Sorry, everyone...you got Susanne again...not much mixing it up now. It`s allllll up to the one being able to stay up late at night now.
It`s been so busy and we are getting up so early that any extra time writing is hard to find. those of you that know me well know that I can usually find extra time in the wee hours...so here I am: 2 a.m. but really keen to share our last three days.
I also need to apologize for my awful spelling. I am actually writing from our new temporary digs in Maputo today..of course the Internet is broken in this hotel, but through some crafty digging, I found a ``2 bar`` wifi network of some neighbouring hotel and am not in such a rush to write. so I had a chance to go back over the last blog to see where I left off....and yikes....not only did I misspell, I think I missed words here and there. No time for proof reading :)
The problem is that everything shows up in Portuguese when you first log into gmail accounts and such and the spell check is also set up that way, so I don`t have the benefit of the red lines....you allll know which ones I mean. Never knew how helpful they really were...
also: for those of you following along, thanks so much for the comments, we love reading them all and love them, so keep `em coming!
Ok, here is what we did Monday
We started doing the inside of the homes. it`s funny, we put the bricks up so fast for the three homes in about two days for the main walls that everyone thought: geesh, we`ll be done in no time. other builds I have done have basically have brick walls and roofs only. these houses have a lot more detail. the speckling outside was one thing. now we had to add a layer of cement to the inside which would be patched on with trowels, then a 2x4 made it more smooth and then we basically sanded it with these rectangular things....takes a long time but looks awesome when done.
I think I mentioned before that our hotel is on this magnificent beach which has crazy waves, so that you basically can`t swim there, but my gosh, what a view and sound all the time. waves crashing and the colors of sunsets and sunrises here are amazing.
when getting home from work, kids were selling paintings and shell necklaces and some other art. they were quite polite actually and as always, US currency rules if no local currency is available (some of us had run out of exchanged cash)....we exchanged some money today and discovered that in the run of a week, the Moz currency increased by 10 percent compared to the US dollar....wow. you used to get 30 meticash for a dollar, now it was only 25. well, it was 30 for $100 bills, and 28 for $20`s and less. Older bills are not accepted...took us forever to do the currency math in our heads before, now it comes easy.
Did I already mention how incredible the women are here? They are amazing, I have such great admiration for them. Physically strong, they get water, hoe the fields day in and out, look after chickens, pigs and whatever else might be running around the yard...they pick the fruit from their yard (bananas, oranges, lemons, some have papaya, cashew trees, mangoes, and then corn, corn, corn, and tomatoes for veggies). They get water, wash, cook over an open fire and they often carry little ones on their backs doing all of this. They are loving Moms to what seem to be 3+ kids on average (sometimes 4, 5, or 6) and have the biggest smiles. They love to hug, are hearty laughers and are sporting lovely prints on their skirts, head wear, and blouses....so colourful, and absolutely beautiful people.
The hotel staff is great and we are trying to guess meals by rotation now...seems to be fish, meat and chicken....all great. After one week, we are now in the routine. Hand keys to cleaning staff on way to breakfast, make a cup of Nescafe (yes, Mom, your favorite..)..well, made my Nescafe. Eggs (omelette or fried), the usual salad which is served with all meals (tomatoes, onions, lettuce), bread, bread, bread with some jam, little bananas. the backpacks come out and off to work we go like a little assembly line piling into our vans which start over the bumpy roads. once there, we get the ``runners``...we get the waves from those that see us coming, but there are a few kids who start yelling and laughing and run toward and sometimes alongside the bus. we know where they live and which path they take when darting down the little sandy roads in their bare feet. and they are super fast! ....greatest welcome ever!
Gloves come out, sunscreen, bug spray....funny. This group knew very little about the work site a week ago and they are pros now. Love `em dearly already, my mighty Canadian group!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
Monday, August 8th. Starting our second week here!
Susanne reporting for blog duty again.....Chelsea helped.
Friday
We arrived at the site today to learn that we would only work at Danger Zone and Fast Track, as the owner`s mom at Scratch passed away. So we had 2 teams of 10 instead of our regular group sizes of 6 or 7. We asked what we could do for the family and heard that it was customary to buy sugar, flour, oil and tea which we picked up later in the day and gave to one of the daughters on Saturday. People who pass away in Mozambique are often buried the same day or very next day, so that the home owner was busy with funeral preparations.
