The great lake discovery: Day 34 - 36

The beautiful lakes of Inharrime...

The rising sun meant another day on the road. Our Mozambique adventure continued as we carried on north. We left Chidenguele and started making our way towards Inhambane and Tofu on the EN 1, the condition of which was still brilliant. We passed through small village after small village, passed pavement markets selling cashews, honey and bananas and ladies in their bright attire sitting under the trees with their tomatoes and naartjies piled up in little pyramids. Until suddenly the village scene opened up to a view of the most arresting turquoise lakes bordered by white banks, pink dunes and lush green coastal bush with the big blue sea in the distance. We took the first road left towards the lakes to get a bit closer – the clear blue water was drawing us to its shores. This time we won the battle against the soft sand and made it to the lake.  Without a single other person in sight, we waded into the turquoise water. A villager appeared a few minutes later with coconuts full of sweet milk. We drank, soaked up the scene and enjoyed a bit of lunch, which us organized girls had ready for the road. Reluctantly, we headed back for the main road after the most beautiful off-the-beaten-track discovery.

Conquering the sand.

We passed through Inhambane as the sun was setting, and made it to Tofu with the last light. There was a real buzzing vibe along the beach front – locals mixed with foreigners, music from the bars and bright fabrics from the sidewalk shops blowing in the wind, a beach soccer match taking place with couples walking on the beach in the distance. We just had to dip our feet in the water and discovered the strangest thing about Tofu on our way to the waves…the sand squeaks beneath your feet! You can imagine the animated sound effects from the sand under the feet of the soccer players!

We set up camp at the popular backpackers called Fatima’s Nest, and ate dinner on the street at a tiny place called The Bread Shack, which had the most amazing fresh homemade bread.