On the way to the border, we passed the Pongolapoort dam. It is so big that I only took photos of a tiny corner of the dam - what beautiful colours - there were at least 3 different blues in the water.
The next photo is of the main road from the border to the village of Ponta do Ouro.
Dual lane highway?
The local people are very poor and impoverished.... They mainly live in reed houses. We wondered how they stay dry during the cyclone season. We also discussed how much in our lives is really unnecessary clutter. If one looks at how these people live and how friendly and contented they are - we can do without a lot of "stuff" especially in the modern age of instant gratification and our plastic society.
We stayed at a resort called the Motel Do Mar Beach Resort. The apartments were small but clean and functional. The general air of Ponta do Ouro is one of shabbiness and everything is run down. People have been talking about renovating for years after the war but there is still a long way to go.
This photo is of the carved tree at the entrance to the resort.
I was totally fascinated by the way the trees in the resort are pruned - it looks as though they have a mohican hairstyle
The local craft stall where tourists can buy curios. It was just around the corner from where we stayed. The handcrafts were awesome - amazing woodwork and paintings etc
The kids spent most of their time on the beach. They hired body boards for the day and spent their days in the sea..... We went for long walks on the beach and just relaxed and took about 1000 photos. I even pulled out my new needlepoint work but did not get very far. I saved the knitted for the travelling.
There are a lot of stray dogs (African Village Dogs) who live on the beach. That was heart breaking. I wanted to bring the one puppy home but would not have got the puppy across the border without the necessary documentation.
All in all, it was a wonderful experience and I'll go back anyday......
3 comments:
Those photos make me kinda homesick for the Indian Ocean. My sister worked in Maputo for three years and loved it and the people. She spent a lot of time out in the countryside as she had many friends who were Aid workers and said much the same about places being run- down but so welcoming and lovely to stay in. She used to 'nip' over the border to Nelspruit (5 or 6 hours drive?) for new clothes and shoes, and our Christmas presents!
Lovely photo of the water
It's amazing how welcoming the people in Mozambique are. There are almost no facilities, yet we all want to live there :LOL
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