Belin

I almost feel like there isn’t much to say about Belin except that it rained. And rained a lot. As Mozambique is a coastal country, there are a number of opportunities to visit the beach. We’ve even got the beach in Maputo (though not the kind you want to go hang out in – kinda like Mumbai’s beaches, it’s just too close to the city.) So this was our first attempt at a beach vacation.

Firstly, I almost squeezed my fingers into smithereens on the way up I was wringing them so hard. I was petrified. The road is relatively narrow, and if there was a speed limit, I didn’t see it. There aren’t really any lines – they wouldn’t serve much of a purpose anyhow, as people basically drive wherever they feel like it as long as there isn’t a car coming in the opposite direction in the immediate future. The roads aren’t kept up that well, so it’s oftentimes necessary to veer toward the center of the road to avoid the rough edges. That and everyone passes everyone, all the time, usually without a honk and oftentimes on a curb. There aren’t any dotted lines that tell you when it’s “okay” to pass – and that’s what I don’t trust. Individual judgment.

Frightening road aside, we made it to Belin in one piece. But getting to the house we were renting with another couple was a different story. We were in this tiny little bugger of a car and were up against some ginormous puddles. Puddles that would swallow us whole. And was still raining. After taking some adventurous turns and windy back roads we found it – only to determine that in these conditions we’d never leave our house, so we promptly returned to town and rented some rooms with a beautiful view of the bay.

And yes, it rained some more. We spent our time there eating, drinking wine and playing cards. A brief morning run on the sand (which showed me I was entirely out of shape).

I also should not fail to mention the amazing cashews we picked up there and on the way home. They have these “cashew” trees that are basically just twiggy trees they use to hang bags of fresh, roasted cashews and empty bags just to catch your attention. It works. Yesterday I learned that after the civil war the cashew industry struggled and AID stepped in to help save it. Yet to learn exactly how, but I’m glad they did. These babies are delicious. We’ve since discovered the piri-piri variety, which are seriously spicy but completely addictive.