As I have mentioned before, our guide Dylan was a walking encyclopedia of all things Mozambique!!! He would happily stop for trees, flowers and everything in between!!

On our first day out, he pointed to the damage to one of the trees ……

He told us that this was done by Porcupines and that some substance in the tree gets into the porcupine’s bloodstream and protects it from ticks and fleas. Isn’t that amazing!!!

I don’t remember the name of this particular tree variety but the look of the tree is astounding….

When we were in the swamp areas, we were surrounded by white-barked Fever Trees……

These trees got their name from the explorers who came thru the area. They would sleep under the trees at night and when many of them caught a fever, they thought that it was the tree that was causing the disease. In reality, it was probably a form of Malaria and was being caused by the mosquitos that lived in the trees.

We passed many of these multi-trunked trees……

….and learned that they were a type of Torchwood. These trees got their name because the leaves have a cotton-type fiber at one end and it can be lit and will burn like a lamp or torch.

Dylan ground to a stop so that I could photograph a dead African Blackwood Tree.

From a distance, it doesn’t look like much. After a quick close-up look at the tree, I called for Michael to join me and we spent at least 10 minutes examining the bark and admiring this gorgeous tree.

The wood from these trees is often used to make the black keys on pianos.

We passed numerous Palm trees with soft leaves….

The leaves are used to make shower mats and other household objects. And, as a matter of fact, they were used to make “hats” for the outdoor lights in Mungari camp…..

As we were walking around the tree, Dylan warned us to avoid the HUGE thorns that are the base of each leaf…..

YIKES!!!

At this stage, he started talking about the termite mounds that we have seen everywhere……

He said that they are often associated with one of the palm trees and you can see the tree peeking out from behind this mound!! These termites are NOT wood eaters. They take plant material into the nest and grow a fungus on the plant matter. Then, they eat the fungus!! So they are harvesters and are not destructive to the areas and won’t even harm the trees that they grow around!!

The mounds are intricate structures and much like an iceberg, only 1/3 of the mound is visible with the other 2/3rds below ground.

The mounds are also temperature controlled!! The framework contains pores that can be opened or closed depending on where the sun is or where the prevailing wind is coming from. The temperature change can be as great as 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

Also, the mounds have a symbiotic relationship with the trees…..the trees feed off of the nitrogen that the mound produces!!

But, my favorite tree memory is from the Pod Mahogany tree. When we were stopped one afternoon, he reached down and picked up a black, kidney-shaped object. He then took a hatchet and started chopping it to get it open. Enjoy the video……

As you can tell from Michael’s and my exclamations, we were VERY surprised to see the seeds inside the pod, and even more surprised when we learned that they contain traces of Cyanide!!

Aren’t they the most AMAZING color?

Dylan told us that the Silvery Cheeked Hornbill eats these seeds but, since they don’t have a hatchet handy, I can’t imagine how they actually break into them.

Come back tomorrow for a look at some of the flowers and foliage!!

Yesterday I talked about the lunch meal preparation at Zak’s house. While I truly enjoyed seeing the process of feeding a host of women and children, I enjoyed watching the family even more. These are some of my favorite photos from the time.

And, before you ask, I have no idea who were the wives (remember that he has 3), who were the children (there are 16), and who were other relatives or friends just there for a visit!! Africans form an extremely communal society and this gathering could be a mixture of any or all of these!!

Smiling children will always capture my heart……

…as will the bond between the children and their mother……

This woman was very proud of her young daughter and seemed pleased that I was taking photos of her…..

I loved the tiny, tiny braids in this young girl’s hair…..

These two young women were helping each other with their hairstyles….

And, this little boy stayed close to the cooking building…..

…Maybe he was hungry!!

This little girl was so cute drinking from a cup that was way too big for her…..

But the child that caught my attention from the first moment we drove onto the property was this imp…..

He was a DYNAMO and moved quickly from one task to another the entire time we were there.

You could tell from the look on his face that he REALLY wasn’t sure about this woman who was watching him.

When the rest of the family sat down to eat, he decided that it was time to do some drumming!! As you see in the first part of the video, he started out sitting on the ground, but then decided that he needed a “drummer’s throne”, so found a rock to serve the purpose. You can see him perching precariously on said rock in the second part of the video!!

