Reunited

The road to Montepuez

After the end of the trimester at the Secondary school, it was time for our first official conference for Peace Corps since being at site.  Most groups have this conference after three months at site but we had it after five.  The reason it was changed for our group was because of the last elections the school schedules were pushed back a few weeks and so we had to wait until the first break at the secondary schools.  Sam and I still had classes at the IFP but we were able to leave work for our students and to head to Nampula for this conference.  We decided it was time for a little trip before this conference too and because of the train schedule, we had to go a little early anyway.  So we took the train to Nampula, stayed one night there then caught a bus to the province of Cabo Delgado.  Once there, we took a nice cushy chapa to Montepuez to see our first 21ers (my group of volunteers) since Christmas, and stay at a fellow Iowan’s home.  We hung out at Jeanette’s house and explored Montepuez for a few days, and more volunteers ended up coming to visit too on their way to Nampula, in the end there were eight of us traveling from Montepuez to the conference. It was great to see some of our group.  It’s so strange, we spend 10 weeks together getting to know each other and being extremely close during training and then they split us up and send us all over the country to our new homes, and for Sam and I, we are the only ones in Niassa and it is very hard to get anywhere and see people. 

Role playing some reading techniques

                Our group traveling from Montepuez was the first group to reach Nampula and the hotel.  We all went to our rooms and took advantage of the hot showers.  Then we went to get some food and more people started to show up throughout the day.  It was so great to see everyone from the North again.  I honestly forgot how much fun all these people are since we never see each other.  Our conference started the next day and we had sessions all day about what we had been doing at site over the past 5 months, troubles and successes, integration, teaching practices, and a little about secondary projects.  I wasn’t expecting to get a lot out of this conference, in all honesty, but it actually was great.  I got some good ideas for my classes as well as heard about some great projects some people are working on.  It was also great to hear that we all are going through the same sort of difficulties and talk about how we are dealing with them.  Usually we all put on a happy face when talking about site, but we were able to share our doubts and problems and see that we may not be the only ones going through these things, everyone is. 

Sam's picture of the bridge over to the Island

                After the conference, there was a gathering of many of the northern volunteers at Ilha de Moçambique. Our entire group got a chapa to Ilha and made the short trip from Nampula where we met many of the other volunteers spread throughout the northern region.  It’s always great to meet new

Most of the Northern 21ers at Ilha de Mozambique

volunteers and hang out.  One day a few of us went over to the island and took a tour of the old fort on the island.  It was beautiful and I will definitely have to make it back someday and explore the island a little more, when I have some more time.

At  Fort São Sebastião

 Fort São Sebastião

 Fort São Sebastião

 Fort São Sebastião

 Fort São Sebastião

 Fort São Sebastião

 Inside Fort São Sebastião

Me outside of  Fort São Sebastião

After that, we got a ride back to Nampula with a friend in his rented chapa, so we had plenty of room because there were only seven people in the entire chapa instead of the usual 17, and then I caught the train back to my home sweet home, Cuamba.