Year 2 - Week 5: Waiting in the South

With my family on their way back to the United States, it was almost back to normal for me. The biggest difference for me was that I only had to take care of myself. I didn't have to translate for anyway. I didn't need to worry about anyone's transportation issues. I just had to worry about me. As much as I love my family, and as much as I loved spending time with my family, I was glad to get back to the independent lifestyle of a Peace Corps Volunteer.

I arrived in Maputo late on Saturday. By coincidence, I was on a flight from Johannesburg with two other Volunteers. One of them didn't have a hotel reservation, but they lucked out since I had an extra bed in my room. I lucked out also because it cut the price of my room in half.

Maputo, aside from the delicious food, was otherwise boring. I was happy to have one last steak and some Chinese food before heading to Xai Xai. There was not much sense in me returning all the way to Machanga, only to return to Maputo days later. Instead, a new Volunteer in Xai Xai, only 200 kilometers away, took me in for a couple days. By midweek, and with my best friend back in town from America, we switched sites to a little town just outside of Xai Xai. No matter where we stayed, it was better than staying in a hotel, and it was better than going to site for two days.

Kate and I decided to head down from Xai Xai to Maputo and continuing to Namaacha on Saturday. We got an absolutely sweet ride -- air conditioned and free -- that dropped us not to far from town. We jumped in a chapa and grabbed some pizza before heading to Namaacha.

I owed my host mom a good visit. Even though she was happy to see my family and me last week, she was disappointed that we weren't sticking around for a while. She had expected at least two meals and hoped for a couple of days, but we just didn't have the time to make it work. This stay, along with the pictures I brought her from my parents visit, helped make up for things.

Much like staying in Xai Xai, staying in Namaacha was nice because it meant free food and free housing. Kate's family wasn't a around to take her in, but thankfully, my host mom was willing to play hostess to both of us. Staying in Namaacha was also convenient due to its proximity to Maputo. Having to travel only ninety minutes for our conference in Maputo is a blessing.

The only other note of interest is that for the first time in more than a year, I came down with a nasty infection. I, like most people hate being sick, and I, like most men, usually won't call or see a doctor. But this was painful enough to warrant a call. And I was happy I did. The told me they would have antibiotics for me next week. I guess that if you are going to not feel well, it's best to do so when you are right about to have a scheduled appointment anyway.

All in all, it was a fairly boring week. More than anything, it was good to get back to an almost "normal" life and see some people who I needed to see.