AFRICA 2K - Afremail Update 5
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Well, lets see...

Since I last wrote I wrote about my travels up to Johannesburg. I have traveled about 2500 km since Jo'burg, roughly speaking and through 3 countries (South Africa, Mozambique, and Malawi). I am in Blantyre right now, just chilling for a few days before I head on north to Lake Malawi. I will take a 36-hour ferry, either to northern Malawi or directly to Tanzania. But enough of the future...

From Johannesburg I arrived at the border of Mozambique and walked the stretch of no-man's-land between the two countries. When I got to the immigration office of Mozambique there was a line of people paying money with their stamped passport. You think that the embassy would have let me know, after already spending 3 days getting a visa for 75R that there was a border tax. Well, I had spent all my money as did my friend Jon, so we had no Rands or Metticais (Mozambican $$$). What to do. So, knowing that Mozambique's police and government workers make about, oh less than $500 a year (9-5), I was ready for a battle to get across. But I just told the guy, I didn't know and had only my credit card to go to the bank and extract money with. He let me pass but not Jon. Well you see, this is when you realize the almighty power of the US DOLLAR. You see, it puts a big smile on peoples' faces, and not just on American peoples' faces. Since then, in Mozambique we have put smiles on lots of people's faces. Mozambique is probably one of the worst countries for foreigners to travel in (aside from actual murder). One is charged 10% or 15-50 US$ to change money at any bank, ATM machines do not accept visa or even a standard credit card (as the machines take a different size card), and police will think of any way possible to take you down to the station "to talk with the boss". "Oh my friend, this is a big problem. Big Problem." Perhaps you dropped a napkin, that's all it takes. People go to jail (if they don't bribe the police) for pissing on a tree. I was so scared after a older white guy who lives in Mozambique (a business owner) told me about a night he had to spend a night in prison with 15 very friendly inmates. It was perhaps one of the scariest stories I ever heard.

Well...Mozambique is quite beautiful, but I noticed that people would find every opportunity possible to manipulate and take things from you. If not turn there back on you in a bad way. This isn't to say that the people aren't nice here, there are many but not in citie4s for the most part. Okay so I now can speak decent travelers Portuguese, that's cool.

Now let me tell you about Vilanculos and Bazaruto Archipelago. If you want to go to one of the most serene, cheap, amazing, and breath-taking places on earth, go here. At night the sky was a complete dome of stars in every direction. The beaches were pure white on the island I was on. The interior of the island had villages on it (20km x 5km) were the people would be friendly, but literally run away screaming if a white person tried to touch them. I sat with a family for about and hour talking in broken Portuguese from both of us, and shared fruits that I found or that they had already. When I was going to leave I went to shake his hand. He was sitting with me eating food that I ate. But as soon as I stretched out my hand he ran away screaming, fast, not even looking back while his family (old father, mother, wife, and his children) just sat there. I didn't know what to do and just walked off. I found inland lakes with crazy bird life and water lilies. I just walked inside the island from about 10a m to 5pm. I bought some fish from a guy I found on the beach. I ate around 8 masala, grapefruit sized fruits that have custard like flesh inside a thick shell and tasted like heavily cinnamonized apple pie. I found cowries and other types of shells everywhere on the beach. Low tide exposes a flat beach, which sometimes stretch about 2 or 3 kilometers from the beach. The chalet I stayed in cost $10US a day for a nice bed and private room. Meals, good meals were less that $2.50 each. I met really interesting people. Most notably was an America named Paul. Well Paul is a story and a half in himself. A computer advertiser working for Excite on their new ad campaign (on paid vacation to Mozambique). Well there is a lot more to say, but I will just wait to see you I guess if you want to hear more.

From Vilanculos (the mainland city to the islands) we went to Inchope, where Rosalina cooks the best chicken and rice ever. I mean the best. Almost half a chicken and two servings of rice with sauce for 75 cents. Beat that! And she is cute too. The restaurant was extremely picturesque as well. Then to Beira where I showed like three times in a day (since I hadn't in a while and my scalp was a shinny and oily fly landing pad) and chilled with Issa (Holga), Cynthia, and Bebita. Try to guess which was the guys name.

We, (Jon, Ryan, and I) boarded a bus at 12am and it was damn uncomfortable (probably the worst ever until the city of Tete. We arrived at 10am. Then we boarded another bus, which was almost as uncomfortable. Which proceeded to stop a total of 75 times before it left the city (this was in a distance of 2 kilometers) to pick up every single person in the city as well as a few bags of smelly fish and a live chicken or two. That was until about 3. That was the border of Mozambique and Malawi. It was pretty chill, still cramped though, to Blantyre where I am now. We basically went in 17 hours what it normally takes 3-4 days to travel. Just to let you know THAT NEVER HAPPENS IN AFRICA! I don't know what concord flew us since they are out of commission, but we did it.

So, yesterday was the first time I am officially sick in Africa. I mean sick. You know I have thrown up twice since I got here, but that was relatively induced by myself. Yesterday it was official and my guts are still pointing that out to me today. I am amazed at what noises actually come out of there considering that there is no voice box in them. But these are the breaks; I mean, for all the things I get to see here, it is worth it. I see things that are amazing beyond compare, and not a minute goes by that I don't see amazing things. Every moment here is an adventure. At least once a week something completely blows my mind that that is possible. So I don't really mind the occasional, how do you say, intestinal expungment.

The food here is amazing. The fruit and fresh meat is like nothing anywhere. WOW! The chicken here taste so good that I can't believe it's not butter.

I have noticed almost instantaneously the difference in the people in Malawi. They are courteous, friendly and don't harass you again and again if you say no thank you. People here are not in your face. The city is full of bustling business. Nice cars, Businessmen and women in nice suites and street hawkers with a friendly smile not a pushy attitude. "My besty flend, you must buy this. Yes, please. Come here my besty flendy. You must have my things." This is Mozambique not how they greet you here.

Malawi is known as the "warm heart of Africa" and probably is. To tell you the truth I was not much interested in coming here, still am not really, but the people here are so nice and just has good vibes everywhere - if they could just get some good leadership.

Anyway, este la vida.

I just want you to know that I would really like to respond to those of you that email me, but it is really difficult. I am making my email more personal and hope it sounds less like a narrative and more like me talking. I am only send emails to those that have emailed me or have told me, since I last requested to tell me you want to hear from me.

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