Tofo - Trip to Pansy and Porcos Island

We left early in the morning, and drove to the end of Barra, very near to Flamingo Bay resort, which is built on stilts. Wonder why? We were about to find out. A boat trip to Pig's Island was booked, we were to follow in the footsteps of Vasco da Gama, the great Portuguese explorer

After walking a few kilometre on a deserted beach we sighted our transport, a traditional dhow. These vessels are actually copies of the ones that sailed down here from Zanzibar Island, once a big muslim trade centre.

We waded a few hundred metres to get to the boat. Traditional, but very well built and sturdy, with a confident crew. It had to be, for we were about to embark on a 7 km trip accros the Imhambane Bay.

Our tour guides; some boys from the local village, brought this strange fruit aboard. I still do not know what it is. You only eat what is between the skin and the hard middle part. A few millimetres of strange, a bit sweety taste.I did not dislike it, but did not finish it either.

Traditional is not a lie around these parts. The rope was a nylon one, but the sails are cotton, and this way to tie the mainsheet is certainly not what we would do. But he was very careful, loosening it a bit as the wind picked up so he would be able to control the vessel. I'd love to give it a try some day.

We arrived at Ilha dos Porcos, and waded ashore through the mangrove forest that is forming there.

Yep, we visited another village. Nothing remarkable here, but this borehole. The water is not fresh, but it is used to wash up. A faster way then a walk to the shore. For drinking, rain water is collected at various places on the island.

Nothing like a beer bottle to remember you of home. Click on the picture if you do not recognize it instantly ;-)

Yep, it's bounty island if you want it to be....

Another spectacular picture taken with a mibile phone and binoculars (I promise to buy the first 10x zoom camaraphone available) It actually threads with its paws to shake up the critters on the bottom.

And this is probably how or boat was once fixed , too. Old fashioned caulking (yes, I looked it up too) with rope and tar. You beat the rope in with a chisel, it expands because of the water it sucks in and thus fills the gaps between the planks neatly.

Lunch. What's there not to like about Crab, Matapa and some shellfish? The kids were glad there was spaghetti and chips, too.

After lunch one of the locals offered to take some coconuts out of the tree for 15 Mtn, Sure he could. I gave him 20 and showed him the brazillian way of opening up a coconut.

Back to the boat.
the tide was low so it was a lomg walk out.

We had bought a little boat on the island. Don't they look alike?

Another dhow looked upon from our boat

Happy sailing

Something on her foot, we still do not know what it was. She'll recover nicely, probably

Landing on Panst Island, only visible on low tide.

It really resembles the Waddenzee in Holland, except for the much better wheather conditions.

An "Estrela do Mar", which I had never seen IRL before!

And then some more sailing

Happy faces, nice day!

(Trip booked for 5000 Mtn for the four of us. It turned out to be too much. The "guides"banked more than half of it, whilst the seamen from the dhow got no more than 500 for the day. Hope the'll sort that out some day. The islanders are very nice people, the rest seems to take advantage of that.)