Missing

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I just realized how muuuuuch I miss my bike...
So-so much!!!
So many nice memories...

Speechless

Catching Sunrises

The 1st Birthday

Together again
(after being in India for 3 and 1/2 months)

Miguel once said, I like the asses made of steel. I can't say he was wrong. :)

My favorite butts


Arriving to Denmark


Threesome

Quiescence

Golden Mean


Holland Rides

Investigation Week - Inhambane 1.

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During this 6 months program, we have the possibility 2 times for travelling: 1 for Holiday and another week for Investigation week. I used my investigation week for visiting Humana EPF (Teacher Training College) projects in Inhambane and Gaza to make a survey with some of the EPF students about their basic knowledge of Health (HIV / Malaria / Diarrhea / Nutrition). I also used this possibility to get to know the other DI projects.

First I went back to Inhambane - where I enjoyed Miguel's company (and help) again.
Here, the Teacher Training College is new, they built it only 2-3 years ago. The campus and the classrooms are done, but they are just have been finishing the construction of the administration building. There are only 90 students here (compared to the other EPF schools, where there are twice as much as here). I prefered this smaller headcount, it felt more like living in a big family where everybody knows everybody.

EPF Inhambane

The EPF students live in a queite nice circumstances in these new houses (only 15km away from the beach). The only problem about this place, that the people who choosed this land for building a school, they forgot about the rainy season: that time, they got 30-40cm water - they have to walk in the water from their houses to the classrooms...

EPF students' houses

Miguel - the DI here - helps the teachers in the daily work too, but his main job is teaching "computer literacy" for the students. He must have lot of patience, because for most of these students (age of 18-22) this is the first time seeing computer: they don't know what the Windows is, how to use the mouse or how to make capital letters... They make all the tests, and homework on paper. Miguel's goal is teach all of his student how to write their reports in Word and giving a very basic knowledge of Excel & Power Point. This requires lots of patience from him (all my respect to him). On the other hand it pays off when you see them to be interested in it and enthusiastic. And they learn fast.

There is also another project here: The Child Aid. The name of the project is misleading, the project deals more with the parents and the community than the children. The DI's here work on income generation projects - mainly farming. Right now there is no volunteer here, the next DI will come in August, so Miguel showed me around here too...
Thank you Miguel again for your help & guiding! ;)

Guide Miguel

That's how the project leader travels here ;)

This is not a Kawasaki but still... The road quality to the community is not always the best but there are no obstacles for this sweet Honda... ;)

Inhambane

At this time we visited the beaches of Inhambane (Tofu & Barra), 600km away from Maputo. To save some money, we hitch-hiked. Our way to go up like this, was amazing. We liked the best the pickups. The sky is beautiful here and we just lied down in the back of the pickup and enjoyed the clouds and the environment passing by.

Chilling Out

Dreaming

Wonderland

In Inhambane, we stayed at the volunteers working there, actually at this time only one volunteer is there: Miguel from Portugal. He showed us around in Inhambane, shared lots of stories, introduced their project there - we enjoyed very much his hosting.

We also checked out Inhambane's famous beaches: Barra & Tofu

A very nice lodge & restaurant on the Barra Beach, where we had our lunch

The view from the restaurant

The 'Altar'

In the summer time, many couple comes here to get married on this beach. Just imagine this wonderful scene with a white tent around the altar and some chairs around it... ;)

Enjoying the Beach

Resting

Somebody mush have had some very romantic mood here... :)

Ocean view

Sleeping & Speeding

On the way back, we were very lucky. A guy picked us up in Inhambane and took us directly home to Maputo. It turned out, this guy used to be a car racer here, in Mozambique so we got back to Maputo in record time. However we were pretty tired after this weekend, so we slept well in the back of the car - we just got up a few times when our racer had to brake hard and we got some of his cargo in our face...

All in all, we had unforgettable memories in Inhambane. The people in that project, the local people, the beaches, everything was very nice. However the price sometimes were for the South African tourists - I would say it was still reasonable. The only bad thing was the distance - it takes one day to go up there and another to come back.

Ponta do Ouro

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At this time we went to the Ponta do Ouro - a very-very nice beach next to the South African border. The way down was already an adventure - around 120km and almost all the way on sand road or on the savanna - without any road signs which direction we should go.

Going to Ponta do Ouro

The first thing that welcomed us in Ponta do Ouro was a Kawasaki. Unforunately we were on a very limited budget, so I couldn't try it out at this time, but next time... :)

Just for the sake of variety, the first think I saw on the beach of Ponta do Ouro was also a Kawasaki:

Anyway, the beach was amazing. But it was a beach of South Africans not of the Mozambicans. Despite of being in Mozambique, it was full of white people, everywher they asked and offered everything in English, and the prices were told in South African Rands. Here are some pictures of the beach (click on the pix to enlarge it):

Praia de Ponta do Ouro

Natural Forces

Wondering Away

Crystal Clear Water

Waves

Taking it Easy

Walking in the Moonlight

Morning Peace

I also had a dream come true: here, I had a chance to swim with dolphins! First we watched them from the boat (and took some pictures), and when they got closer we jumped into the water with a snorkel:

Getting Closer

Swimming

One Big Breath

Coming to Us

Dolphin Art

Friendships

After this I really felt that Ponta do Ouro deserves a point - especially with the possibility of swimming with dolphins:

Lake Balaton : Beaches of Mozambique = 2 : 1

Suspension

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The effect of the financial crisis has been felt here in Mozambique too, and now in one of our project too. The main funds-donor of our orphan program temporarily can't support our Saturday activities with the kids, so we have to suspend these Saturday activities for a while...

I'm sure I'll miss the kids.

We are OK!

Getting High!

(Not) Doing the Right Thing

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One of our orphan kids has HIV. When the kids play together, for an outsider, it would be hard to tell that she has, because she is the most opened and cheerful girl among the kids I met here.

The very sad thing about her story that her Grandmother doesn't want (and let) the treatment for her, what she could get from the hospital for free (and which could easen her sufferings). Nobody understands why she doesn't let the treatment...

Holding her in my arm I started to think that for us, it's so obvious she should allow her little granddaughter to go for the treatment. It's so easy for us to see what is the right thing for her. But do we know in which "mental level" the grandmother is, what intelligence, what (personal) believes she has- how much she understands from this (and from our advices)?

And what about us? We have friends, parents who can see our life 'from a distance' objectively and thus easily can give us the right advices, don't we? Can we understand and do we accept these advices - or we rebel that 'only I can know what is good for me!'?

Or maybe even worse: when we both see and agree, that the right advice was given to us, but despite of this: somehow we just can't take it...

So do we have the right to judge this Grandma?

Lake Balaton

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Some pictures for the ones who don't know the (Hungarian) Lake Balaton:

The North Balaton Highland


Balaton View from Szigliget


The Balaton View from a vineyard

Balaton

The 'Grassy' Beach

Instead of working... :)


I need some more beer...


Sunset at Balaton


Balaton by Night