Today is our last full day in Mozambique and we are going to an island.   I, Zeb the Duck, love water, so I really love islands.   Alfonso picks us up at our hotel and we start driving, passing along the coast of Maputo Bay.

Maputo Bay

Leaving the city, we turn from the coastline, and continue driving in rural Mozambique.

Rural Mozambique

After 40 minutes of driving, we encounter the town of Marracuene, walk 10 minutes to the Nikomati River. We wait to get on the small Nikomati River Ferry.

Nikomati River Ferry

Our ferry takes six cars and many people.   The bridge you see on the left is not completed, so driving is not an option to cross the river.   We watch these people cleaning and cutting fish by the Nikomati River.

Cleaning fish

We stood on the ferry with many other people and watched the town of Marracuene fading away.

Leaving Marracuene

The cars in line are waiting for their turn to cross the river.  On the other side, we are met by a truck from the resort.   Driving on these roads is exciting.

Driving to the resort

Everything is so sandy here.   Afonso said many years ago crops were grown in this area, but the ocean gets too high in the rainy season and the ground has too much salt to produce crops now.   Perhaps this is our welcoming committee?

Welcoming committee?

Or is this immigration,checking our passports?   But I like cows, so I, Zeb the Duck, am happy to see them.    Here we are.   This was our transport and we have arrived at Tan ‘n Biki Resort.

Arrived at Tan ‘n Biki Resort

We will have lunch here today.   This pool certainly looks inviting.

Looks good

But mom says no swimming today.   After ordering our lunch, we returned to our transport vehicle.

Our transportation.  Can I drive?

Now we are visiting another resort.

Nascer Do Sol Resort

Mom, why does this resort say horses?   We are riding horses today?   Here I am, Zeb the Duck, in the saddle of a very big horse.

I am on a tall horse

You will notice the top of the ladder.   The ladder is for mom and the other humans to mount their horses.   OK, mom’s on the horse, too.

Here we go

We are ready to head to the beach to ride along the Indian Ocean.   This is so exciting.   This photo was taken from the back of Bonnie, our horse.

Indian Ocean from back of Bonnie

The beach and the Indian Ocean are beautiful.   I love this.  We rode our horse on the beach for more than one hour.   I, Zeb the Duck, did not want to get off this horse.   Her name is Bonnie.   But we did get off Bonnie.   Our driver took us back to Tan ‘n Biki Resort where our lunch was ready.   Because we are eating by the Indian Ocean, mom ordered line fish.   That is whatever fish they catch on the fishing lines today.   That is really fresh and tasty.   Our fish was so good.  Of course, we did get the whole fish again.   I am getting used to fish with heads on our plate.   We don’t eat the heads, but many people do.   After our delicious lunch, we wanted to walk on the beach.   Each of the resorts we visited were beautiful.   These are steps going over the sand dunes and on to the the beach.

Stairs to beach

Let’s go mom.   I am sitting on the beach and the waves from the Indian Ocean did reach me and I got wet.

I got wet in the Indian Ocean

But the water did not pull me out to the ocean.   And mom’s right there to protect me.  Here I am sitting on the boat.

Zeb on the boat in front of picnic shelters

These picnic shelters on the beach protect humans, and small ducks, from the intense tropical sun of the summer.   Even now, during winter in the Southern Hemisphere, the sun is intense.   Too soon it is time for us to get in the resort truck, drive down the sandy roads and get on the ferry.

Waiting for the Nikomati River Ferry to go back to Maputo

After the Nikomati River Ferry, we took the same route, through the country side, along the Bay of Maputo and into the city of Maputo to our hotel.   This was a wonderful day and a great end to our time in Mozambique.   If you go to Maputo, Mozambique, call Afonso to go to Macaneta Island.   Go for the day, or stay longer at either of these resorts.   You will love it.