Pictorial Pemba - Part II - Landscapes

The lovely beach is what Pemba is known for and draws tourists to to its numerous islands. Below are some landscapes taken from various places in the city. The sight of the water in its hues of blue is simply mesmerising.

Go to any place in Pemba at a height and this is what you shall see.

The snap below portrays the heart of Pemba. In the huts below is where the common man stays.

The sight of the sun setting reminded me of the view at sun set point at IIFM.

I see the sun set everyday but never get tired of admiring a snap of the same.

Pictorial Pemba - Part I - The road behind my house

Finally, i could get my hand on a camera thanks to my friend Mr. Niraj Joshi and here is the output. The best part about photography in Pemba is that, since the town is small & situated in a bay, any landscape snaps taken from a wee bit of a height will definitely capture some of the beautiful blue water too.

The first two snaps that you see below are on the road which is a block behind my house. The road is lined by houses on one side and a row of coconut trees on the other side.

This stretch of road is good for an evening walk or even a short drive to the Italian eatery down the road.


Beyond the coconut tress & the edge of the road lies the clear blue waters of Pemba bay - the next snap. The sight just awesome. Especially the various hues of blue that are visible in the sunlight.

Further down the road lies the old city of Pemba as you see in the snap below. Once upon a time what used to be residences, today houses warehouses & wholesalers.

Neighbouring the old part of the city is the tiny Pemba port which can berth one ship at a time.

Interestingly the major cargo that is carried by this port is not timber but cotton. Plexus, the UK based leading supplier of raw cotton, worldwide is the biggest client of the port. Most of the concrete structures that you see around the port are Plexus warehouses.

The power of a confident word

For the past 2 weeks the suspension of my Pajero has been creating a racket. I mentally blamed this on the fact that this is a second hand vehicle and the condition of the roads here are simply awesome. A few acquaintances of mine also had some comments to make on the rattling noise. I was getting a feeling that the car would break down any moment. The only thought that used to run through my mind when i was travelling in the vehicle was, "What if this gave way now?" And till i got back home, my mind would not be at peace.

I made some time today to visit a garage. The owner was a Portuguese. An elderly gentleman with a wrinkled forehead and greasy palms. He asked my driver to describe the problem to his assistant, while he came to me and said, "Lets go for a drive." He drove the vehicle and listened carefully to sounds that it was making. On getting back to his workshop, he asked his mechanic to take the Pajero up the ramp and inspected it from the bottom.

Then he delivered his final diagnosis. "The moving parts need to be cleaned & lubricated. The rear shock absorbers have lost their effect and need to be replaced. Otherwise your car is in good shape. Come back tomorrow morning at 7 and take it back by evening." As i drove back home i was conscious of the rattling sound coming from the car but i was not perturbed. "It will be gone by tomorrow" was all i said to myself with a grin on my face.

I have all the time to stand & stare...

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

I have loved this poem 'Leisure' by Henry Davies because it always called out to the laziness in me. The one which wants to look out of my window at the cars on the road, look at people walking on the road as they go on with their daily chores, the branches of the trees swaying with the wind & eagles gliding high in the sky.

I was reminded of this composition as an anticlimax to the situation that i am in at present and this is what i am singing "I have all the time to stand and stare..."

Cadbury Dairy Milk

I have always been a fan of Cadburys Dairy Milk and the 9 varieties i found here in Mozambique has made me love these delicious eats even more. I would love to know how many other varieties are there but for now, lets just get right into it.

1. Cadbury Dairy Milk - The plain brown one that we are accustomed to seeing in India.
   
   
2. Fruit & Nut - This is another offering that's easily available. Its just wonderful.
   
   
3. White Chocolate - I somehow don't remember seeing a white chocolate bar of cadburys before i saw this one. Anyways, i found one here. Reminds me of the Nestle white chocolate bar.
   
   
4. Top Deck - This is a combo of the dark & the white chocolate. The white part is the top half of the bar thickness.
   
   
5. Turkish Delight - This is the rose flavoured one. There is a jelly like filling inside the chocolate bar.
   
   
6. Mint Crisp - In this one the mint in the form of small crystal dots are embedded into the chocolate bar.
   
   
7. Bournville - The dark stuff. The dark chocolate offering from the dairy milk stables. The actual chocolate.
   
   
8. Whole Nut - I will not really know the difference between this and the 'Fruit & Nut' variety till i taste this one.
   
   
9. With Biscuit - This is the next one i am going to buy at the supermarket along with the 'whole nut' one.

And now, i am going back to my mint crisp.

9 Chinese, 1 Indian & an authentic chinese dinner

This post was long overdue and after i penned the post about the eating joints in Pemba, i was tempted to write about the Chinese dinner i was invited to during my stay in Quelimane. I just hope i get invited to another such dinner when i make a second trip there (fingers crossed!!). This dinner happened 3 months ago and i was treated to some authentic Chinese cuisine, after years of tasting an 'Indianized' version of the same.

