On our way back to Maputo we stopped in the province of Inharrime to buy their famed peri-peri sauce from one of the roadside stalls. I always thought Nandos, with its peri-peri chicken was a portugese chain and I was surprised to discover its actually South African. I guess that explains the Nandos restaurants on seemingly every corner in Cape Town.
Maputo was overcast, windy and dusty. It has a vaguely art deco feel to it, but the buildings are dirty and dilapidated. We took a walk to the main market and Independence Square which was a dirty overgrown crumbling version of its former self.
On our way out of town we went to Costa do Sol restaurant on the seafront for an extremely tasty prawn lunch. The spot to be seen in the 30's, the restaurant claims to have invented the 'famous' dish LM Prawns (named after Lourenço Marques, now known as Maputo), but sadly no longer includes it on their menu.
All the books we'd read about driving in Mozambique warned of the many police roadblocks and checks that you had the right paperwork, red hazard triangles and whatnot. We ensured we had the necessary equipment and got certified copies of our passports before we went to Mozambique as it is rumoured the police there will refuse to give back your passports after id-ing you unless you pay them a bribe. We were surprised that although we probably passed nearly a dozen or so of these checkpoints, we were waved through or ignored at all of them.
Apart from the many border 'assistants' crowding around the Landy wanting some us to appoint them to deal with the complications at the border (we ignored them), the crossing back into South Africa was fast, straightforward and uneventful.
Monday, 24 August 2009
Saturday, 22 August 2009
Praia Mar e Sol
After three nights we broke camp to head back down the coast. At Quissico we decided to follow a sand track that wound 11km through coconut plantations and local villages down to Praia Mar e Sol on the coast. What a magical find.
Apparantly it used to be a beach resort before the war and now it operates as a campsite/backpacker hostel (although I have no idea where the backpackers sleep). The campsites are on the inland side of the dunes and the sea pounds the ocean side throwing up froth like bubblebath and a surprising amount of jandal carcasses. We saw many humpback whales spouting and breaching from the dunes. Slightly further inland are a number of shallow crystal clear lakes without hippos or crocodiles so perfect for cooling down in. So we did.
There were no other guests that night and Leonard and Emma, who run the place, invited us to join them at their fire. Watching Leonard I learned how to braii properly (I hope). From piling wood onto the fire to raking the coals to the right heat, to ignoring his friends repeated insistence that the food was done, until it was really done (with a secret ingredient he kindly divulged to us), I now have new barbeque methods at my fingertips.
No electricity meant no light pollution other than the braii fire and the night sky was awash with bright stars. The milky way was clear, or rather, very milky. I dont think I've seen it like that since I was a kid out in the bush in New Zealand.
We liked Praia Mar e Sol so much we stayed an extra night. The next morning Duncan woke up with a whole load of little spots on his face.
He thinks they're an allergic reaction to the new bug spray we bought. I'm worried they're mosquito bites from the tent invasion the night before.
Apparantly it used to be a beach resort before the war and now it operates as a campsite/backpacker hostel (although I have no idea where the backpackers sleep). The campsites are on the inland side of the dunes and the sea pounds the ocean side throwing up froth like bubblebath and a surprising amount of jandal carcasses. We saw many humpback whales spouting and breaching from the dunes. Slightly further inland are a number of shallow crystal clear lakes without hippos or crocodiles so perfect for cooling down in. So we did.
There were no other guests that night and Leonard and Emma, who run the place, invited us to join them at their fire. Watching Leonard I learned how to braii properly (I hope). From piling wood onto the fire to raking the coals to the right heat, to ignoring his friends repeated insistence that the food was done, until it was really done (with a secret ingredient he kindly divulged to us), I now have new barbeque methods at my fingertips.
No electricity meant no light pollution other than the braii fire and the night sky was awash with bright stars. The milky way was clear, or rather, very milky. I dont think I've seen it like that since I was a kid out in the bush in New Zealand.
We liked Praia Mar e Sol so much we stayed an extra night. The next morning Duncan woke up with a whole load of little spots on his face.
He thinks they're an allergic reaction to the new bug spray we bought. I'm worried they're mosquito bites from the tent invasion the night before.
