We finally took a real honeymoon and spent the last several days on Ilha de Inhaca, an island off the coast of Mozambique in the Indian Ocean. Inhaca is 40km from Maputo, a large coastal city in the southern part of Mozambique. It was everything I imagined an indulgent, beach honeymoon to be, except for the transportation...
If you ever felt cramped flying to a tropical paradise in the middle seat on a plane you should try riding in a kombi for three hours. Mike and I were stuck in the back corner with two rather large ladies, it was packed tight. We arrived in Maputo for a night and were followed down the street by people wanting to sell us anything and everything. I couldn't wait to get out of the city and off to my tropical paradise that was awaiting me on Inhaca. Early Saturday morning we made it to the pier to board a old, but functioning ferry. The ferry had a mix of tourists and locals, this was going to be great we thought! Soon the island came into sight and eventually we were close enough to see that there was no pier or dock for this large ferry, this was about the time they threw the anchor overboard. A few very small dingy's with outboard motors pull up to the side of the ferry and eventually people were lowering themselves down the side into these small boats. We now realized why the hotel recommended flying and why no one else on the ferry had luggage like us. We lowered down into the ferry (I could barely reach!) along with too many other people and the boat was sitting only a few inches above the water. Thank goodness it was a calm day or we would have been swamped. They seem to have a habit here in Africa of trying to cram too many people onto one small form of transportation, again this was true with these boats. Our boat was filled to the max and we took off for the island, of course our fee for the ferry did not involve this short trip and we were asked for money again if we wanted to make it to shore.
Our island paradise was pretty much everything I wanted. When I first met Mike he said we would never go on a vacation that didn't involve snow, so this was a long time coming! We sat by the pool overlooking the ocean drinking our new favorite drink -- caipirinha, a local drink with lots of lime, sugar and rum. We only got up from the chairs to eat and occasionally to play tennis. It was perfectly relaxing. There was seafood in abundance and we ate to our hearts content -- we have fill up on it before we move to Utah. The dinner our last night there was the most incredible. I signed up for the honeymoon special (it was actually cheaper) and we were treated to a private dinner on the beach with candles, flowers and bug spray to keep away the malaria carrying mosquitoes. The served us plates piled high with grilled prawns, lagosta (very large cray fish) and barracuda, it was incredible.
As much as we enjoyed our indulgent vacation we felt conflicted by the fact that just outside the resort and on the beach we watched all day local people were so poor and just trying to make a living. I think this is hidden from many of the resorts that American travel to, but it was right in front of us in Inhaca. I guess the least we can do is come to their island and support local tourism, but it was tough to think that what we spent on one night at the hotel was all they probably made in a few months. At least children living on an inland will likely never go hungry -- teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
We decided to take the small plane off the island because we were a little worried about getting back on the ferry with all of Mike's camera gear. Unlike the kombi, ferry and small boats we took the ferry was not overcrowded.
Now we are back in Mbabane, only to take off on more travels. We will tell stories when we return!
Leah and Mike
If you ever felt cramped flying to a tropical paradise in the middle seat on a plane you should try riding in a kombi for three hours. Mike and I were stuck in the back corner with two rather large ladies, it was packed tight. We arrived in Maputo for a night and were followed down the street by people wanting to sell us anything and everything. I couldn't wait to get out of the city and off to my tropical paradise that was awaiting me on Inhaca. Early Saturday morning we made it to the pier to board a old, but functioning ferry. The ferry had a mix of tourists and locals, this was going to be great we thought! Soon the island came into sight and eventually we were close enough to see that there was no pier or dock for this large ferry, this was about the time they threw the anchor overboard. A few very small dingy's with outboard motors pull up to the side of the ferry and eventually people were lowering themselves down the side into these small boats. We now realized why the hotel recommended flying and why no one else on the ferry had luggage like us. We lowered down into the ferry (I could barely reach!) along with too many other people and the boat was sitting only a few inches above the water. Thank goodness it was a calm day or we would have been swamped. They seem to have a habit here in Africa of trying to cram too many people onto one small form of transportation, again this was true with these boats. Our boat was filled to the max and we took off for the island, of course our fee for the ferry did not involve this short trip and we were asked for money again if we wanted to make it to shore.
Our island paradise was pretty much everything I wanted. When I first met Mike he said we would never go on a vacation that didn't involve snow, so this was a long time coming! We sat by the pool overlooking the ocean drinking our new favorite drink -- caipirinha, a local drink with lots of lime, sugar and rum. We only got up from the chairs to eat and occasionally to play tennis. It was perfectly relaxing. There was seafood in abundance and we ate to our hearts content -- we have fill up on it before we move to Utah. The dinner our last night there was the most incredible. I signed up for the honeymoon special (it was actually cheaper) and we were treated to a private dinner on the beach with candles, flowers and bug spray to keep away the malaria carrying mosquitoes. The served us plates piled high with grilled prawns, lagosta (very large cray fish) and barracuda, it was incredible.
As much as we enjoyed our indulgent vacation we felt conflicted by the fact that just outside the resort and on the beach we watched all day local people were so poor and just trying to make a living. I think this is hidden from many of the resorts that American travel to, but it was right in front of us in Inhaca. I guess the least we can do is come to their island and support local tourism, but it was tough to think that what we spent on one night at the hotel was all they probably made in a few months. At least children living on an inland will likely never go hungry -- teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
We decided to take the small plane off the island because we were a little worried about getting back on the ferry with all of Mike's camera gear. Unlike the kombi, ferry and small boats we took the ferry was not overcrowded.
Now we are back in Mbabane, only to take off on more travels. We will tell stories when we return!
Leah and Mike
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