IBO ISLAND - EAST AFRICA – following the dhows south continued. Our next planned stop was Ilha de Ibo which lies at the southern end of the Quirimba Archipelago. The Quirimbas are a string of islands that dot the coastline of the remote northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado . They stretch from Cabo Delgado (the headland) in the north - this is where the coastline turns North/South - and the town of Pemba in the south covering all of 100 nautical miles from top to bottom. These Islands are mostly unpopulated and have difficult access from the mainland which in itself is poorly connected with the rest of Mozambique . Our route from Kilwa to Ibo covered about 225 miles which was a comfortable overnight sail – even for Innisfree. Trying to avoid the current that was still against us, we hugged the shoreline southwards towards the Ravuma River which forms the border with Mozambique . We rounded Cabo Delgado at midnight , a small victory as we had now escaped the northbound stream of the South Equatorial Current. Picking up the southerly flow of current as the coastline veered south was a welcome change and with the wind on the beam, life took on a rosier complexion. Later in the day we were even able to hoist the spinnaker. Our boat speed took a quantum leap, to a massive 6 knots - Yee- ha ! Our fishing skills however needed honing and a couple of bites on the lines had left us none the fatter and a lure or two poorer. At one stage we even chased a school of feeding yellow fin tuna for an hour to no avail. We reached Ibo Island late in the afternoon at high tide. After a brief attempt to navigate up the narrow channel to the main town in the fading light we decided to anchor up instead and tackle it in the morning. I awoke to find us anchored in what can only be described as “rush hour dhow traffic”. They were everywhere. Fishermen were leaving and traders were arriving. Around us sandbanks were fast appearing on the falling tide while women collected fish from the coral’s. I wondered at some stage if we would run out of water below the keel but our anchorage was perfect – mid channel (as planned), 10 m either way and we would have been aground. We exchanged polite Bom Dia’s with the passers by as we munched on our muesli and the morning grew hotter. As the water drained we realized that the channel was filled with shallow spots and that a dinghy approach to the island was more prudent. This geographical feature was to prove an important factor in the eventual decline of the island in the late 1800’s as modern ships preferred the deeper waters of Porto Amelia/Pemba 40 miles further south. Prior to 1500, Ibo was occupied by Muslim traders and like Kilwa was an important centre on the route between Africa and the East. In the late 18 Century it became an important slave trading centre supplying the French Indian Island colonies with labour for their sugar plantations. Ibo Town is largely in a state of decay with its European styled buildings and wide avenues reminiscent of a grand era. There are however quite a few projects to rejuvenate the area as tourism increases. Numerous guesthouses have sprung up and the Hotel Bella Vista serves some fine local seafood on their airy veranda. A dive centre is being built just next door by an enterprising French fellow. With our unsolicited guide (a young boy), we took a walk up the tree lined avenue towards the fort in the north west of the town. It was a pleasant walk that initially followed an old sea wall. The trees rustled in the warm breeze and the place had a good energy. The fort apparently was used by the Portuguese as a prison up until the 1970’s. A group of silversmiths presented their wares at the entrance and after much haggling we got away with various pieces, typical of the area. The bonus and included in the price of the silverware was a tour of the ramparts ! We visited the town on foot chatting with people along the way - every one seemed to have time. Huge flame trees graced deserted dusty squares. Churches stood empty and unused. The market added a bit of life to the languid atmosphere – that was when the vendor who was sleeping next to his produce woke up and realized there was a potential client passing. Once awake he was quite persistent and proceeded to follow us around trying to convince us to buy his peanuts. By the time we were ready to leave the tide had filled the bay and our return to Innisfree was a straight line across the sandbanks. Next stop Pemba 45 miles. |
