E allora, il lupo chi è?

31.12.2012

<<È di notte signore e signori, e i contadini tornano a dormire. Si svegliano i lupi. I lupi mi indicanno la prossima vittima. I lupi si tornano a dormire. È l'hora de la vegente. La vegente mi fa una domanda. La vegente torna a dormire. È giorno signore e signori e si svegliano tutti, ma non…! >>

Last day of the year.

Up at 5am (again), the heat in the dorm (a typical hut) was almost unbearable from the very first light. I put my backpack in order so that no surprise bugs would be able to sneak into it.

I got myself ready and start the search for a nice place to have breakfast. I failed big time, so headed back to the seafront and joined the snorkeling group.

We got prepared to make our trip on a 25hp-motor-equipped dhow (sailboat, with a rather inefficient square mainsail and no boom)

We were around 20 people, heading to the paradisiac islands of Bazaruto Archipelago. What could possibly go wrong?

Some 20 minutes after leaving the sand shore, two italian guys (probably in their mid-thirties) started talking about my vibram five fingers, without thing any notice of me listening closely. It happens quite often that while traveling in exotic lands, certain people believe nobody else is able to speak their language, given that is highly improbable that such a person could be found. Anyway, I answered back 'Sono molto confortevole'.From that moment on, I was included in the Italian-speaking group and played a kind of Mafia. Lots of fun. That game was probably invented for them to show their oral skills.

Just before arriving, a speed boat came close to us. It was Bazaruto NP Control Guards.

What did they want of us? Money. They said our boat was overcrowded and that they couldn't give enough tickets for us. After a heated argument, we got our tickets.

Heeeeaven. Paradise. Snowy-puff sand beaches with simil-volcanic black rocks stretching over a few miles as far they eye could reach. A sand dune mounted on beach was the perfect view of motionless beauty. Snorkelled all day long, saw many many many fishes (even though there was ebb tide). For lunch we had crab, vermelho (OMG, love that fish!), vegetables, pineapple and mango. Before heading back we spent an hour on another beach, whose name I can't recall. Half of the time we spent it trying to arrange a nice picture for the italian group, they argued so much! hahaha

I failed to mention that we smuggled a goat in a bag for the whole trip. I guess I'll never understand why.

I was so sunburnt I decided to take a little nap and woke up at 10.30.

Got dressed and left with the UN guys to the main show on the beach with massive attendance. I think no one in town failed to turn up. People were very much drunk, dancing in a tribal manner, taking and swaying me along the beat. When one local guy found out I was Argentinean he gripped me by the waist and legs and jumped (as far as his legs would allow him) in a weird frenzy. I guess that's another thing I'll never understand why. Two minutes after that, I noticed some policemen beating drunk locals and decided it was best to head to Baobab Beach Backpackers. Nice party, music & people. The host was just crazy, dunno how he could still on his feet after all the drinks he had! Wait, maybe I do… 

Watched sunrise on the beach and headed to the dorm. 

2012 had indeed come…