Friday was build day number 5 for us. After spending a few days on walls and bathrooms, we finished off tying off the reeds for the bathroom walls and got going on an extension of the walls which would hold the sloping roof. 5 rows of brick in the back, and 2 in the front supported by cement beams with rebar in the middle which we had tied together with wires earlier. Some team members went to the well to get some water and Cecile got to try carrying some water on her head. All the women here carry anything on their heads including water from the well, firewood and food. It is amazing and they make it look a lot easier than it is. Some others tried their luck at carrying firewood, but again: looks easier than it is.
kids w2ho were leery of us earlier in the week when we were ``new`` now wave at us as soon as they spot the vans coming down the sandy roads, and run alongside or behind us, picking up other kids along the way.
today was the first day where we ran into a bit of a lull due to lack of materials, so the teachers took over to lead us in some games: duck, duck, goose with a large group which might have been worthy of a Guinness book of world records.
According to our Lonely Planet Guide, our hotel is THE place to be on Friday nights, as there was a disco in the building, so we thought we would check it out. Every time we asked what time it started, we got a different answer. One time, we asked: what time does the place close...answer was ``2, 3 or 7``. So we we ready for anything as our rooms were right above the dance floor and we expected it to be a long and noisy night. Well, after dinner we sat around for a few pre-party drinks with Dan`s speakers which have been put to great use all week at the work site and went to the disco around 10ish. We were pretty sure that the floors were greased before the night as it was sooo slippery. Awesome time all around with the waiting staff joining us and great music played.We had a blast with Djassi showing us some Mozambican moves and everyone getting some good exercise.
Saturday:
It poured.....well, not right away. The beginning of the day was cloudy and then it poured. We were back on 3 work sites and tried to get some work done between downpours and then finally during downpours. We built some more brick wall (angled sides) and began stuccoing the exterior walls with splatter cement. It's a little handheld container which holds runny cement, you turn a handle and the it splatters against the walls, covering the bricks like stucco. The workers really don't like the rain. As soon as it rained, things sort of stopped and the workers told us to go inside their existing homes...the huts with reed roofs. Some did, others finished some others tasks...so some of us got pretty soaked. They look after us so well, some brought blankets and both Chelsea and Susanne lucked into blankets with volleyballs...what are the chances :)
We wrapped it up mid day and waited a while for the bus....soaked to the bone and freezing cold. Once back, we got ready for a few glasses of wine and our big dinner out at the Limpopo Indian restaurant. As we were now a few days into the build and different food, a few stomach problems had appeared on the team. So it didn't really occur to Chelsea and Susanne that Indian food may not have been the best choice...but we took our chances and all was great. Meals were amazing, but spicy......ok, I will take the blame as another trip leader had suggested the place. Allllll me :)
Sunday:
Today was our day off. No work today after our 6 day week. We got dressed for church and piled into our vans which took us to our community. Females had to cover shoulders and knees, and we arrived at a building which did not really look like a church but would be used for the service, as we found out. It was amazing. People trickled into the large shed which had a few mats where women and children sat on the ground. Men sat on chairs or benches on the side. We were welcomed by the minister and a 2 hour service started which is hard to describe as there is no way to convey the songs, voices and general experience which was absolutely amazing. Lots of translations between speeches, and thank you`s, songs, and the sermon. We got to say a few words of thanks, and it was interesting to note that it was important for the people here to not only hear from Chelsea and myself who said a few words as team leaders but also from our 3 guys. They did a great job and the main message from the people in the community was to thank us for coming all the way from Canada to help build the homes, but also that it was an overall message of hope that people in far away places care and that we are all the same...whether black, white, and no matter where we live. Again, I can't do any of those two hours any justice by describing the morning. Songs were loud, there were lots of ``Amens`` and ``Hallelujahs``, clapping, drums and cheering. We had to sing a song for the people in the church and we did our best of ``Oh, Canada`` and Angela was a little star for presenting a gift to the church which she had brought from home; a large poster of a cross which was proudly lifted up after she gave it to the minister among cheers and clapping. All in all, it was an incredible experience and I know some team members said that they found it to be quite emotional...myself included. Wow, it will be hard to forget this moment.....
