Smorgasbord

By Kate
The occurrences of the past couple days in no particular order:

1. On Friday, went to an ex-pat bar on the river. It's a brackish inlet from the Indian Ocean called Rio dos Bons Sinais (the river of good signs). Legend has it, Vasco De Gamma landed at Quelimane right where a big old tree stands now.

2. Which brings me to my second thought: does anyone know how I can post my pictures as a slideshow on this website? What online photo sharing thingy should I use? If any of my technologically-savvy friends has the answer to this, could you be a peach and email me? Thanks!

3. After the ex-pat bar, we went with the FGH crew to a bar called "Savannah." It's on the outskirts of town, tucked away in a village. We pulled up to a gate where two guys asked us to pay cover, as well as asked us who we know inside. We told them we were meeting friends who were already there, and they accepted this as a sufficient answer. Then the gates magically opened to reveal a hidden outdoor Mozambican night club. We got out of the car and Amy summed it up best by saying, "well, it's been nice knowing you." It was interesting to say the least. Mozambican and Angolan dance music. A bathroom that consisted of two rooms...one with what was kind of a toilet but more like a bucket that opened into a hole in the ground...and an adjoining room that was covered in a thin and vomit-provoking layer of human waste. I was a little concerned about cholera, but the doctors we were with informed us that they only see outbreaks of cholera during the rainy season (November-March). So I've got that going for me, which is nice. We survived the evening unscathed.

4. Went to a beach called Zalala--a most enjoyable word to say. Rode in the trunk of Janeen's SUV. It was like riding in an old station wagon backwards. A great way to see the country. It was beautiful! It was like driving through an endless sea of palm trees. The beach was lovely as well. Tons of sea shells, crabs, fishermen bringing in their latest catch, and warm murky water. I think it's technically called the Straits of Madagascar. This is the place where I have the best chance of befriending Somali pirates.

5. Discovered that everything is better with coconut. Coconut ice cream. Coconut rice. Coconut chicken. Also tried a hot salsa they have here called piri-piri. It's dynamite! Went to a backyard BBQ at one of the FGH people's houses and learned how to dissect and eat crabs. OH! And we had a rockin' lunar eclipse!

6. Speaking of lunar eclipse, the stars here are amazing! I could star gaze every night and not get bored! Last night was a full moon. You know when you're watching an old horror movie and werewolves are howling at the moon? Yeah, it was like that. Along with the usual sound of dogs barking and fighting, we heard the freaky howls of what I imagine to be a rabid werewolf.

7. Amy and I are going to look at a house today. It's called a "dependencia," which is a small house behind a big house....sort of like the maid's quarters. We might rent one. 2 bedrooms, one bathroom, $200 a month (5000 metacais). Not bad says I! Maybe we'll even have space to get a couple galinhas (chickens).

8. Got an email from the financial guy at FGH in Nashville. They've received all of Bushie's mosquito net money and are currently transferring it into an account through Vanderbilt's donation department, which will then be wired to an account in Quelimane. Amy and I can't wait! I can't thank you all enough for supporting Bushie's mosquito net project!