Tuesday, January 5, 2010

2010

Bon Dia!

Sorry I didn’t connect with anyone on Xmas and New Years – I took a trip to Mozambique and I didn’t get a different Sim Card. I went on the trip with my girlfriend Claire and 4 of our friends, as well as 2 other Peace Corps volunteers who quickly became part of the family. Traveling with 7 people can be overwhelming, especially with no reservations or real plans outlined. However, things went remarkably well, and everyone had a great experience. It was an amazing time – the second Xmas with no snow, but sitting on the beach at the Indian Ocean really eased the blow. The trip was a blast, we spent 4 nights in a beach house in Xai Xai (pronounced Chai Chai), a stone’s throw from the ocean. We grilled Lobster caught fresh that day, along with prawns, fish, and even a shark. It was an awesome experience and great rest from the somewhat straining travel from Lusaka to Mozambique.

From there we headed to Tofu, a small beach town in the middle of Mozambique. We celebrated new years in style, listening to a local regae band on the beach, with COLD beer… Quite a luxury! The place we stayed was a cool backpackers’ place with tons of tents packed in like Woodstock. There was a really cool ‘backpackers’ scene, but Claire and I made sure to find the local party after the concert and try our hand at Portuguese. Quite a cultural way to kick off 2010. Overall it was an incredible time, and a sweet opportunity to interact with the vivrant, colorful culture and people of Mozambique.

Now its back to work in the village for a few weeks, before I return to Lusaka to assist in training for Volunteers who just finished their first 3 months at site. Crazy to think I’m an ‘older’ Volunteer now!

I hope everyone had a great festive season! While I didn’t have a tree with gifts underneath it, I definitely missed the company of my family and friends and not the material objects! Wishing you all happy and fulfilling familial relations for the holidays.

Boas Festas,

- J

PS – I’ve gotten some emails wondering if my phone is still working. Now that I’m back in Zambia, it should work pretty much all the time. 260 967 443 671. Thanks for your persistence everyone!

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