Grand Africa Cruise Trip Day 39/96 - Island of Mozambique, Mozambique - AK-47s and hand removals
 |
| What can you say about a country that has an AK-47 on its national flag? |
The Island of Mozambique (Portuguese: Ilha de Moçambique) lies off northern Mozambique. It was an Arab port for traders until Vasco de Gama visited the island in 1498. The Portuguese eventually gained control of Mozambique because they misunderstood the name of the Arab Sultan in control of the area. The name came from either Mussa Bin Bique, Musa Al Big, Mossa Al Bique, Mussa Ben Mbiki, or Mussa Ibn Malik, an Arab trader who lived there and was still alive when Vasco da Gama arrived in 1498. They named the island Ilha de Moçambique, and eventually the country, Mozambique.
We dropped anchor this morning and then dropped lifeboats to act as tenders to take us to and from the island.
 |
| Dhow boats ready for some morning fishing |
 |
| One of these things is not like the others... |
We made the short tender ride to the island to start our morning walking tour. It was warm - in the mid-80s, but there wasn't much of a breeze and the humidity was sky-high. Couple that with the intense sun and almost zero shade and everyone on the tour was wet in a hurry.
 |
| Fort of São Sebastião, built in 1608 - we would go there on the tour |
 |
| Sojourn, securely anchored |
 |
| The walk up the pier |
 |
| Singers met and welcomed us |
 |
| The white face covering is a skin protectant that the women use |
 |
| Vasco da Gama who arrived here in 1498 |
 |
| Palace and Chapel of São Paulo from 1610 - now a museum |
 |
| Interesting light posts |
 |
| We went into the museum |
 |
| This is the courtyard inside the structure - the former Governor's house, it is now a museum |
We were not allowed to take photos inside the building. I asked why. The guide said that they value the contents so highly that they restrict photos. This prevents anyone from duplicating the items, keeping them unique and special.
The furniture was incredible. The workmanship in the word carving was beyond what we have seen before. Our guide went on to say that when the pieces were finished, to ensure their uniqueness and exclusivity, the artisan's hands were cut off, or they were simply killed. Yikes! I don't think I would ever finish a piece.
Is that chair done yet?
Uh...nope, not yet, perhaps another 20 or 30 years to go...
 |
| There was a chapel inside the home/museum and we were allowed to take photos |
We continued our tour, walking north to the fortress. The entire island is a little over two miles long and a third of a mile wide. You can see the ocean on both sides easily.
 |
| Doesn't look like a gourmet experience to me |
 |
| The doors to an 11th-century mosque |
 |
| Approaching the Fort of São Sebastião |
 |
| Local wildlife, an egret |
 |
| Timbers used in roof construction |
 |
| I would have no worries about riding in this |
 |
| The fort entrance |
 |
| There were a ton of canons - our guide said the area was littered with shipwrecks |
 |
| Jesuit church built in 1610 |
 |
| Arlona, checking the lookout |
 |
| Yup - you can see out |
 |
| A closer look at the church |
 |
| A cistern that could hold enough water for three years of use |
We left the fortress and walked down the eastern side of the island, taking in the sights.
 |
| The former center of the French slave trade business |
 |
| Luís de Camões, Portuguese poet and author |
 |
| Much of the stone used to build here on the north part of the island was dug from the south, creating depressions where residential homes were built into the ground |
 |
| Former Portuguese Port Authority |
We stopped at a local cafe for a cool drink. Women there welcomed us, demonstrated embroidery, and applied sun protection to their faces.
We arrived back at the waterfront, ending our tour.
 |
| Our tender, en route to pick us up |
 |
| One of the wrecks around the island |
 |
| A fisherman with a huge harvest of sea urchins |
We welcomed the ride back to the ship and the air conditioning once we got back. We ate lunch and headed to the pool for a little R&R time. After more than an hour in the pool, we showered off and got ready for the evening. We watched the sail away from the Observation Bar.
 |
| A full look at the Island of Mozambique, looking at the fortress at the north end toward the south - you can see how small the island is |
 |
| A neighboring island, Goa, named for Goa, India |
 |
| The Goa Lighthouse flashed a farewell to us as we sailed by |
We attended another hosted dinner in The Restaraunt with dancer, Matti and singer, Kerry. Yet another nice dinner with other guests.
Tonight's show was the final performance by guitar duo CH2 before they leave the ship. It was another terrific performance and a fitting end to a great day in our 94th country. Tomorrow is a sea day before a four-day, two-port visit to what will be our 95th country, Tanzania.
No comments:
Post a Comment