A weekend in the mountains!

I have been super busy this week! Aside from my usual hours of sitting in the shade trying not to get heat stroke and pondering life, this week I also went on an a rejuvenating adventure to the town of Zóbuè, finally started teaching, and discovered a new soy product from Malawi that kind of tastes like chicken and doesn't have to be refrigerated! I’ll start with the Zóbuè adventure.

Aside from Helen, who lives half an hour (in a car) northeast of me, my nearest volunteer neighbors are about 4-6 hours away (depending on transportation) on the border with Malawi. I spent last weekend exploring their beautiful mountainous site. As the chapa (public transport mini-bus) began the climb into the mountains marking the Mozambique-Malawi border, the scorched, dry plains began to transform. Lush greenery, fields of towering corn, and even some fog increased exponentially as we climbed, and looking out over the mountainous landscape, I felt at home.  Aside from my 6 months studying abroad in Ireland, I have always lived in the mountains, or at least in sight of them, so there was something incredibly comforting about once again finding myself on high ground.  When we arrived in Zóbuè, we were met by our wonderful hosts and wandered through winding, bustling trails to their home. We had brought some cheese from the city, and since our hosts have an oven, we had a delicious pizza lunch! When Peace Corps volunteers get together, especially in houses that have ovens or refrigerators, delicious meals are usually concocted, and this weekend was no exception. With the luxuries of a refrigerator, an oven, and most importantly abounding fresh produce our culinary possibilities were infinite! So the first day we had pizza for lunch and decided on a Mexican picnic/ mini-hike for dinner. We spent the rest of the day exploring Zóbuè. We visited the school, some neighbors, and a very impressive market, fully stocked with everything from clothing, shoes, and dry goods to fresh-baked bread and heaps of veggies. It was in the market that I found Soya. This chicken-like soy product is made in Malawi, and not only is it a super affordable protein source (about 25 cents a packet which makes three meals), but unlike real chicken, it doesn't have to be refrigerated!  Beans have been my primary source of protein these last months, and although I really like beans and have created tons of delicious bean dishes, I was super excited to diversify my protein intake! I bought 5 packages and hoped they would taste good (turns out they are pretty good! Like I said, tastes kinda like chicken). As we continued our walk around town, we encountered lots of friendly neighborhood children, endless fields of corn, and even a chameleon!

That evening, we climbed a nearby ridge, quesadillas, fresh salsa, and guacamole in hand, and had a magical Mexican picnic dinner as we watched the sun sink behind the surrounding peaks. I could not have been happier. I mean mountains and Mexican food…what more could I ask for? We had attracted a crowd of on-looking children who found everything about the situation strange. Why were the foreigners climbing up the mountain to eat their dinner? What were they eating? What were they saying to each other in their strange language?  They inched closer and closer, until we returned down the mountain in the twilight. After sitting around and chatting, it was off to bed, and I slept incredibly well since for the first time in months, I actually felt a tad bit chilly!

The start of the hike

The next morning, we were up bright and early for our hike up Mt. Zóbuè. We set off in the early morning light, and wandered through the towering corn fields of the valley before beginning out assent. We encountered several homesteads and friendly people along the way. As we began the steep climb, we discovered that what our hosts explained was usually a clear, fairly simple to follow path, was now an overgrown jungle due to the recent rains. So we began to make our way up the mountain, sending the dog ahead to check for snakes and slowly but surely, we made our way up the steep slope. The scenery was spectacular. We found ourselves climbing through lush greenery, rocky slopes, and eventually even a forested area. Being in the trees, looking out over the sprawling green valley below was truly rejuvenating. Even the oversized stinging nettles were a welcome change and reminded me of home. After a dirty, hard climb we scrambled up a rocky crevice, through a sun-filled clearing, and on to the mountain top.  We made it! As we crested the peak, we looked out over the seemingly endless mountain ranges and valleys of Mozambique and Malawi, and sat next to a cement pillar marking the Malawian border to rest and hydrate. After enjoying the beautiful scenery and some cookies, we took photos and got ready to head back down. We arrived back home tired, sweaty, hungry, and dirty, but content. It was an excellent adventure and we made it through snake-bite free and with some great photos! After some much needed showers, we headed to a nearby restaurant for grilled chicken and cold beers-a perfect way to end the hike. 

Walking through fields to the base of the mountain 

On the way up

Helen and I making our way through the jungle!

At the top! Looking out over Malawi 

                We spent the rest of the day relaxing, visiting with neighbors, and of course cooking. We made delicious curried pumpkin and naan for dinner, then spent the evening watching movies. The next morning, Helen and I made our way back to our sites, and I found myself once again confronted with the daunting heat of my village. However, after the rejuvenating weekend adventure, I felt energized and excited for the week ahead!

Technically this week was the 2^nd week of school, but it wasn't until Wednesday that there were any students. I did get to start teaching though which was great. I really missed it and had a great time teaching introductions and greetings to my still super small classes. I am going to have between 50-70 students in each of my classes, but this week there were only about 15 in each. Some are still working in the fields, taking advantage of the rains, some have malaria or cholera, and some just haven’t decided to come back to school yet for whatever reason. However, this is normal here, and other teachers told me not to expect full classes for another two weeks. So this week was spent teaching whatever students showed up, cleaning out the classrooms which for the last month have served as homes for the wandering herds of goats, and getting to know my fellow teachers. The classes that I did have went well, and the students who were there seemed excited and ready to learn. The ability level in each class is very diverse, and after giving a diagnostic test, I was surprised by the literacy levels of many of my students. Although the majority of the secondary school students can understand Portuguese and seemed to have a grasp on very basic English, there are others who do not understand Portuguese and who are unable even to write their names. So, I have spent this week revamping my curriculum and syllabus in an effort to accommodate the many different levels of my students. I am the only female teacher who will be teaching full-time at the secondary school level, however there are many women teaching primary school l (my school is attended by students from 1st-10^th grade), and all and all I have wonderful colleagues. They have been very helpful and kind, and I am grateful for their welcoming attitudes, friendship, and explanations as I am learning the ins and outs of teaching in Mozambique.   Now hopefully next week, we will finally have full classrooms!

Since I have Fridays off, I spent today doing laundry and cleaning my house. Laundry in Mozambique is a process. Today it involved getting up at 5am to get to the well before the morning rush to pump water. I pumped my water and lugged the two heavy buckets back to my house, amid impressed onlookers. My neighbors always ask me why I don’t just tell a student to get me water, but I actually enjoy the task. Although physically exhausting, I always enjoy chatting with the other women who are waiting to fill their buckets, and upon reaching my house, my daily water supply in hand, I always feel a sense of accomplishment. Laundry day involves a few of these trips, then the hours of hand washing, before hanging my clothes to dry on the line outside my house. Today was a great day to dry laundry. Not only was it tremendously hot (105 degrees), but it was also very windy. It felt like I was in a hairdryer, but it was great for my laundry, and everything dried in less than an hour- even my jeans! So now, I’m off to take my evening bucket bath- one of my favorite times of the day. I carry a bucket of water out to the brick walls that act as my “shower.” The roofless structure allows me to look out at the tree tops, sky, sunset, and even the early evening moon overhead as I wash away the day’s stress, sweat and dust, returning to my house squeaky clean  (feeling clean is a luxury in the Peace Corps) and refreshed. Tonight I will even get to put on freshly washed pajamas! Better get out there before it gets dark! Thanks for reading!  Sending you all lots of love from Mozambique! 

A little girl in Zobue finds time to play in her basket while selling tomatoes.