Over the Zambezi (and back again)

Tete is on the Zambezi, and has had a bridge since the 1970's - the Portuguese built it to bring in the machinery and materials for the Cahora Bassa dam. The centre of town (where the church is) is on the south-west side of the river, and the airport is on the north-east side. When we were first driven across the bridge we said "we would really like to walk across the bridge". Our hosts seemed to regard this as a rather eccentric English request, but humoured us, so this morning we got our walk.

The Zambezi is wider than the Thames in central London. The bridge is very busy - in the last couple of years a new bridge has been built for heavy trucks a few miles upstream, but city traffic and pedestrians still use the old bridge. Strangely, there seem to be very few boats on the river - especially odd as the reason for the founding of Tete centuries ago was that the Zambezi is navigable from the Indian Ocean up to here.

Our hosts tell us that there are many crocodiles in the river but we didn't see any (but I guess not being seen is part of a croc's job). Apparently that doesn't stop people washing their clothes in the river despite the occasional croc attack.

Pictures of the Igreja Anglicana Epifania, Tete

With all our communications problems we haven't been able to post any pictures of the church. So here are a few, taken this morning.

Arriving in Tete

Relaxing at Johannesburg Airport (before the panic)

We very nearly didn't make it to Tete last Tuesday. Seconds after I took this photo of Ann relaxing at Johannesburg Airport, Dilly came rushing back from going to buy a pack of cards: "they've closed our flight! We have to get down to the gate now!" Our flight from Johannesburg to Tete had been on the board but was not showing as "Boarding" - and then was suddenly closed. We raced down to the gate, but the staff there were unhelpful: "You'll have to go tomorrow". We explained the flight was never shown as "Boarding". "Oh yes, that sometimes happens". But still we were stuck. We pleaded - Sarah was at the front, tearfully explaining that we had to get to Tete for a church dedication. Eventually they seemed to relent and we were shepherded onto a minibus and driven across the tarmac to the plane. Nether the crew or other passengers seemed perturbed by our late boarding.
After that, our flight was relatively uneventful and we landed in Tete about two hours later.

Our plane on the tarmac at Tete

Arrivals at Tete Airport

More on our visit to the Cahora Bassa dam

Sorry this is all a bit out of order - trying to catch up now we have internet access. Yesterday (Monday) we did get to see the Cahora Bassa dam, up in the mountains north-west of Tete and apparently the fifth largest hydroelectric project in the world, generating around 2000 MW (pay attention - there might be a question about this in the church quiz on Saturday evening!). We even gor to see the turbine gallery cut into the granite heart of the mountaun (sadly no photos allowed).

Sunday's service

No space  here to fully describe Sunday's epic 6-hour church service, and most of my photos are on my camera so will have to wait until we get home. However here are a couple of pictures - one of the Bishop with the choir and one of Dilly with Bishop Carlos by the church's dedication stone.

Haberdashery

Some great fabrics on sale in the local dress shop. Dilly is currently negotiating a purchase...

Downtown

We have a rest day so have come into downtown Tete to explore, change some money and maybe buy some souvenirs. Also we took some great fabric which Neema (the church warden) gave us after supper at her house yesterday evening, to the tiny tailor's workshop, to have shirts made (cost 200 MTC, about £4).