Again, you can see the contentment in this family’s eyes and it sure makes me think about when and why I am NOT content!!

We enjoyed some amazing meals while in Mungari camp, including this exquisite fresh tuna appetizer…..

And yes….we were completely spoiled!

But, we wanted to understand more about the villager’s lives, so asked if we could visit one of the family lunch preparations. In this case, we visited with Zakarea’s family. This is Zak…..

…and he has 3 wives and 16 children, so it proved to be quite an experience!!

When we arrived, the cook du jour had already put chunks of buffalo meat into a pot to boil. It was first heavily salted and then left to boil for about an hour.

While it was tenderizing, she continued to prepare the rice. This rice was gluggy (or “stodgy” as the British say), and was dished up in great big clumps.

Then some of the meat water was poured over the top to moisten the rice and each plate received one or two chunks of buffalo.

Then the family….women and children…..gathered in groups on bamboo mats and the plates were distributed…..

The families gathered together to enjoy their repast…..

Things got quieter as they all dug into their meals…..

The “kitchen” was a mostly open-sided shed. It was extremely smoky under the canopy and, when you looked up to the “ceiling” it was solidly covered with soot.

There was a basket of maize in one corner…..

…and a few “future meals” wandering nearby……

There was a cup of small, apple-like fruits that they often use as well….

They were tasty, but tart, and immediately dried your mouth out…

Please enjoy this video of the serving process. You can hear Dylan in the background as he talks about other ingredients that they use, including Casava…..

Be sure to come back tomorrow for my favorite photos from this banquet, including the newest drummer for REM!!

As part of our inquiry into the working of Zambeze Delta Safaris in the Sena village, we had the opportunity to visit the school and meet the teachers.

The school was built in 2012, again using funding from the hunters who enjoy their sport at Zambeze Delta Safaris……

There are three teachers…..

…. who alternate teaching times in the three-room schoolhouse. In the mornings, there are three classes of younger children ages 6 to 8 and then three classes of older children, ages 9 to 12, in the afternoon. In total there are about 100 children.

The split by age is casual and the children are often split by size as much as age.

They teach a basic curriculum including Math, Science, English, and Portuguese. Interestingly, they are taught geography, but not history. Their books are provided by the government. When I asked what the kid’s favorite subject was, they immediately answered Portuguese!!

You may wonder why African’s are speaking Portuguese, but you have to remember that Mozambique was settled by the Portuguese, so it is still the over-arching language. There are over twenty dialects in Mozambique and these children belong to the Sena tribe and speak the Sena dialect. Portuguese is the main language in suburban areas so the children are taught to speak it so that they won’t be at a disadvantage if they move away from the village. In this way, they are hoping the give the children the opportunity for a better life.

The teachers rotate thru the school with each teacher staying a minimum of 2 years before returning to the urban areas. They have the option of staying longer if they want.

When I asked Dylan to inquire as to what they needed, he laughed and said that it might be a long conversation. So, I changed the question to ask their three biggest needs. The first answer was a solar panel so that they can have electricity and light in the classrooms. The second were supplies for the school and the third was a new well because the current well wasn’t clean. Dylan commented that you get a different answer almost every time. He said that there is a fine line between giving them everything that they want because then the government then assumes that they don’t need anything and won’t provide for them.

ZDS also encourages them to educate the children in the conservation and protection of the local wildlife populations.

The teachers are paid primarily by the government but the Foundation also provides some funding for them. Part of the school property also includes houses for them to live in……

As we talked, the children started arriving and all stood around, listening to the conversation…..

I loved this group of young men….

All at once, a bunch of kids came running in from one of the paths…..

It was as if a school bus had pulled up, but of course, there is no bus!!!

It was fun to see the children hurrying into the school grounds with their books in tow….

…..many of them heading into their classroom to drop off their books….

…and then join the growing group of listeners…..

The classroom is very basic…..

….and the children quickly found their seats…..

….in spite of the white-woman in the back corner!!!

In a typical fashion, the teacher had to “manually” place a few students in their spots!!!

As we drove out, these two young women, provided my favorite photo of the morning…..

The children were well-behaved and seemed happy to be at school and we were certainly happy to visit with them!!!