Curve Balls? Or Just life in Africa...?

Are they curve balls or is this just how life will be…?

We already knew that covid would throw a few extra cannon balls at our journey and we have tried to plan for as much as possible …. But really one cannot have set plans in place in Africa. Day 1 and leaving South Africa we arrived at our first border post after a 6 hour journey only to be told the border was closed due to a covid case and they had no idea when it would open. Our best bet was to drive a further 2 hours north to another border post. Overall this “detour” adding an additional 4 -5 hours to our total journey time. So what should have been a 9 hour day turned into a 14 hour day…..but I envisage that thinking on our feet and not expecting things to go as planned will just become the norm.

Yet, it is amazing how quickly one forgets the long exhausting travel days when you are sitting on white sand beaches and snorkelling in crystal clear blue waters….Santa Maria Beach on the Peninsula across the bay from Maputo is just paradise. We have stayed at Bemugui's Camp for the past 10 days which has just been sublime.

Taking life as it comes was further brought to home when we went to buy Pau bread (pronounced POW like wow) from a local baker. Upon our arrival at his tin shack we were told it would take 10 minutes for the bread to be ready. To use up that time we were given a tour of his health & safety void bakery. NO massive shiny machinery or fancy SMEG ovens….. rather this furnace hot 3m x 3m tin shack (roof and side), rickey hand made pallets (instead of tables), flour sacks on the floor, vast metal baking trays and mere tea towels used as oven gloves….. and the delicious smell of hot baking bread. There really is nothing quite like that smell! Well the aforementioned 10 minutes slowly ticked into 15, 30 then 45minutes ….. all the while the crowds of anticipating purchasers increasing – all being enticed by the delicious smell of baking bread whilst sitting on hand made benches or in the trees….but everyone finding some form of shade…..

Burning fingers don’t even stop you from ripping into your first Pau bread roll. Your senses are attacked – the smell, feel and taste is incredible! And even with the time delay you WILL be back the next day for another yellow packet of piping hot deliciousness!

I cannot believe that we have been on tour for about 10 days already and are about to leave to our next destination…..how time has flown. Our bodies are slowly acclimatising to the sweltering heat of Mozambique and our minds are slowing to the pace of “island” life. Life here is just simpler – people are not in a frenetic rush, but rather gently living out their lives. Maybe it is the heat that drains any need to rush around….. you physically cannot muster up the energy to move or even think fast!

But somehow one finds the energy to grab another 2M beer (pronounced Duetche M…. not "2 meters" as I first read out aloud!)

Ps - I am sorry that we cannot always say exactly where we are based but I am a paranoid mum and with us already exposing our kids on social media I am just taking one step at not saying exactly where we are to protect them. Trust all you parents understand.... but location will always be given.... juts a bit later :)