Victor sent in this story about public skinny dipping on a tropical beach:
Apart from the occasional midnight swim or mountain stream skinny dip, my wife and I had never practiced naturism. But in Southern Mozambique, when we were on a dhow cruise tour of the Inhambane estuary in crystal clear tropical waters under a blazing sun, we gave it a try. [A dhow is a lateen-rigged ship with one or two masts, used in the Indian Ocean. Sounds like a great way to cruise! – Jen]
The three Mozambican boatmen, physically well built sailors of the local waters, wore only wraps around their waists. The dhow stopped at Pansy Island, a sand island only visible at high tide. The tour group of 14 disembarked and went left in search of pansy shells. My wife and I looked at each other considering the heat, the humidity, beauty of the location and the opportunity. We went right.
Pansy Island is flat without the cover of vegetation or sand dunes. We both stripped down in full view of the unconcerned Mozambican boatmen and walked along the sand in the glory of our nakedness. The rest of the group noticed and continued with their shell hunting, leaving us alone to enter the clear tropical sea waters of the estuary for a refreshing swim. It felt so natural and normal to do so irrespective of the eyes and opinions of the semi-naked black boatmen and the rest of the tour group. We sun dried as we walked back to the dhow getting dressed only when near the boat.
The boatmen, who had probably also once swam naked in this idyllic location, approved. Members of the tour group expressed their verbal consent, almost saying that they wished that they had the courage to have joined us in your naturist adventure on Pansy Island.
Sounds like a dream, Victor! I think I need to check out a cruise in Mozambique!
-Jen
Very nice! Sounds like a great time. You made the right choice.