Tete, Mozambique

"It's always hot in Tete". These were the words uttered to me back in March by a driver up north who was dropping me at Pemba airport. He was right! It was hot there in March when I did a wet season survey. It was even hotter last week with temperatures soaring above 35 degrees celsius by 7 am and reaching over 40 degrees by mid day. The region is sparsely populated (probably due to the heat) and is still teeming with wildlife (by Mozambique standards - most animals have been hunted and eaten). I desperately wanted to see wild elephant but only saw evidence of these silent creatures in the footprints and droppings they left behind.

This blog is slowly becoming a photo journal of my travels around Africa. On my way home I saw some gorgeous black and white photos taken in Mozambique and couldn't wait to get home and experiment with some photos from my trip. Below are the experimental results.

Fisherman in Mozambique, Tete Province

Crossing the Condezi River, Tete Province, Mozambique

Train Station, Mozambique

Wash day on the Revuboe River (a tributary of the mighty Zambezi River), Tete Province Mozambique. 

Washing clothes in the Condezi River. In the rainy season this river is full of crocodiles.

Mozambique Images

Women collecting wood, Mozambique

Mozambique…where the speed limit is a mere suggestion, the colours are vibrant and the infrastructure and services are generally non-existent. Where bucket showers are the norm, animals such as mice and lizards are the only source of protein for some and a primary school education is a luxury.

This year I have travelled to Mozambique on four separate occasions from Pemba and Balama in the north down to Nampula and Tete. I still have two more trips planned before the year is out. Every time I find myself traipsing through a forest or crossing a crocodile infested river far from any tourist strip, camera in hand, GPS tied to my backpack, weighed down by field guides, notebooks and plant samples I wonder how it is that I got so lucky to land what can only be described as my dream job. I get paid to travel in rural Africa and look at plants…3 of my favourite things rolled into one!

The sites I have seen are numerous. Below are a few choice photo’s from this years adventure’s.

Flap neck chameleon, Nampula Mozambique

A young boy soaking up the winter sun. Most of the old Portuguese buildings are in ruin. Mecuburi, Mozambique

Mice on a stick. These are caught and sold as a source of protein. Most people in this region only eat about 4kg of meat per year. Mecuburi village, Mozambique

This baobab tree had 3 beehives inside. There were wooden pegs inserted into the tree  and used as a ladder to raid the beehives for honey. Balama, Mozambique.

The inselbergs of Nampula, Mozambique

I loved the contrast of working on a laptop in rural Africa.

The colors and absolute delight on this child's face make it one of my favorite pictures even though the quality is poor. Wash day near Balama, Mozambique