The venue was the residence of a Chinese friend i came in contact with during the course of my work in Quelimane. I was invited along with a Chinese colleague of mine and to my surprise i found 8 other Chinese who were invited by my host. Not for a minute during the entire duration of the 4 hour long dinner was it ever quiet. Boisterous would be the word to describe the crowd which was talking & laughing non-stop in their local lingo since they spoke no English. The solitary Indian was yours truly. (Just imagine what i was going through!!) My colleague took the trouble of translating some of the stuff from time to time. And then came the perfect solution to all this - the food. The Chinese were busy talking & i was busy eating.

The 10 of us were seated on 2 foot tall stools spread around a 2 foot tall table. At the center of the table was an electric hot plate on which the soup was continuously kept simmering. Crab and chicken pieces were in the soup. The remaining menu consisted of masala peanuts, chicken - both steamed & fried and coke. As the chicken and crab pieces were consumed from the soup more was added to it. After that some leafs from their local garden and some stuff (no clue what it was) they brought from china was added to the soup.

It was a 'help-yourself' dinner. Pick up a bowl, chopsticks and help yourself. Noticing that my skill at using chopsticks were like that of a novice, my host was kind enough to offer me a spoon. Words will fall short to explain the feeling that i experienced while enjoying my dinner, so i leave that to your imagination.

This is one dinner i will remember for everything that it is worth - the place, the people, my kind host and, but obviously, the food.

Mouth Watering Matters

This post is dedicated to Shail, Srey & Sunil - the 'Rice Bowl' gang. Boy!! I miss those trips. Spicy fish red chilly, butter prawns, dragon tail & the schzewan rice had become familiar words in our vocabulary. Anyways, i have carried this love for some good grub all the way to Mozambique. Quelimane was a bit of a dampener in terms of eating joints but Pemba turned out to be otherwise. A choice of eating places but yes most of them a tad expensive. Let me pen down some of these for my hungry memory.

Lets begin with 'CLUB NAVAL'. The best and most expensive among the lot. This joint is attached to the Pemba Beach Hotel, the best & costliest hotel in Pemba with the cheapest room costing only $250 per night. On placing the order they initially serve you bread, butter and a 'chutney' which tastes like its made from fish. This combination (bread+butter+chutney) is just awesome - simple but tasty. The chocolate milkshake here is the best i have ever tasted.The Sea food salad is something that i will always remember. This dish reminded me of those huge prawns i had on sticks at rice bowl. The difference here was that the stick were much longer and it addition to prawns it also had three varieties of fishes roasted in some sauce. The seafood pizza too is wonderful. The best thing about this place is that the tables at on the beach. The shore is just 10 feet away from where you sit and enjoy your meal. I never even dreamt of eating at such a place.

My next favourite is the 'DOLPHIN'. This place too is situated by the sea. The fish fillet they serve here is what i enjoyed the most. This fish delicacy is a dish of roasted boneless fish served with fries & salad.

'NAUTILUS' is another prominent lodging & boarding place in Pemba. It is the whites who are found here in more numbers compared to the locals. The service her is bad but the food is ok. The fish fillet with prawn sauce is what i tasted here. Hmmmm... The only reason this place gets some crowd may be the live music they play regularly and the fact that this is one of the few restaurants in Pemba!!

The South African owned '556' is another delightful place. I found a large number of families dining here and all of them were white. (Not sure if there exists some sort of a racial divide out here) Kids running round the place and having a ball. The official colours of quite a few football clubs were hung around the bar. The presence of a TV also suggested that this might be the place where people hang out to watch some popular matches. This country is soccer crazy for sure. The roasted chicken here is great.

'RUSSEL'S PALACE' is a Portuguese owned place and has a buffet system. You pay at the counter and then go to the table and help yourself. No coupon system and stuff to keep a track of what you do. You are supposed to be honest!! Mutton curry, rice & salads was what i had here. This place is locally known as a boarding house for the poor tourist. Tents are available for them to crash for the night.

Ravioli, pasta & the best pizza in town is served at the only 'ITALIAN RESTAURANT' here. The thin crusted pizza topped with fish and prawns is served steaming hot. I still remember this so clearly as if i have just eaten it. I discovered this place quite late all thanks to an Indian friend Niraj Joshi. There are some items on the menu that i definitely have to try before i get back to India.

'PASTELERIA' is a fast-food joint very close to home. Burgers, pizza, cake as well as a typical meal - you can have all of it here. An overpriced joint but closest to my place which i visit only if nothing else is available

The last option that i always have is the 'Chinese Restaurant' around the corner. Ok food at reasonable prices. The prawn curry with rice is amazing and so is the roasted chicken.

Right now its 6:10 pm and going out to eat. Which restaurant, you may ask. Well, i am going to none of the above mentioned places. I am off to a friends to to have some hot rotis made in ghee and khichidi with brinjal & potato - all made in the Indian style. Happy eating!!

