Our trip to Vilankulos started out hassle free. Sean and I, plus Martin and Michelle, managed to catch the big bus rather than a chapa which was cheaper and didn't have the 'bag fee' that seems to be catching on in Mozambique. We then got the ferry from Inhambane to Maxixe without waiting for less than the book said it would cost. And even managed to find a direct Vilankulos bus. Unfortunately we had a crazy time haggling the price (mainly because a 'beach boy' as they're called had followed us and was trying to get a fee built in). Turns out we paid less than negotiated when on the bus anyway, so go figure! We also met Jenny & Alan on our way up - a larger than life couple of Brits with laughs that make you wanna smile.
We headed straight to Beach Village which had been recommended to us by Richard, a South African we'd met in Tofo. Turns out he wasn't wrong. This place was beautiful! And a good price! And with free WiFi! Jackpot!
We dropped our bags off and headed to the bar to enjoy the last of the afternoon sun.
I was immediately asked by some local girls if I had a camera. I replied I did. So then followed what can only be described as a photo shoot of them. Not sure why they wanted this, but there you go. They seemed to be happy!
Beach Village is run by Terrick, with his puppy Brutus. He's a top chap who made our stay fantastic. Every night Armindo the barman would ensure the fridge was stocked with big bottles of beer, Nelson the chef would cook us up a treat of Kingfish (Sera) or Barracuda and Brutus the puppy would pee on the bar (he only did this once bless him).
We also ventured on a day trip to the island of Margaruque where you can snorkel along a reef just off the islands beaches. We saw Walking-On-Water fisherman who were actually just taking advantage of the low tides as we sailed to the island.
The island was deserted when we arrived and that just made it appear like a remote lagoon. The water was a little cold as we jumped in off the coral, but the reef was worth it. I haven't seen so many different kinds of fish together ever. I actually got a little freaked out by how close they all came and what started crawling out of the coral! We had a wonderful lunch of calamari and crab on the beach, bathed in the sunshine and explored the island before heading home through the channels of water. It was a really lovely day.
In fact, we loved it at Beach Village so much we couldn't leave. We played more Carcassonne, eventually becoming expert enough to be playing all the add-ons. We bought squid and crab from the local fishermen, tipped Nelson the chef to cook it for us and ate like kings!
We even made it out one night to Afro Bar for some crazy dancing sessions! I was told that I danced like I came from Soweto (but that was by a girl from the West Midlands, so I'll take that with a pinch of salt), watched an amazing chap called "Jessie Jackson" bust a move or twenty and even met a lovely girl whose name rhymed with Condolesa Rice who showed us where the bar was and whose boyfriend then went off with another girl so she came back to spend the night with us. At 3am as we left we ran into Terrick who was just arriving. Seems we are not that fashionable when it comes to nightlife in Africa!
It's hard to leave somewhere that is beautiful, full of great people, serves great food, where you rest in the sun reading books by the sea or a pool. But that's what we had to do if we wanted to see the north of this incredible country. So we said a sad farewell to Michelle & Martin, Jenny & Alan as they left to head to Inhassoro. We finished up another delicious fish of the day meal and then went to catch our bus north.
If you're ever in the area - head to Beach Village. It's the only place to be. We'd still be there if we could.
Here are the photos:
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| BT84_Vilankulos 27 June - 3 July 2011 |
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