Into the Mountains of Mozambique

School break brought me to the bottoms and sides of various mountains around northern and central Mozambique (see map in previous post if you don't know yet where Mozambique is in the universe). Unfortunately, I didn't actually make it to the top of any.

First, I found myself in Ile, where I prove I know the letter X by forming it with my body:

I also shot my first photo shoot of my friend who needs an album cover for the CD he's recording. For some reason, he wants a picture of himself striking a sexy pose on the cover:

Then, I discovered a plant that I had learned about in Biology eight years ago, but had never actually seen. Luckily, the friend I was with - the musician pictured above - sunlights as a biology teacher, and...oh wait, no, he didn't share my excitement:

plant minding its own business

plant one second after I touched it

I know, I know, I am [sitting on] a star!

Mozambique has some picturesque scenery:

And awesome people:

During my vacation, when I wasn't climbing halfway up mountains, I went to a youth conference:

After Ile, I went to Tete (on the map in the previous post, it's the province that looks like a thumb sticking out on the left) to visit one of my favorite couples, Lisa and Dan...and Dylan, the Third Wheel:

We attempted to climb a mountain:

And valiantly struggled through thornbushes (Mouse Soup: The Thorn Bush) to get to the top:

But only made it halfway.

Luckily we had Buino the rock-climbing dog with us.

Back at the concrete-and-tin-roof ranch, we met lots of Lisa and Dan's miniature-sized porch visitors:

And learned a bit from Teacher Lisa's class:

And had a picnic at sunset on yet another side of yet another mountain:

Next vacation, I'll start off halfway up the mountain, and make it all the way up.