We had lunch at a local restaurant in Xai Xai before we got home, stopped for a 45 meticash iceream (about $1.50) at KFC (yip, they have one here!) and got back to the hotel. Our planned beach did not work out so well today as it was still cloudy with some showers here and there. Seems to be a repetition of last year`s Cambodia trip when it rained as soon as we got to the coast for beach time. People needed a bit of a break, though, so it's nice just to sit, have a glass of wine (we found cheaper wine at the local super market...about $7 or so a bottle) and get caught up on blogs, diaries or reading. just hanging out :)
Quick facts:
Friday
We arrived at the site today to learn that we would only work at Danger Zone and Fast Track, as the owner`s mom at Scratch passed away. So we had 2 teams of 10 instead of our regular group sizes of 6 or 7. We asked what we could do for the family and heard that it was customary to buy sugar, flour, oil and tea which we picked up later in the day and gave to one of the daughters on Saturday. People who pass away in Mozambique are often buried the same day or very next day, so that the home owner was busy with funeral preparations.
Friday was build day number 5 for us. After spending a few days on walls and bathrooms, we finished off tying off the reeds for the bathroom walls and got going on an extension of the walls which would hold the sloping roof. 5 rows of brick in the back, and 2 in the front supported by cement beams with rebar in the middle which we had tied together with wires earlier. Some team members went to the well to get some water and Cecile got to try carrying some water on her head. All the women here carry anything on their heads including water from the well, firewood and food. It is amazing and they make it look a lot easier than it is. Some others tried their luck at carrying firewood, but again: looks easier than it is.
kids w2ho were leery of us earlier in the week when we were ``new`` now wave at us as soon as they spot the vans coming down the sandy roads, and run alongside or behind us, picking up other kids along the way.
today was the first day where we ran into a bit of a lull due to lack of materials, so the teachers took over to lead us in some games: duck, duck, goose with a large group which might have been worthy of a Guinness book of world records.
According to our Lonely Planet Guide, our hotel is THE place to be on Friday nights, as there was a disco in the building, so we thought we would check it out. Every time we asked what time it started, we got a different answer. One time, we asked: what time does the place close...answer was ``2, 3 or 7``. So we we ready for anything as our rooms were right above the dance floor and we expected it to be a long and noisy night. Well, after dinner we sat around for a few pre-party drinks with Dan`s speakers which have been put to great use all week at the work site and went to the disco around 10ish. We were pretty sure that the floors were greased before the night as it was sooo slippery. Awesome time all around with the waiting staff joining us and great music played.We had a blast with Djassi showing us some Mozambican moves and everyone getting some good exercise.
Saturday:
It poured.....well, not right away. The beginning of the day was cloudy and then it poured. We were back on 3 work sites and tried to get some work done between downpours and then finally during downpours. We built some more brick wall (angled sides) and began stuccoing the exterior walls with splatter cement. It's a little handheld container which holds runny cement, you turn a handle and the it splatters against the walls, covering the bricks like stucco. The workers really don't like the rain. As soon as it rained, things sort of stopped and the workers told us to go inside their existing homes...the huts with reed roofs. Some did, others finished some others tasks...so some of us got pretty soaked. They look after us so well, some brought blankets and both Chelsea and Susanne lucked into blankets with volleyballs...what are the chances :)
We wrapped it up mid day and waited a while for the bus....soaked to the bone and freezing cold. Once back, we got ready for a few glasses of wine and our big dinner out at the Limpopo Indian restaurant. As we were now a few days into the build and different food, a few stomach problems had appeared on the team. So it didn't really occur to Chelsea and Susanne that Indian food may not have been the best choice...but we took our chances and all was great. Meals were amazing, but spicy......ok, I will take the blame as another trip leader had suggested the place. Allllll me :)
Sunday:
Today was our day off. No work today after our 6 day week. We got dressed for church and piled into our vans which took us to our community. Females had to cover shoulders and knees, and we arrived at a building which did not really look like a church but would be used for the service, as we found out. It was amazing. People trickled into the large shed which had a few mats where women and children sat on the ground. Men sat on chairs or benches on the side. We were welcomed by the minister and a 2 hour service started which is hard to describe as there is no way to convey the songs, voices and general experience which was absolutely amazing. Lots of translations between speeches, and thank you`s, songs, and the sermon. We got to say a few words of thanks, and it was interesting to note that it was important for the people here to not only hear from Chelsea and myself who said a few words as team leaders but also from our 3 guys. They did a great job and the main message from the people in the community was to thank us for coming all the way from Canada to help build the homes, but also that it was an overall message of hope that people in far away places care and that we are all the same...whether black, white, and no matter where we live. Again, I can't do any of those two hours any justice by describing the morning. Songs were loud, there were lots of ``Amens`` and ``Hallelujahs``, clapping, drums and cheering. We had to sing a song for the people in the church and we did our best of ``Oh, Canada`` and Angela was a little star for presenting a gift to the church which she had brought from home; a large poster of a cross which was proudly lifted up after she gave it to the minister among cheers and clapping. All in all, it was an incredible experience and I know some team members said that they found it to be quite emotional...myself included. Wow, it will be hard to forget this moment.....
