So we asked around and met up with a guy that had helped with the horses. He knew a guy that owns a bush camp in an elephant reserve about 2 hours outside Pemba. We got his number and walked about a kilometer in the hot hot sun to his house to chat about things. It was so good – he would let us stay in a bungalow for free, and they would take us out on a game drive to look for elephants that Saturday, also for free! How cool is that?
Our little Bungalow
Friday morning we packed the Landrover we borrowed and headed into town to go buy some goodies for the weekend – meat to barbeque and lots of snacks.
The directions we had were pretty comprehensive cos we had to twist and turn thru 3 villages to get there, drive thru a dry riverbed and over a very odd little hill. But it was breathtaking. So peaceful and quiet. The camp is situated in a valley at the base of 3 huge rock mountains.
We unloaded the landy and then we all just lay outside on the verandah listening to the stillness that was only interrupted by the cracking sounds of huge seedpods bursting open. There were baboons running across the rock face right in front of us, but other than that NOTHING.
It was Jessie, Josham (her brother), Laura (she’s working with the horses) and me – we where all staying in a bungalow that had cold but running water, and at night they switched the generator on so we had light! Us girls pushed the 2 beds together and we shared, and Josham slept on the floor. The owner and 2 of his friends had come out too, so they made a huge fire in the pit and we barbequed, so good – then we roasted marshmallows over the coals!
The next morning early we all piled into the Unimog, an old army vehicle, and we drove down the dry river bed and up a mountain. We stopped at the ‘Salvador Dali’ rocks and walked over a carpet of rock hydrax (dassie) poo. The water erosion had created an interesting abstract paint effect over the huge cliff and the rock hydrax had smoothed some of the rocks so it was a great place to stop for a while. Jessie and I climbed up a rock that was really high up… scary!
We drove for hours but all we saw where the elephant tracks, finally we got to Montpuez River and some trackers we saw next to the river said that a huge herd of elephant had crossed the river bed about 2 hours before and were on the other side now. But it was getting dark so we had to turn back. So disappointing!
The next morning we went to the waterhole really early, and watched the sunrise! We had to climb up one of the rock mountains and went to an overhang that looked down over the waterhole. We stayed there for about 4 hours, but all we saw where some baboons and guinea fowl… but it was still breathtaking!
The bush camp was in the newly formed ‘Quirimbas National Park’, and they still have to fence off the park and then there are some investors who are thinking of helping repopulate the animal population – it’s a beautiful area!
Sunday afternoon and we had to pack up and leave. So sad – I had such a peaceful, relaxing time, who wants to go back to the bustle and noise of Pemba???
We said our good byes and were just about to leave when a Mozambican came up to us and asked us, ’what is Iris Ministries?’ (we were in an Iris Landrover) – ‘we help children, orphans’ – ‘Oh, in my village there are 6 children without a mother or a father’ It turns out that he is the assistant chief of the 3rd village, Miegane, we had passed on the way in. I take his name, and promise to get something done for the kids.
So the weekend was over, and back to work!
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