Quelimane - Nampula - Pemba: The drive

For those having an inclination towards knowing new places the map alongside shows the various provinces of Mozambique and the arrows indicate the the journey from my first place of posting, Quelimane, to my present location – Pemba.

The drive from Quelimane in the province of Zambezia to Port Pemba in the northernmost province of Cabo Delgado with a stopover at Nampula, the third largest city of Mozambique, in the province of Nampula was my longest road journey in Mozambique. This 1000 km drive through three provinces in northern Mozambique and the wild African outback gave me my first experience of rural Mozambique.

I left Quelimane at 6 am on the 2nd of October with a packed breakfast of bread, cheese & eggs (courtesy Mauricio) and not to forget, some roasted peanuts too. We filled the Pajero tank at the nearest fuel station, checked the tyre pressures and off we were.

Quelimane to Nampula was a 7 hour drive. For half the journey the roads were awesome. And I really mean awesome - Center divider with reflectors, yellow lines marking the sides of the roads lined with reflectors & railings on the sides of the road at certain intervals just like the ones on the Mumbai-Pune expressway. We touched a top speed of 160 on those stretches. For the other half of the journey I was wondering where the roads were!! Long stretches of the road were under repair and I am sure that a few years down the line this country will have wonderful roads. The landscape during the entire journey was dotted with scattered hamlets. The countryside seemed sparsely populated. The earth was black from the fire that it had endured.

We reached Nampula at 2 in the afternoon and went straight to the hotel rooms booked for us. Lunch was aloo parontha and roasted fish. (yummy… I just love the food here) In the evening I visited Shoprite along with my colleague who wanted some tea powder. It reminded me of the shoprites we have back in India. My stay in Nampula lasted 2 days more than I expected. The timber meet lasted one whole day (3rd October) and the next 2 days were spent servicing my Pajero. I spent these two days at a colleagues place (who also happens to be an alumnus of my institute) and was treated to some lovely idli, rasam and stuff.

It was finally on Monday, the 6th of October that I left for Pemba. It was 5 hours later that I reached the place where I would be taking charge of the branch office. I will definitely write about Pemba later preferably accompanied with snaps because this is the place that is considered to be the tourist destination of Mozambique and is especially for its beaches. (It’s been 2 weeks now but I am still to pay a visit to the beach)

Long time... No write :-)

Yeah, its been quite a while that i have not penned down anything on this blog even though i have a lot to write about.

An authentic Chinese dinner in the company of 9 Chinese yapping away in mandarin (I was the only Indian in the group); I've had my passport confiscated by the immigration department; dealing with the police has been another wonderful experience; a 1000 km drive across three provinces in my Pajero and the one that surprised me the most - Navaratri puja & Garbha in Nampula as well as Pemba.

Its been 2 weeks since i came to Pemba and things are more-or-less settled. Now i am looking forward to spending some time writing... :-)

The beach

Ever since i came here i wanted to make a trip to the beach and it finally happened yesterday. The best part about this trip was not just the destination but the journey too. It was a 30 km drive and this was the first time that i drove out of the town limits and got a little taste of green & rural Africa.

One very distinctive feature during the drive was the abundance of coconut trees. Lots and lots of them. Reminded me of the typical rural south Indian setting-Narrow roads; open fields on either sides of the road - as far as your eye can see; thatched roof houses & coconut trees.

As we neared the beach we got off the road and drove down a sandy trail which led us closer to the water and a large number of casurina trees. here were quite a few cars parked along with some mini-vans and some pick-ups. Leaving my floaters in the car we started walking towards the water. We walked from among the trees into the open patch of sand between the water and the tress. I stopped and looked back only to see a massive wall of casurina along the shore parallel to the water. Amazing sight. The wall-like structure that you see in the snap is the casurina that i am referring to.

Being a Sunday, i expected to see a large crowd. But a majority of the people seemed to be concentrated at the exit of the trail leading to the beach. A group of guys were playing volleyball, some were enjoying a game of football, parents trying to handle cranky kids; but the scene that stood out was that of a 4 or 5 year old kid on a mini 4-wheeled motorized vehicle merrily zig-zagging through the people present at the beach. along the shore away from the crowd. At a distance, towards the horizon, i could see some small boats with sails. Other that that it was just waves and waves crashing into the shoreline.

There was this sort of thrill that i felt as i walked barefoot on the sand and into the water, watching a sight that i was accustomed to seeing throughout the four years of my graduation. I walked slowly into the water as we walked along the shore. The best part about the beach was the gradual incline. I walked almost 75 meters into the water and it was barely upto my knees. The waves dashed against me and drenched my shorts and water splashed onto my glasses. I loved this feeling. I put my hands into the sand, digging a bit into it, to look for clams - and i sure did find them there. By the time we left for the beach i had a handful of clams which i gave to my driver who said he'll have them for dinner.

Overall a wonderful evening; i enjoyed it and am looking forward for more.

(NOTE: For all those who have already asked me "Why no photos till now?"; well i still don't have a camera. The above snaps were taken form my colleagues camera-phone.)