University of Arkansas Office of Study Abroad: Arrival in Nampula: Visiting the Farm and Hiking the Mountains #HogsAbroad in Mozambique

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Above: Me and our guide up the mountains

We arrived in mid afternoon to the Nampula airport where we had our yellow fever cards checked and passports with visas approved. We met some of the workers from the farm, New Horizons and packed our bags for the van ride to the Bamboo Hotel. While driving down the road it was quickly noted how entirely unique this city is. Looking left, right, back, and front it was all I could do to take in the surroundings. Small hut villages and stores lined the streets. Women, men, and children were walking everywhere carrying goods on their heads and riding bikes. The sites were a little overwhelming and the bumpy bus ride had me feeling sick after nearly 40+ hours of travel time.

We arrived at the Bamboo Hotel and nausea overcame me. Fortunately, the support of the team made it easier to transition into the world of Mozambique. We rested the first day and became acclimated to our new home for the next 4 weeks.

The following day we went the New Horizons to tour the farm where we will be working. We had an amazing communal lunch prepared with chicken grown at New Horizons and a traditional Mozambican dish. The afternoon included some light rain and a post lunch game of volleyball. This was a great way to get to know each other better. The bus ride to and from the farm was emotionally impactful because that was my first experience with those living in the “bush”. This is a term for those who are truly living on the edge of the city and compared to our day to day life in the States have little resources and access to the basic necessities of life.

Sunday morning after a good night’s rest part of the group woke up at 4:30am to hike one of the mountain ranges outside of the city of Nampula. We piled into the back of a truck and drove down the unlit roads and were stopped by a patrol group. They spoke quickly in Portuguese and one man was armed with a gun. This had me a little on edge, but fortunately we were with someone who spoke fluent Portuguese and we were waved by with our passports in hand. Later we would come to learn that the guns are never loaded, just used more as a intimidation factor.

We arrived at the base of the mountain and began our trek. The sun rose behind us highlighting the mountains and showed the silver lining around the clouds. Three hours later we reached the top and gained a spectacular view of Nampula, the farm and other than a few buildings, the land was untouched by man.

A home was found on the side of the mountain where Miguel lives. He farms the hillsides and grows corn, peanuts, and fruits. He was not home at the time but this gave me a better understanding of how the locals live. This was a once in a life time opportunity that would not have been possible without the help of our guide.