Mozambique in a week
Part III
Snorkeling
in paradise…
On Monday, we were able to go to the Indian
Ocean (a first for all of us), and spend the day
resting and snorkeling (a first for me). Vilanculos is known for its fabulous
beaches worldwide as has the most beautiful coastline in the world. The day was
perfectly sunny and the water amazingly blue/green. It is so hard to describe
the beauty unless you were there. We headed out in the early morning, and got
on a little sailboat and headed for an island 12 kilometers away. Because Mozambique is
headed into it’s fall season, not very many tourists were around, and all the
kids were still in school. We landed on the small island. There were about 8
other school children playing in the sand. Got our snorkeling gear, and walked
down the beach. The sand was white, clean, perfect. Normally, I am told, that
if someone goes snorkeling in Hawaii, Bahamas, Cabo san Lucas, or other
destinations, they don’t let you touch the reef, and usually you are not along
the beach line. Well, this is Mozambique. We
were alone on the small island. God’s creation was not restricted to laws and
don’ts. Don’t worry, we were not careless, and did not take a hammer and start
smashing their habitations. Just thought I’d throw that out there. We crossed
over the reef, after we walked down a ways. I put my little flippers on, the
head gear, and crossed over the reef. As I stuck my head in, I was absolutely
wordless at what I saw. It was so incredible, amazing, I have never experienced
such a thing like it before. Above the water it was a beautiful blue; below the
water was a whole world of life that National Geographic or Animal Planet can’t
show. The water was calm, and the current slow moving. We literally floated
totally relaxed, breathing slow deep breaths, and never blinking. It was
incredible. Thousands of fish everywhere! Because we were in the
tropical waters, there were tons of angel fish, neon colored fish, fish with
big huge lips that looked like they were wearing lip liner, huge blue and
yellow and red fish, pipe fish, jellyfish, plants, shells, everything was
alive. We watched them eat off the reef, play around with each other, tease
each other. It was awesome. Often, I could see multitudes of fish in schools,
floating right underneath me. Everyone just minding their own business, doing
their own thing, and I got to observe. One particular time, the school of fish
were so many, I mumbled over to Mark (that is all you can do when you have a
pipe in your mouth), to look at the school slowly swimming beneath us. We must
have just been in awe for about a minute. Then, I looked up, and all around us,
passing by our heads, coming right towards us, was the school of fish. We were
in it!! The day was fabulous, not to mention the best seafood I’ve ever eaten,
prepared for us by the boy’s on the boat, and served to us on the shore. What a
day to relax. They put up the sail, and we sauntered home.
