got there will be reserved for another day but I will say we didn't expect to be there or like it and yet we did. But that's a different story.

Last weekend I found myself in the city of lights for the second time. Two of my dearest friends were getting married and decided to do it in grand style. Because I was there for the wedding I didn't get to do as much as I would have liked but now I have some great ideas for when Sputnik and I wander that way in about a year.

Since my stay totaled less than 42 hours I mostly wandered along the strip. Again, one of those things that sounds uninteresting until you do it. Even though everyone I was with was from the city we all felt like country bumpkins because of the grandeur of the city. Every direction you look there's something eye catching. The new hotel, the Cosmopolitan, is the perfect example. They manage to combine the classic idea of glittery Vegas with modern flair as well as sophistication. The first thing you see when you enter is a three story chandelier which is large enough to have a bar inside. All I could do was stare up in wonder. My friends and I had dinner at Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar and Grill, which was excellent. One of the best things about this hotel was that everyone working there (including the waitstaff and bartender) we're both congenial and professional. This was refreshing considering the poor treatment we received at the Bellagio. While that hotel has a list of pros as long as your leg, the staff all acted like we were something stinky stuck on their shoes. New York New York was on the opposite end of the spectrum. Their workers were extremely friendly but failed on the end of professionalism. One of the bouncers at Coyote Ugly made a comment which was highly inappropriate and made me quite uncomfortable. I realize that this kind of informality is appealing to many but there is a line. Despite this, the club was one of the highlights of the trip.

The whole point of the visit was to participate in my loved ones stunning union. When they told me they were getting hitched in Vegas and not doing the tacky Elvis wedding, I was a little disappointed. Maybe it's just me but I think getting married at the world's littlest chapel with ushers wearing powder blue tuxedos ala Dumb and Dumber and brides maids with dresses straight out of a thrift shop has its own charm. This is not what my friends did and I cannot say the wedding was lacking. The ceremony at the Paris Hotel was absolutely beautiful and combined both their personalities. We had the reception at Augustus Cafe in Caesers Palace. There was only one problem with the meal: there was so much food I couldn't finish a single dish. This was only a problem because it was the best meal I've ever had. Their french onion soup can only be described as delectable and the prime rib was simply amazing (the most perfect medium rare I've ever had paired with huge asparagus and a stuffed baked potato). Unfortunately, the piece of meat I left on my plate could have been a meal unto itself. If I hadn't been getting on a plane in less than 7 hours I would have taken it with me.

After the meal we had cake at the condo where some of us we're staying before going out for drinks. Nothing  of particular interest happened at this point; just a group of friends celebrating. I was only there for a few hours before I had to run off to catch my plane.

All in all Vegas is one of the few cities in the world that can get away with charging you an arm and a leg at every point but have you leave still feeling good.

-Jade

Jade is the Girl of the Hour

Jade in front of Hoover Dam

First off let me say I am not THAT self absorbed; the title is a lyric from one of my favorite bands. Brownie points if you know who I'm talking about.

This is Jade writing (in case you couldn't tell). Like Sputnik, I'm from Washington State. I was born in Virginia, lived in Indiana until I was 6, then lived a little South of Seattle from that point on. Now I'm in Louisiana.

Traveling is probably my favorite thing in this world. I've been on numerous cross-country trips across the US, to Canada (BC specifically) countless times, Mexico, Germany, France, and briefly lived in Austria. Some upcoming trips I'm looking forward to are Washington DC, Florida, and hopefully India. In the back of my mind I'm considering traveling to Las Vegas, Central Europe, and a through hike of the Appalachian Trail.

To balance out Sputnik, I am the meat eater. Also, I have a sweet German Shepard mix (Ginny) who travels with me often and will almost certainly show up in this blog from time to time.

Happy exploring!

-Jade

Welcome to Our Awesome Blog

Howdy y'all! Can you tell we're in the south? Welcome to our brand new blog. This is Meghan (Sputnik) and Anne (Jade). From now on we will be using our travel names. We've started this blog to share our travel adventures, aspirations, and advice to you, our fellow wanderers. We're not by any means experts but rather we enjoy the path through life. Sometimes we will post together and sometimes we will post alone. You can always tell who is writing by the sign-off at the bottom.

Enough about that. You probably want to know a little about us. We are currently special education teachers in Jackson, Louisiana. Neither of us is from here although this is where we met. Completely coincidentally we are both from Washington State, love to travel, and are complete goof balls. Because we both have a teacher's income all of our trips are low budget. As we post more you will surely get to know our distinct personalities. Just to end on a cheesy note: thanks for wandering by!


-Sputnik & Jade