After almost 10 months in Mozambique I have finally gotten the chance to venture out into the wild, untamed beauty of the African wilderness...in a way. But not really. I have been looking and eagerly anticipating camping opportunities since my arrival here last April, but they have proven very difficult to come by. In Europe camping didn't happen because it was too crowded and there was basically no such thing as public land and wilderness. Here there is plenty of wilderness, but it is difficult to find the infrastructure to get to it and this is complicated many times by a mistrust of foreigners (and even the health workers or government) in a lot of more rural sites, which at times can be a little dangerous. However, Michelle and I were not going to be deterred in our quest for the great outdoors and after some talking around and exploring possibilities we found the site we thought would be the golden ticket: Complexo Montes Nairucu.
Located about 17km outside of the city of Nampula, we actually had to buy a ticket to reserve a spot to pitch our tent, which was maybe the first sign that this was not going to satisfy our desire for a classic camping experience. The "complexo" turned out to be a paradise, however, and at any point during the three days we ended up deciding to stay there you would not have caught us complaining once, maybe just chuckling at the unbelievable cocktail of luck, absurdity and inspiration that landed us in our current surroundings. Our original plan had been to camp at this 'resort' the first night and then the second day make for the mountains and discover some location to pass the last two nights, in a plan that would give our inner Bear Grylls its fix after such a drought, but after pitching our tent by the crocodile infested lake, walking through the groves of palm trees and realizing that our 'golden tickets' came with hot showers, we were easily convinced to re-dub this oasis basecamp and take day trips out from it during our time there.
The complex was separated into two main parts in terms of visitors: camping and rooms. I can only imagine the rooms were very fancy and were attached to the main complex, which had a DELICIOUS restaurant (based on the one meal we ate there and the countless tantalizing smells that teased us when were were just there for a refresco and cards), a patio, a small soccer field, plant/flower/fruit gardens and then the rooms for accommodation. It is worth mentioning that the complex is owned by a Portuguese couple and they raise their own pigs...one of the specials of the restaurant (only Saturdays and Sundays, and it ALWAYS sells out) is roasted piglet. Neither Michelle nor myself had ever tried it, so we shared an entree and I think both could agree that it wasn't bad, was very fatty and wasn't likely something we would order again in the future. The section of the complex for camping is situated maybe a couple hundred yards away from the restaurant and is used more for picnics than camping as far as we could tell. There were many grills throughout the area, as well as gazebos with tables. Guests were invited to pitch tent wherever they wanted in the lawns, as there were no designated spots. The workers did mention that maybe it was better in the middle and not directly next to the water of the lake, however, due to the crocodiles (while neither Michelle nor I saw during our stay; still uncertain whether or not to believe they exist).
Besides being able to spend a ton of great time catching up, one of the highlights for me was our sumitting of a mountain, Mount Narucu, nearby the complex (from which the complex takes its name). There was no trail and we had to bushwhack to make it to the top, but our efforts were greatly rewarded upon reaching our goal. The view from atop was absolutely gorgeous and being so high was a very nice treat that you don't get to experience everyday here in Mozambique. We were able to see the city of Nampula in the distance and the small town of Rapale to the other side. We actually have a Peace Corps volunteer stationed in Repale and I couldn't help but think at how lucky she was have access to so many mountains!
I've told you the story, here's the proof...