We had lunch at a local restaurant in Xai Xai before we got home, stopped for a 45 meticash iceream (about $1.50) at KFC (yip, they have one here!) and got back to the hotel. Our planned beach did not work out so well today as it was still cloudy with some showers here and there. Seems to be a repetition of last year`s Cambodia trip when it rained as soon as we got to the coast for beach time. People needed a bit of a break, though, so it's nice just to sit, have a glass of wine (we found cheaper wine at the local super market...about $7 or so a bottle) and get caught up on blogs, diaries or reading. just hanging out :)
Quick facts:
- Dairy Milk Cashew and Coconut chocolate bars....best thing ever for the coconut loves (other than me...). $3 or so
- Teachers make $120 a year and class sizes are around 50-60. Kids go to school in shifts; ie. young ones from 6:30-9:30 am, then some a bit older for the next 3 hour shift etc.
- Mozambique beer: 2 M is great, nice and light. Laurentina beer is dark, also really good
- Most wine is from South Africa
- Many meals come with rice and potato, not just one side
- Men can have more than one wife. Women don't marry guys who don`t have a job usually. Many Mozambican men work in the mines in South Africa for months at a time.
- Gas is $1.50 a litre
- Restaurants seems to have TV`s on all the time and are turned up pretty loud. We have one in our hotel dining room which plays anything including something like much music, as well as soap operas, news etc. The resturant today also had a TV blaring.
- Meals here are huge and we are eating a ton of bread...it`s sooooooo good. Kind of like french baguette.. am thinking that the idea of losing a pound or two was likely not so realistic....grrr!
- Menus are translated into English...somewhat: ``sharimp`` in the seafood section
Friday, August 5, 2011
Friday, August 5th
Thursday, August 4th.
Well, here is my debut: it`s Susanne , sitting in my room in PJ`s at 9 pm trying to get some things written down before posting them tomorrow at the Internet cafe.
Since I have not read or written our blog yet, I only have a vague idea of what you`ve been told but bear with me for any repetition. Have not been at the Internet cafe since arriving. Those of you who know me and my addiction to me blackberry well, you will know this is quite a drastic change for me :)
Mozambioque has been incredible. Our location at the beach means that every morning, when the bus arrives at 7:30pm to pick us up, we see crashing waves in the background and get a light breeze off the ocean. The weather has been great. The first two days have been warm but a breeze here and there. Today and yesterday have been hot, hot, hot. Team members are getting tanned and burnt, sunscreen smell and bug repellent smell christen the work site every morning and we are becoming ``regulars`in our routines of doing the above, filling up water bottles, getting gloves on and marching off to the work sites. A lot of fruit is served for break time, sandwiches for lunch (including cold cuts, peanut butter and nutella). Backpacks are worn everywhere to the 3 worksites which have now been named ``Fast Track`(the one which was quite a bit ahead of the others` in the beginning), Scratch (as it started from scratch without any foundation, the others already had two layers of brick in), and Danger Zone for a bit of a mishap that happened a few days ago. All is good though, no worries :)
Since there are 20 of us with 3 sites, we keep rotating through to different ones and also switch up teams so that we have an opportunity to get to know all three families and work with different team members.
After two days of building the brick walls, we are now into the more intricate stuff.....well, I guess not all of it: We had to shovel I am no sure how many wheel barrows of dirt inside the home to elevate the floors for a later time when cement can be poured into them. Honorable mention by Kesley `Love what you`ve done with the place`.....nice greeting for Sam and Nada who had been smoothing out the umpteen wheelbarrows of sand dropped inside the door. We also helped build the bathrooms which have cement floors, then wooden beams bringing some support and then reed (not sure if i am spelling that right) which are placed all the way around as a privacy fence. Fun to do. Today we helped move loads of small gravel which were delivered by the road, into the work site by the house and then proceeded to make cement beams which will hold another few rows of bricks and then the roof.
