Nick and I woke up early the next morning and headed to Mozambique Island. The journey was long and bumpy, with loud kung fu movies playing at the back of the bus. Luckily, the island is connected to the mainland by a long bridge, so we didn’t have to take any crowded boats this time.
Mozambique Island, or Ilha de Mocambique as the Portuguese called it, feels like it hasn’t changed since the Portuguese occupied it back in 1507. It’s a stunning place with old whitewashed buildings, some still showing the original orange and red paint. The buildings date back to between the 16th and 19th centuries, and the narrow alleyways buzz with locals going about their daily lives. The island is very peaceful, and we spent a few days just wandering around and soaking in the atmosphere.
We stayed at a great backpackers’ hostel and, as soon as we arrived, I took an epic nap. I had been dozing in and out on the bus, but as soon as we set our bags down, I was out cold for 2.5 hours. Nick explored the town while I slept deeply, and then I got up for dinner and went back to bed soon after, sleeping through the night. Clearly, I needed the rest.
The next day, feeling much better, we set off to explore more of the island. We walked through the charming streets and met an Australian woman and a Dutch couple. We enjoyed a lovely dinner and some beers with them one evening. They turned out to be the only other tourists we saw during our visit.
We also visited a village at one end of the island. The locals stared at us but were very friendly. We bought some coconuts, drank the refreshing milk, and shared the rest with some kids who had gathered around. We also stopped by a bread-making factory in the village and watched the men baking delicious, fresh buns.
After three relaxing and enjoyable days on the island, we returned to Nampula, our last stop in Mozambique before heading to Malawi. We took a train from Nampula to Cuemba, which left at an early 3:30am! Being up at that hour so often was something we definitely wouldn’t miss.
The train ride, despite the uncomfortable and overcrowded seats in 3rd class (as all 1st/2nd class tickets were booked), turned out fine. A friend named Henrik had advised us to check out the restaurant car, so when seats became available, we moved there. We had a much more comfortable trip, enjoying Sprites and lunch along the way. The scenery was gorgeous, with small villages nestled beneath towering mountains. Local vendors approached the train at every stop to sell their goods.
We met two men from Malawi on the train who gave us helpful tips about crossing the border. We spent one night in Cuemba, a typical small and dusty African town, had dinner with a Spanish woman, and left around 5:30am the next morning for Malawi, our 14th country on this trip.
Mozambique exceeded all our expectations. The friendly people, delicious food (especially the fresh seafood), stunning Portuguese architecture, and the best beaches we’ve ever seen made it a standout destination. The incredible adventures we had and the wonderful new friends we met only added to the experience. Mozambique is now one of our favorite countries on this journey.