You remember the drunk Frenchman? Well, he came back. This time, however, he showed up at the guesthouse where I am staying! He was...drunk. He checked in and then went out to party...all night long.
Sunday morning when I got up, there were 2 new additional guests. Two young men traveling through Africa. They have been away from school for the past 7 months, but are students at Yale and Georgetown. As we were talking, our Frenchmen came into the dining room...with a towel wrapped around him. That´s the way we all ate breakfast, with the Frenchman still a little drunk, but with a towel wrapped around him. It was fun. He drank half of my coffee since it was fresh brewed. Why not.
Anyway, I showed the college guys around the island...it took 2 hours. We did enjoy each others company and they are looking to buy a guesthouse as a long term investment. I am sure parents are involved in this equation somewhere. Anyway, they leave in a few hours so we will have dinner together again and then they are off to someplace else in Africa. They said they haven´t figured out what they want to do when they grow up...just like me!
Monday morning at the worksite sprung up as usual, and as usual, I needed to spend more money that Rodger had not planned on. The carpenter came with the window and screen frames and announced we needed to get the window handles and hardware, none of which could be purchased on the island or acrosss the bridge on the mainland...we had to go to Nacala. So at 10 o´clock in the morning, Miguel and I set off for Nacala...only a 1 1/2 hours drive by car. The Gilligan´s Island theme keeps rolling through my head right about here.
We piled into the back of a truck..with 25 other people, and went across the bridge. Well almost across the bridge. It´s a one lane bridge and part of the way over, our driver came truck to truck with another driver and we sat there for 10 minutes waiting to see who would back up. We backed up.
Once, across the bridge we waited for and then got into a mini van or choppa. It has seats for about 16 people, but as we drove along we managed to put about 25 people in there. The drive to the main highway is about 35 miles and after about 2 hours, we finally made it! Once we were at the main highway we then waited for another truck to take us the 40 to 45 miles to Nacala. You have to picture a delivery type truck with 2 wooden benches and a metal top where you can store all your carrying stuff. Once again, the driver moved me up to the cab to sit. I´m not sure if this is a sign of respect or if no one wants to sit next to a bald headed white guy. But, after another 2 1/2 hours...we were in Nacala! We would actually drive down the highway for 3 or 4 minutes and then stop for 10 minutes to load someone on the truck.
I have to confess I was concerned, because if it took us 5 hours to get there and it was already 3 in the afternoon, what was I facing trying to get home! We did make it to the hardware store and made a record time of only staying there 1 1/2 hours. Did you know that chrome is the same as brass...only different? I won´t bore you with that story since it only took 1 1/2 hours to straighten out.
So at 5 o´clock in the evening, I set out for what I anticipated to be another 5 1/2 hour trip except in the dark.
We got into another mini van/choppa and made it to the edge of town where we then got on 2 motorbikes to go another 5 kilometers to the area where people gathered to get whatever kind of ride they could to get home. As soon as we hopped off the motorbikes, Miguel ran up to the driver of an 18 wheel deisel truck driver and asked for a ride. If it had been raining, I would be singing "Me and Bobby McGee" right now. So, Miguel and I got in the cab of an 18 wheel deisel truck. Oh yes...the driver insisted the bald headed white guy sit in the passenger´s seat.
Well here I am, rolling down a dark 2 lane highway in Mozambique in the cab of a deisel truck, watching the mud huts and their campfires go by listening to...ABBA´s greatest hits. It was actually quite a bit of fun. In about an hour we made it to our intersection and hopped out and the truck driver went on to Nampula. We still had 35 miles to go and it was dark. However, there are people everywhere! Picture the darkest 2 lane highway you have ever been on through the countryside. Now, picture people on bicycles, motorbikes and on foot walking along the side of the highway. It´s like that everywhere. Some people are carrying stuff home and some are just out walking to see someone or something.
After a few minutes, 2 young men in a 4 door Toyota pulled up and after a brief conversation, we got another ride. Oh by the way, we paid the truck drive and these guys in the Toyota for the ride...that´s how it´s done.
So back on the dark 2 lane highway. buzzing past mud huts, campfires, pedestrians and etc. and listening to...Phil Collins and Whitney Houston! Another hour and I am back on Ilhe! Only a little over 2 hours to get home. Praise the Lord!
So what did I learn? I´m not sure other than God watches out for people like me.
I am posting some new pictures of our infamous sliding door, so I hope you enjoy.
Mike
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