Thursday, 20 August 2009
Praia de Tofo
Your stereotypical tropical paradise - a two horse town at the end of a peninsula with a curving beach, high sand dunes and palm trees waving in the breeze. The first morning we saw humpback whales swimming and spouting from the deck of the hostel and later (with the binoculars) doing breaching further out at sea. This was sort of ironic as we'd been to many places along the western and southern coasts of South Africa hoping to see whales then they just pop up unexpectedly here.
After three days of non-stop driving we took it easy with a walk on the beach and up to the local dive centre to arrange some trips. Duncan dove Mantray Reef while I went on a boat for an ocean safari where I saw a baby humpback whale, a pod of humpback dolphins and snorkled with an enormous whale shark. I wouldnt want to have encountered that creature by myself in the sea without first knowing what it was. Actually, not sure I'd want to again either...
After three days of non-stop driving we took it easy with a walk on the beach and up to the local dive centre to arrange some trips. Duncan dove Mantray Reef while I went on a boat for an ocean safari where I saw a baby humpback whale, a pod of humpback dolphins and snorkled with an enormous whale shark. I wouldnt want to have encountered that creature by myself in the sea without first knowing what it was. Actually, not sure I'd want to again either...
Wednesday, 19 August 2009
Mozambique
We made a relatively early start though it took some time to make it through the Maputo traffic to the road out of town. In town the roads are crowded with chapa's or mini buses of varying degrees of roadworthiness and stoved in frontage. The sliding door for the passengers on one of the vans we passed had come off completely and was being held up by passengers. As the Bradt guide to Africa Overland mentions, driving is theoretically on the left but in reality vehicles come from all directions. When Portugal pulled out of Mozambique in the 1975, the newly independent republic reached out to the socialist eastern states for assistance to rebuild infrastructure and political guidance. The street names in Maputo reflect that history - our hostel was on Avenida Mao Tse Tung, just off Avenida Vladimir Lenine.
The main highway we were following was sealed and in excellent condition until we reached Xaixai where it degenerated into a series of potholes strung together with a little tarmac. Not much further on we encountered still more roadworks although the Mozambique road workers technique of working the stop/go sign for use of the single lane was more erratic than South Africa. Several times traffic was coming straight at us from the opposite direction. I was curious to see Chinese workers at the surveying tripods at several points and at one point we were following two trucks full of dirt with Chinese numberplates so I guess the road is being constructed by China. I read recently that China had recently leased large swathes of land in Mozambique (and other African nations) for growing food crops to import into China and wonder whether the upgrade of the road is so they can transport the goods to the port.
Around 80% of the population of Mozambique engage in subsistence farming at least part of the time and the land along the roadside reflected this. Instead of the enormous fields of grain or cattle pasture we saw in South Africa (or right by the border, banana and sugarcane plantations), here it is a little more haphazard with small plots of corn and tomatoes with coconut and banana palms and other fruit and nut trees growing in the middle of them and the odd cow or few goats tethered nearby. As we drove north it became greener, rather than drier. It must take a lot of effort to keep those gardens green. Driving through villages we would see a parade of local women with 20 litre plastic containers carefully balanced on their heads enroute to or from the local well.
The main highway we were following was sealed and in excellent condition until we reached Xaixai where it degenerated into a series of potholes strung together with a little tarmac. Not much further on we encountered still more roadworks although the Mozambique road workers technique of working the stop/go sign for use of the single lane was more erratic than South Africa. Several times traffic was coming straight at us from the opposite direction. I was curious to see Chinese workers at the surveying tripods at several points and at one point we were following two trucks full of dirt with Chinese numberplates so I guess the road is being constructed by China. I read recently that China had recently leased large swathes of land in Mozambique (and other African nations) for growing food crops to import into China and wonder whether the upgrade of the road is so they can transport the goods to the port.
Around 80% of the population of Mozambique engage in subsistence farming at least part of the time and the land along the roadside reflected this. Instead of the enormous fields of grain or cattle pasture we saw in South Africa (or right by the border, banana and sugarcane plantations), here it is a little more haphazard with small plots of corn and tomatoes with coconut and banana palms and other fruit and nut trees growing in the middle of them and the odd cow or few goats tethered nearby. As we drove north it became greener, rather than drier. It must take a lot of effort to keep those gardens green. Driving through villages we would see a parade of local women with 20 litre plastic containers carefully balanced on their heads enroute to or from the local well.
