Misfits Mid Life Crisis Adventures in ………….. Mozambique.

Week 27, Saturday 20 to Friday 26 December 2014.

This week I have mainly been listening to….. Morrissey

And have been watching…. Fringe (Season 4), Fringe (Season 5), The Dream is Alive (docu about space travel), Destiny in Space (Docu about space travel), RED.

Still reading…… Morrissey’s Autobiography

Saturday, felt better today as I was a little low yesterday so went to bed last night very early. I lead an Ocean Safari this morning, even with skipper Pedro (who I’m convinced has Terminator vison) we only spotted a Turtle on the surface and a few Dolphins, which is always lovely and brings a smile to faces. But we didn’t spot anything big like Mantas or Whale Sharks all the stuff that people really want. The rest of the day was spent finishing the huge Liquid sign, I assembled it over a large wooden table that I have been using to paint on (a sort of make shift work bench). I came outside at one point and a customer was sitting in the chair I had been using and had his beer and plate on the sign he thought it was a table. Luckily nothing was damaged, I wasn’t impressed. Carlos my computer man came over and sorted the dongle out again, he did it quickly and with no trouble. This meant I could post last weeks So-Called Blog and skype with my sister (Hel) and mum, haven’t spoken to them for a few weeks lovely to catch up again.

Sunday, it was Ocean Safari time again this trip was a smaller group than yesterday. We hadn’t been out long when Dolphins were spotted we got in I heard them squeaking very loudly but didn’t see them. We continued to trawl about with 2 other dive shop boats near us, when we spotted the big one a Whale Shark. We had the Whale Shark to ourselves for a few minutes until everyone else appeared in the end there were 4 other boats in the area and people snorkelling everywhere. The Whale Shark stayed deep due to this disturbance, we didn’t hang about as we had seen it clearly. Later we found a huge pod of 20 plus Dolphins, while snorkelling I saw them swimming below us (a sort of super highway of Dolphins) then they swam next to and in front of the boat, there were a few babies in the pod which was nice to see. I assembled the huge sign and managed to borrow a drill to secure the planks to the frame that Mani, Parra and Joey had carried through the dive shop and laid out front. The sun was so hot as the boys were digging the holes and erecting the sign that I quickly went and bought them all a coke as I felt they needed a drink. The sign looks ok, even if I say so, it took a long time but I think it’s worth it, hope the bosses like it…

Monday, Zak drove me to Inhambane to the dentist, Dr Brian is based in a hospital which at 7.30am was packed with men, woman and crying children. There was a tiny sweet kitten wondering around as well that really should have been with it’s mum. The hospital is very open so finding shade was a little difficult. I was not sure how I was going to be seen so it was suggested by Jenny that I contact the Dr. Sure enough after he saw some children who screamed the place down (which was worrying) I was called in. Dr B just took a look at me and said his assistant would pull it out, if I was in Maputo or South Africa then something could have been down but in inhambane all he could do was take it out. I decided that to leave it to let it rot might be worse so pulling it out it had to be. The section that had come out was just above the gum line on the front of the tooth (not the top as with the traditional filling), the missing section was then covered up to look like the rest of the tooth, this was the bit that has come off. I had an injection to numb the area and out it came with what looked like a normal pair of pliers, I didn’t hurt as such but I felt it being ripped out of my head. I managed to keep the tooth they didn’t want me to have it but I persuaded them. With cotton wool in my mouth I left paid my 40mets (less than a pound) and did the rest of the things I needed to in Inhambane. For the first 30 mins I really felt wobbly on my feet. I queued at the cash point for20 mins (2 police officers just pushed in) then went to pay the water bill for Liquid (one police officer pushed in), I thought it was better to not say anything and let them do what they want. When time to come home went to the bus station bumped in to Nelson (who is deaf and mute, a lovely fellow) showed me the correct chappa (very small mini bus) to get on. Suddenly he was up out of his seat and I followed him as the big red single decker bus to Tofo had arrived. It was packed in seconds but Nelson had got us seats, I kept nodding off during the 23k journey. Got back to Liquid and told my horror story. I do wonder if I have done the right thing, should I have left the tooth in and seen what would happen maybe it would have lasted till I got home in March. To late to ponder and regret things now of course. I have looked in the mirror you can’t really see the gap so I don’t think it will be too noticeable, but I know its missing.

Tuesday, I spent the morning at the dive shop but I really felt iller and iller all the time. In the end at about 10ish I went home, on the way I was met by the gardener/housekeeper Ernesto who kindly helped carry some of my stuff. Learned a few things about him and about his family. I got home and went to bed and slept for 4 hours. A few weeks ago I did some cartoons for my sisters/best friend/nephews bday’s, I had an idea then to do a crimbo one. So got the watercolours out and painted, it’s not as I had in my mind it’s looking more like the TV show “Mrs Browns Boys” than my family but I can’t be choosey at this late stage. I am the original bah humbug, crimbum is for little ones not for old bitter over the hill sods like me. We had a couple of power cuts this evening, Zak and Zelda and I were sitting around the kitchen table in candle light chatting and listening to music, oh and trying to blow out the candles with our minds…… yes you read that correct.

Wednesday, my mouth is still a little swollen and very sore, I am still not feeling great, am doing the salt water a couple of times a day (it takes so long for the water to cool down, that I forget I have boiled it so am not doing it as many times as the dentist said). It’s a busy day at the centre, went on a nice dive to “Marble Arch” my last dive before Crimbum, nothing really to report except a bloom of jelly fish. There were so many jelly fish about they were floating everywhere, large ones small ones all pulsating and bobbing along in the currents. A couple of people did get small stings from the very fine tentacles but the pain fades after a few minutes and all that is left is a slight red mark. I floated around just watching them pass me looking very alien. What a beautiful site a bloom of jelly fish at this time of year reminded me of snow falling in a traditional English Crimbum card scene. In the evening we had a BBQ South African style at the end of the garden, cooking burgers and sausages. The meal was eaten inside and was yummy. When sitting in the garden I was captivated by the stars coming out and slowly moving in the sky because of the turning of the earth, just beautiful.

Thursday, a boring day, I skyped with home a couple of times, everyone at my sisters was having a great time. I slept in this morning and then went to the dive centre and watched videos. A couple of documentaries about space travel and then a couple of Bruce Willis films, I brought food and juice with me so had a nice time in my own way. Ended up going to bed very early due to being bored.

Friday back to normal, and guess what my bloody dongle is not working again I have to look in to getting another. I went on a lovely dive to “Manta Reef” and we had 2 Manta’s, woo hoo. Then almost straight away I was out again on Ocean Safari with 2 Whale Sharks, we snorkelled with them for ages one was small only 3 meters in length the smallest I have seen, it was very chilled just under the surface mouth open swimming silently. We also saw some bottle nosed Dolphins but they didn’t want to play so we didn’t get in. Tomorrow there is a Kayak trip and I have been helping to arrange it so Mani and I went on a toad trip this afternoon to check a few things, this meant I got to drive on tarmac and sand roads (I was very careful Jari), it was Top Gear Africa (without the speeding honest). The weather the last couple of days has got really hot and humid; I’m really not a pretty sight in a sweaty Liquid t-shirt.

This weeks So-Called blog is short as you can see and there are no pics this is all to do with having no net as I’m writing this quickly and don’t want to use someone else internet up with my crap. Normal service will resume next week. That’s all for another great week in Tofo, I’ve had fun in my own way honest.