Yesterday, we got a tour from Djassi of various Habitat homes which had been built in the community for needy families in earlier times. Many have stories interwoven by tragedy including , HIV/Aids affliction, but sometimes it is hard to believe, because you see so many smiles and waves from complete strangers. We saw about 6 or 8 homes, and one of the latter ones was a woman who was disabled and could only crawl versus walk. After stopping and talking with her, we found out that she had 4 sets of twins (most kids here are born at home) and her husband died. Habitat ended up building her two homes side by side for all her kids and the church pitched in and gave her a well inside her yard due to her tough situation. Most other households have to walk a long ways to a single well which the whole community seems to use close to the main road. It is simply amazing ..the stories you hear and the lifestyle these families have. Responsibilities at a very young age of siblings to look after their younger brothers and sisters...carrying them on their backs when they are still small themselves, feeding them and looking after them all day when their parents may be working on a farm or doing other chores. Most everyone`s clothing is torn and ripped, but smiles are plentiful! The people of Mozambique are truly attractive, nice looking people with gorgeous features and great posture ...likely from carrying water, food and supplies on their heads wherever you look. Straight as a broom....we will try to learn this while here!
Today, we had some exra time in the afternoon and went to another site where we had an impromptu concert by about 20 kids. Sergio, one of the Haaitat staff, started singing and soon all the kids joined in. First a song in the native language, then an English Christian one...can`t even describe the moment. Amazing, all these little ones singing, and clapping and then a few even danced ``in the circle``. The rhythm and swinging hips. wow, impressive. There was some hopscotch going on, as well , and games of duck and goose. Must have been the largest circle ever, at least 40 kids...it started with a few but then the word spreads and more and more come along. All ages from babies coming in the little back bundles to teenagers. Lots of laughs!
Other honorable mentions:
· finding out that the `bathrooms without holes` which we wondered about for days but have been using as bathroom facilities, were actually showers (straw/reed huts without anything in them indicating they were showers, by the way). whoops!
· having our great supper at the hotel today and Michelle wanting to take the red sauce as she saw we had spaghetti noodles ...she was about to take some red sauce, and the owner of the hotel quickly said `no,no no...is very hot...ATOMIC`` . Great word choice, of course we tried some and I think it`s Piri Piri cause. We were warned!
· arriving here on Monday at the worksite, there was a little one about a year or so and after seeing me, she stuck her hand out and rubbed the top of my hand. Likely trying to see if she could rub the light part off to maybe get to a darker skin underneath? Yes, we certainly stand out here....
· we are all wearing shorts and often, when you kneel down, you have dirt on your knees...happened e few times now when kids are around, they see your knees and then carefully brush the dirt off them
· the kids here love holding hands, so you try to take them in a free hand but if kids run out of hands, they travel up your arm, so that you have one you`re holding hands with and another couple `tacked on`
Fast facts:
· tons of chickens everywhere and most of the walkways and paths are all very sandy, so you have chicken scratches and foot marks everywhere. random! :)
· kids here go to school until grade 6. then they have to pay. It`s $5 a year and the government pays room and board in high school; as you have to stay here. Many kids can`t go as they are required to work the field and tend after their siblings
· you can`t talk on the phone and drive. fine: 1000 meticals or $30
· Pringles are $7 here
· Heineken beer: 70 meticals or just over $2. Wine is quite a bit more expensive...so i had some adjusting to do :) Local beer is good but quite dark, so us `Corona girls`were struggling a bit.
· Most vehicles here are white...sun/heat related or because cheaper? hmmmm.
· The ants here bite...had ants in my pants...well, an ant in my pant and it bit 4 times. littler bugger....squished him....
· very musical people, lots of singing, dancing
· food is great. steak super tender,almost like a great roast, salad consists of lettuce leaves, tomatoes, onions. lots of veggies, rice, lots of seafood...fish.
· no one seems to ever wear sunglasses here
· African time = patience....will learn it one day :)
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Vulungu's!
The word of the day: vulungu (ve-loon-goo). All of the kids refer to us as vulungu's which means a group of white people. A mulungu is one white person. They love to call us this and it's not meant in a derogatory way at all! We arrived at the site and split up in to new groups and went off to a site we weren't at the day before. We continued to mix cement, carry bricks, lay bricks and build walls and leveling the floor inside the house. The main structure went up quickly at each site and we finished most of the outer walls by the end of day two on all 3 houses. The kids weren't at all shy and spent the whole day hanging out, holding our hands, and wanting their pictures taken. They hear a click and come running- 30 at a time and as soon as you take it, you have to show them and they laugh and giggle every single time! You can't but laugh and smile with them- their laugh is infectious and genuine every time.
At about 4pm we headed back to the hotel for some supper and a few drinks! Everything is great in Moz! :)
At about 4pm we headed back to the hotel for some supper and a few drinks! Everything is great in Moz! :)
Day one of the build!
