Day 7 overview: Distance driven: 378km A surreal departure from Nampula with the early morning mist hanging like veils over the grey inselbergs. Only a relatively short stretch from Nampula to Ilha De Moçambique - the road was superb once again. To aptly describe Ilha De Moçambique (Island of Mozambique) in this brief summary would be impossible. It is an eccentric mixture of ancient colonial history and the Mozambique of today. Its history is literally the foundation of the entire country. The island was originally used by the Swahili and Arabs for trading and boat building. Its name derives from Ali Musa Mbiki, the Arab sultan of the island when first visited by Vasco Da Gama on his way to India. The island is linked to the mainland by a 3.8km bridge. The bridge has only one lane with passing points every few hundred meters, making it an interesting passage with the hoards of motorbikes and occasional oncoming vehicles. The bridge delivers you to the southern side of the island that is inhabited by almost 14 000 permanent residents, 95% of whom are Muslim. This side of the island is known as Mukuti land or the Reed Town. The northern side of the island is known as Stone Town for this is where the majority of the historic buildings are located. Of the many historic buildings that characterise the island, the 3 most noteworthy must be the Fort, the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Ballater and the old hospital. The Fort and Chapel are situated on the northern tip of the island and were built in the 16th century. The Fort was built as a Portuguese naval base (it took over 60 years to build) and is still remarkably intact with many of its original canons still in place. The Chapel, which lies between the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean and the high stone walls of the fort was built in 1522 and is now considered the oldest European building in the Southern Hemisphere. The old hospital exhibits spectacular architectural traits with a garden designed around ponds and fountains. Unfortunately the hospital is no longer in use, but in its time it was the largest hospital south of the Sahara. After absorbing as much of the islands history and culture as possible, it was time to head back to the mainland and make our way to Nacala. Nacala is another fascinating place, although for very different reasons to Ilha De Moçambique. Tomorrow we will explore Nacala and see what the second deepest natural port in the world has to offer. #Ponta2Palma
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 19:19:06 +0000
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