Scuba Diving and Team Mohundro

The scuba weekend has come and gone. We had 4 ocean dives and spent a bunch of time, around 8 hours, in the pool. It was great, scary for me at first, but we all enjoyed it thoroughly. both Patrick (Pat-dizzle) and Chase (in Africa) have posted blog updates at the end of November with some photos from our scuba time if you are interested. Links to their blogs are on the right side of my blog under "Friends Blogs".

Highlights were: seeing a white tipped shark, being a part of the Team Mohundro (like the Team Zissou from the movie Life Aquatic, see Chase and Patrick's website for some photos), completing our PADI Open Water Scuba Certification, splurging on a celebratory breakfast buffet (we lived off of $5 per person total for 5 days cooking our own meals), watching a 12 foot wide manta ray glide by us, and the beautiful white sandy beaches with aqua colored water just a few steps from our bunk house. Our scuba instructor said we were the luckiest students he's had, as far as seeing aquatic life is concerned, lucky indeed.

Some beach and some fun

Senhor Chase has a great posting on his blog, linked on the right under “Chase in Africa”, regarding a splendid night in the capital of Mozambique, Maputo, where we lived it up at a US Embassy and a fellow American’s Election night party. At 5:30am we learned with certainty, after watching CNN for hours on end, that Obama was victorious. The next day people on the streets, when they saw two white people, cheered for Obama.

As some of you are aware, I have a squeeze top Nalgene water bottle. I take it every where I go and drink from it often. It has been dubbed as “Team Water.” So I got a shot of Team Water, my Delicate Arch Utah socks, and an African boy. Brining who I am to mix it in with where I am.

I have taken so many photos, that may be difficult for those of you to know me to imagine, and am having difficulty transitioning to having a blog vs. a photo site. But I’ll do my best with the transition and when I get home, three and a half months from now, I’ll post the photos archive some of you are waiting for.

If you go out to eat below is a typical meal of chicken, we shared this full chicken with three of us, and some fries.

Chase’s school, his house is just to the right of the building.

A crazy colored grasshopper of sorts.

Some anorexic, not by choice mind you, cows that they use for meat and as learning tools for the students at the agricultural school Chase teaches at.

Tofo beach, we hung out there for a few days with the new group of US Peace Corps volunteers.

Please take note of the serious air that was reached, the beach was spring loaded for sure.

We walked out to the Flamingo Bay lodge, which as you can see sits above the water on stilts. Unfortunately we are not staying there this round. But in the off-season, so right now, it’s only $200 per person for 4 nights, including breakfast and dinner. That’s only $50 per person, per night including two meals, not too shabby.

Patrick won the palm tree climbing competition, much respect.

In the two weeks I’ve been here in Africa I’ve been able to visit seven different towns, two different beaches, and cross two borders (one illegally). Good times thus far!