Sea..Sand...Diving...Divine

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Trip Start Apr 19, 2009 Previous
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  Pandane, Mozambique
Saturday, May 9, 2009

Marvin and I often dreamt of the day we would pitch the rooftop tent on one of those white beaches, along a turquoise ocean under some swaying palm trees and just watch the days flow into each other like fresh water colours on a painter's canvas....well we have arrived. In front of me the beach stretches for kilometres both south and north and I hear the waves gently breaking along the reef just outside in the bay. Our first scuba dive in the aptly named coral garden already yielded a multitude of reef fish that we are still trying to identify (our fish identification skills quite clearly not keeping pace with the birding expertise) and as we ascended I looked up and thought a cloud had fallen into the water. A great Manta ray slowly flew past us, its wing span about 3m in diameter (this was a young one as they can reach 4-5 meters)...the moment was yet another one of those majestic natural encounters, there is no doubt that God has a lot of fun creating this beautiful place.

Kitting up

The sea life here is abundant both underwater as on our braai grid. The first night was ushered in with 1kgs of prawns, the second with two huge crayfish (lobster) and we have just spoken to one of the local fishermen here to see if he can't organise some barracuda for tomorrow's dinner. All for the price of a Vida Caffe back home. We have consulted with the dive master here to find out what fish are not endangered and thus try to harm the environment as little as possible. Being still the greenhorns that we are it is sometimes hard to distinguish were you are supporting the local community and were exploiting the local resources. We endeavour to ask more questions and become wiser for it.

Waking down to our baraca the one evening I notice a white LandRover...being now a LandRover driver myself you always notice others around you, maybe it is a secret plan to know where some spare parts are available in the (very unlikely) event that you should need them. Something about this Landy though seemed familiar, like us the ladder of the rooftop rested on the front bonnet and not at the side like most others. I searched my brain and out of its now very relaxed crevices came the memory: we had met this family before in Springbok on a cold night nearly 12 months earlier. The world is small and its travellers an even tighter knit community. Gay, Cliff and Dylan thanks for the note....until we meet again!

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Sqeezing into wetsuit	Before the Manta dive	Manta cleaning station briefing by Vossie	Down to coral garden for some snorkling
Negotiating dinner (crayfish) after beach run	refreshing coconut drink	...did I mention that we are loving it!	...ahh, cool liquid after another hot day
..en route again..Vilanculo here we come	...braai wood...R3 a bundle!	1kg prawns pls!	Prawnpfanne on Steven Jones' super plate
Vino Bianco	Morning crepe	Crayfish dinner (Mensch lebt nicht von Brot..	View over the camp
Marvin and the mega Tuna steaks	Morning Glory

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