February 6. That pretty coast.

Vilanculos/Vilankulo. A picturesque coastal town some 600 kilometers north of Maputo. Stroll along the lush boulevard and lodge in one of the beautiful guesthouses as you prepare for your boatride to the miraculous archipelago of Bazaruto where pristine beaches are awaiting the intrepid traveler and diving courses and whales and... okay, we did go to Vilankulo, but we didn't imbue.
We hitch a ride from Inhambane to the junction, and another one to the town of Vilankulo where we still have some hours of daylight. A friendly extravagant woman offers us drinks and we eat squid. Yes. Then I swim in the Indian ocean where the water at this time of the year is warm. The atmosphere is nice, the loud music doesn't annoy me, and we have a pleasant stay.
We spend a part of the night on a straw mat inside the house of one of the people working at the beach restaurant. I see Yeon writing under the stars and bless this peaceful place. Tomorrow we go to Beira, Mocambique's second city, for our next project - and we are looking forward to it.

February 5. Hitch. Crash.

We hitch from Maputo to Inhambane. In the boiling morning heat we head out by means of a big construction truck. Oswaldo then takes us to the police control point where we need about half an hour to get picked up by a group of funny men. A pack of partying boys that invite us for a ride to Xai-Xai. The atmosphere is merry, the coastal scenery drifts by in the hot afternoon, and the driver cools himself down with - beer.

The crash is cool. It makes my heart pound and a frown of worry is drawn on my face as the rickety car zigzags the narrow road, gets out of control, loses its bumper, cracks its windshield, beer splashes all trough the interior of the car in my face, and lands in a dish.
"Well, you guys keep sober. I think we need another vehicle."
They are already getting the car back on the road and we wish them best of luck. Another car has already stopped and brings us to an affordable guesthouse where we have a nice dinner and a good night's sleep.