Inhaca and Swaziland

So, it all happened that we took a week off for vacation. Since the boat to Inhaca did not go on Sunday we left on Monday and stayed for four days until Thursday. And Inhaca, what a place. So different from Maputo. The boat ride took almost three hours and we arrived at this small beach town. We met our examiner who also happened to be there, but was just about to leave, and then two girls doing their Bachelor thesis on fishery out on the island. They showed us the small market and shop that made out the whole town together with one hotel. And that was all of it. A car came and picked us up and took us to the research station where our supervisor and his three collaborators worked.

It was so nice and relaxing to come to this quite place. It was almost like a scout camp. The research station consisted of one house with a kitchen and common room, one house with accommodation and one house with a laboratory, the reception and a museum with scary looking fish in formalin. And ten meters from the camp, behind some pretty thick bushes - BAM - there was the beach. Long, white and all for us to use. No people and no vendors. Nothing.

 

We spent the days snorkeling, looking at a mangrove forest, swimming, walking to the small town and trying to avoid the high tide.

Taking photos of power lines is one of our favourites

Snorkling at the lighthouse

Best way of emptying boots from water

In the mangrove forest

In the mangrove forest

Happy and relaxed we returned to Maputo and the city life on Thursday night.

I have no idea if you've celebrated Easter in any special way, but for Kajsa and I we kind of forgot about it. But, we knew that we'd already been here almost 30 days (it's crazy how fast time passes) so it was time for us to leave the country to get 30 new days by getting new stamps in our passports. So we did and reached Swaziland after an hour and a half in a chapa. Swaziland is a small country I knew absolutely nothing of before I came here. Now, I know just a little bit more than nothing. I know that they speak English. They have national parks where you can see lots of beautiful animals. They have very good music and you can listen to it on the bus. And it is very easy to get around the country. Stand by the road and a bus will come by and pick you up. Easy as that.

We stayed at a national park one night and saw rhinos, hippos, elephants, zebras, giraffes and other beautiful animals as well.

At the entrance

Mad rhinos who wouldn't let us pass

Elephants

And got ourselves an Easter buffet.

Could not have been better. Then we took the same trip back and arrived in Maputo this afternoon. The trip there and back cost us about 6 euros per person. You've got to love cheap transport!

Tomorrow it is time for some work again. One interview is booked for Monday and after that we'll go hunting more people to talk to. Glad påsk everyone!