Monday, 17 August 2009
Mozambique Border
Once we turned back east around past the top of Swaziland the landscape changed from sun baked plains grazed by cattle into more green sugarcane fields. The N4 cuts through a beautiful gorge, all dramatic cliffs of red rock and twisting corners. After still more roadworks we finally made it to the Mozambique border not long before 4pm and I was pleased to see there was little queue ahead of us. We enquired at the enquiries desk about where to go about getting the Landy's carnet sorted out and were promptly accompanied by a self appointed assistant. Once the correct stamp had been made in the carnet and signed by the official (who had no pen of his own and declined to return mine), immigration stamped us out of South Africa promptly.
A few hundred meters down the road we completed visa application forms then went to get the Landy stamped into Mozambique. After much heated discussion between the official and our helper (his self made badge said he was customs clearance) the carnet was stamped and a receipt issued for the fee. Upon examining the carnet documents however, Duncan saw they'd stamped the Mozambique stamp on the very first page - the one for Australia where the Landy started last November! They were supposed to complete a form, stamp it and tear the perforation and retain the bottom third. Duncan went back to the official with our Portugese speaking assistant and with some more back and forth, by completing the form himself and ensuring it was processed correctly the Landy was legal to drive into Mozambique. I waited in line to sort out the visa's while Duncan showed the customs inspector the vehicle and its contents. There was some concern about bringing in a box of wine we purchased for special occasions and also about the jerrycans on the roof, until explained via our assistant they were currently empty. Once he understood the nature of the trip itself, the Landy passed the inspection while the customs inspector shook his head in wonder at the mad plans these foreigners have.
We made it into Maputo just as darkness fell and have set up the tent in the carpark of a local backpackers hostel. The plan for tomorrow is to hightail it up to the seaside resort of Tofo for some more diving, then pootle back along the coast. We have to return to South Africa via the same border crossing.
A few hundred meters down the road we completed visa application forms then went to get the Landy stamped into Mozambique. After much heated discussion between the official and our helper (his self made badge said he was customs clearance) the carnet was stamped and a receipt issued for the fee. Upon examining the carnet documents however, Duncan saw they'd stamped the Mozambique stamp on the very first page - the one for Australia where the Landy started last November! They were supposed to complete a form, stamp it and tear the perforation and retain the bottom third. Duncan went back to the official with our Portugese speaking assistant and with some more back and forth, by completing the form himself and ensuring it was processed correctly the Landy was legal to drive into Mozambique. I waited in line to sort out the visa's while Duncan showed the customs inspector the vehicle and its contents. There was some concern about bringing in a box of wine we purchased for special occasions and also about the jerrycans on the roof, until explained via our assistant they were currently empty. Once he understood the nature of the trip itself, the Landy passed the inspection while the customs inspector shook his head in wonder at the mad plans these foreigners have.
We made it into Maputo just as darkness fell and have set up the tent in the carpark of a local backpackers hostel. The plan for tomorrow is to hightail it up to the seaside resort of Tofo for some more diving, then pootle back along the coast. We have to return to South Africa via the same border crossing.
Sunday, 16 August 2009
Detour
Although the original plan didnt take in Mozambique until after Zambia we decided to press up the coast to Mozambique and started the malarial tablets a couple of days ago accordingly. We reformed the plan to go up the coast to cross at Kosi Bay and re-enter South Africa at the transfrontier border between the Mozambique Limpopo National Park and Kruger. At both the Lesotho border crossings formalities were perfunctory on both sides, but Mozambique has more requirements and are officials are reputed to be somewhat capricious about whether you meet them or not. In preparation we had purchased another emergency triangle, some Mozambique triangle stickers, some additional reflectors and had copies of drivers licences, passports and other necessary documentation certified.
We drove about an hour further up the coast to the border crossing at Kosi Bay. Sunday morning, there was only one other person in front of us in the queue although when I enquired after his wellbeing the official grumbled that he was too busy. He stamped our passports out of South Africa with barely a second glance, but it turned out we couldnt take the Landy through that border to Mozambique! We would have to drive another 700 odd kilometers around Swaziland and use the Lembombo border right at the southeastern border of Kruger National Park! After a bit of explanation, the grumpy official stamped us back IN to South Africa and we started on a mission up to the other border. We thought if we couldnt make it to Maputo before dark, we'd stop in the Krueger for the night before continuing. That was before we came across a solid 95 km stretch of single lane only roadworks which delayed us by several hours... We've ended up taking a detour to camp at a farm still several hours drive from the border. We're back 1600 meters above sea level again and its freezing.