After a quick breakfast we climbed in to the van for our "20 min." drive to the work site. 50 minutes later, we arrived! :) Apparently, Magaia and Djassi are on African time! When we got there we split up in to 3 groups and headed off to three different sites (they were still pretty close to one another but not right next door). We dug trenches, spread gravel, mixed cement (masa), lugged cement blocks from the pile to the home, and started building walls with the help of a few local skilled workers and our site supervisors- Pedro, Sergio, and Lucas. The weather was warm and sunny with a nice little breeze. Good thing too- being a human cement mixer is HARD work!
Like a lot of builds, there were lots of kids around but they kept their distance for a couple hours and just stared at us. One of the team members commented that they were probably thinking that we glowed in the dark! We started taking photos of the site and before too long, the kids warmed up to us. Ever since they have been everywhere we are! It's amazing to see how self sufficient the kids are- 5 years olds carrying their baby siblings on their backs for hours, pounding corn in to maize, doing laundry, making fire with sticks and helping their mothers carry 30 litres of water in a jug on their head!!! The neck muscles they have are incredible! We could hardly lift the jug with our arms!
We got lots done by the end of the first day and we plowed through our supper. After we ate we walked across the street to the ocean. The surf is crazy here- there are massive waves all the time crashing up against the shore. You can't swim there because there is a sudden drop off and violent current. We stayed on the beach and just stared up at the sky. Night time in Africa is unlike any other place I've ever seen- the stars are incredibly bright and light up the entire sky! You can see many of the constellations and even a good chunk of the milky way as clear as day! We headed to bed shortly afterwards, tired and sore! The team is great and everyone gets along fabulously! On to day 2!
Like a lot of builds, there were lots of kids around but they kept their distance for a couple hours and just stared at us. One of the team members commented that they were probably thinking that we glowed in the dark! We started taking photos of the site and before too long, the kids warmed up to us. Ever since they have been everywhere we are! It's amazing to see how self sufficient the kids are- 5 years olds carrying their baby siblings on their backs for hours, pounding corn in to maize, doing laundry, making fire with sticks and helping their mothers carry 30 litres of water in a jug on their head!!! The neck muscles they have are incredible! We could hardly lift the jug with our arms!
We got lots done by the end of the first day and we plowed through our supper. After we ate we walked across the street to the ocean. The surf is crazy here- there are massive waves all the time crashing up against the shore. You can't swim there because there is a sudden drop off and violent current. We stayed on the beach and just stared up at the sky. Night time in Africa is unlike any other place I've ever seen- the stars are incredibly bright and light up the entire sky! You can see many of the constellations and even a good chunk of the milky way as clear as day! We headed to bed shortly afterwards, tired and sore! The team is great and everyone gets along fabulously! On to day 2!
We're in Moz!!
The Paris crew, plus Andrea, Cecile and Alex were almost the last to arrive at the Moz airport. We got in around 3pm and met up with a bunch of the other team members: Sam, Sarah, Joceyln, Kelsey, Carin, Sue, Steve, Dan and Jen. Nada was going to meet us at the hotel as she was already in Moz doing some scuba diving and Angela was scheduled to come in the next day due to a flight cancellation. We threw our bags in to one van and then piled in to the other for our 3.5hr drive to Xai Xai. It was warm, the sky is the bluest, clearest blue you've ever seen, there were people everywhere walking barefoot through the sandy streets and every 5-10 minutes we passed a group of kids playing soccer! This is Africa!
After the long drive, we finally arrived at our hotel: Complexio Turistico Halley (the only hotel in Xai Xai!) It certainly isn't the 4 Seasons but there is electricity, running water (sometimes...) and pretty decent food and apparently it is THE place to be on a Friday night! We checked in, had dinner (complete with French fries!) and had a meeting where we met Magaia and Djassi (our Habitat reps here in Moz). Everyone was pretty tired after that so we packed it in and got some sleep for day one of the build!
After the long drive, we finally arrived at our hotel: Complexio Turistico Halley (the only hotel in Xai Xai!) It certainly isn't the 4 Seasons but there is electricity, running water (sometimes...) and pretty decent food and apparently it is THE place to be on a Friday night! We checked in, had dinner (complete with French fries!) and had a meeting where we met Magaia and Djassi (our Habitat reps here in Moz). Everyone was pretty tired after that so we packed it in and got some sleep for day one of the build!
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