Be Whole

Perhaps there was something hazy in the afternoon air but Mozambique brought a sense of calm to all of us. It’s an aquarium; tranquil, natural, and humbling.

I travelled to the South of Mozambique with a group of surfers. I didn’t know them personally, but we shared a common love for surfing and the ocean. For a novice [surfer], it’s the perfect place to get into the water and experience the silence and overall beauty of the ocean. The sheer magnitude of the reefs and marine life is incredible.

We free-dived a shipwreck about a kilometer out to sea — that experience is something that I will never forget. A huge, once-grand, old boat lie on the ocean floor, fish swam in and out of the portholes, monster-sized crayfish settled inside little crevasses, and cute little seahorses kept popping up. I wondered if the crew had made it out alive. I wondered what it must have been like for the Captain when he’d realized that he’d hit the reef and that his boat was going down.

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The landscape was unspoilt and rural. The air was clean and there were no tarred roads. I loved that it was off the beaten track – no large cities nearby, and the locals were quite friendly. In the town’s local market, beaded accessories were sold, locally designed clothing, cashew nuts and the infamous Tipo Tinto – an unforgiving Rum native to Mozambique, and best served with raspberry flavoured drink. Just ask for “R&R”.

Rich Culture

Houses in the village are built with whichever materials are available and so are the little sailing boats that the locals use for fishing — called Dhows. The simple and practical designs of the Dhows are beautiful. Due to Mozambique being situated on the east coast of South Africa, the weather is warm all-year-round, even in winter. The water is also warm. Coming from Cape Town’s icy cold water, this was a welcomed experience for me.

Beautiful Beaches

Some beaches had pure white monumental sized dunes and sandy bottom beaches. The water was so clear that you could see right to the seabed, while other beaches had rocky reefs on the ocean floor. Another valuable memory was the sunset chats with the crew, whether on the beach or on the boat. I was very blessed to have travelled with legends of the surfing community. Each evening, we would have a cold beer and enjoy the lazy afternoon humidity while the veterans told stories and so forth.

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 Mozambique survival hacks:

• If possible, travel in a group. You’ll have so much fun.
• Pack light. It’s hot, even in winter.
• Go in winter. The weather is awesome, it’s Malaria free, and there aren’t many tourists during winter.
• Very important: Bear in mind that you will be driving on dirt roads. You’ll need a 4×4 of some sort.

Did you enjoy this story compilation of Mozambique? Find more photos of Callan’s trip on his Instagram feed via this link.

 

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Photos by Callan Blount