We drove about an hour further up the coast to the border crossing at Kosi Bay. Sunday morning, there was only one other person in front of us in the queue although when I enquired after his wellbeing the official grumbled that he was too busy. He stamped our passports out of South Africa with barely a second glance, but it turned out we couldnt take the Landy through that border to Mozambique! We would have to drive another 700 odd kilometers around Swaziland and use the Lembombo border right at the southeastern border of Kruger National Park! After a bit of explanation, the grumpy official stamped us back IN to South Africa and we started on a mission up to the other border. We thought if we couldnt make it to Maputo before dark, we'd stop in the Krueger for the night before continuing. That was before we came across a solid 95 km stretch of single lane only roadworks which delayed us by several hours... We've ended up taking a detour to camp at a farm still several hours drive from the border. We're back 1600 meters above sea level again and its freezing.
Saturday, 15 August 2009
Greater St Lucia Wetland Park
This World Heritage Site the brochure on the region claims it houses five separate ecosystems, although then rather unhelpfully claims it takes days to understand how they interact, without actually outlining what they are. There are obviously wetlands and sand dunes, and between St Lucia and Sodwana we went through savannah grassland and wooded areas (in addition to the fields of sugarcane rippling in the breeze and pineapple plantations). On the coastline is a marine sanctuary where Turtles breed and coral reefs in the north offer superior diving.
St Lucia itself is a tourist resort village offering overpriced souveniers and guided walks and tours. We stayed at the pretty Sugarloaf site at the mouth of the estuary. Hippos were lazily lounging in the water and as the sun lowered in the sky Nile crocodile lumbered from where they were basking on a sandspit into the water to float downcurrent innocently pretending to be logs. As we were setting up camp Duncan told me to turn around. Some 30 odd small grey striped mammals with long tails and legs too long ferrets to be were swarming across the ground like a plague of rats. They were storming from one rubbish bin to the next foraging for scraps. We later identified them as mongoose (I love the Collins Fieldguide to African Wildlife). Later that night we saw a pair of bushbabies, one in pursuit of the other, bounding across the grass, mewling like infants.
As we arrived to camp Vervet monkeys were ransacking the campsite next door, going through the rubbish bins and jumping on their tents. Duncan left the drivers door open for a minute while he preparing the tent and moments later a monkey had jumped into the drivers seat and made off with a half eaten bag of crisps secured with a rubber band, which took him half an hour to figure out how to open. In the morning I felt under seige as I prepared breakfast - mongoose were swarming everywhere and I was irrationally afraid ofthem deciding to run under the Land Rover through the camp where I was standing. I was also surrounded by monkeys watching my every move for an opportunity to swipe some food. Fortunately they both headed off as the day wore on and the heat increased.
St Lucia itself is a tourist resort village offering overpriced souveniers and guided walks and tours. We stayed at the pretty Sugarloaf site at the mouth of the estuary. Hippos were lazily lounging in the water and as the sun lowered in the sky Nile crocodile lumbered from where they were basking on a sandspit into the water to float downcurrent innocently pretending to be logs. As we were setting up camp Duncan told me to turn around. Some 30 odd small grey striped mammals with long tails and legs too long ferrets to be were swarming across the ground like a plague of rats. They were storming from one rubbish bin to the next foraging for scraps. We later identified them as mongoose (I love the Collins Fieldguide to African Wildlife). Later that night we saw a pair of bushbabies, one in pursuit of the other, bounding across the grass, mewling like infants.
As we arrived to camp Vervet monkeys were ransacking the campsite next door, going through the rubbish bins and jumping on their tents. Duncan left the drivers door open for a minute while he preparing the tent and moments later a monkey had jumped into the drivers seat and made off with a half eaten bag of crisps secured with a rubber band, which took him half an hour to figure out how to open. In the morning I felt under seige as I prepared breakfast - mongoose were swarming everywhere and I was irrationally afraid ofthem deciding to run under the Land Rover through the camp where I was standing. I was also surrounded by monkeys watching my every move for an opportunity to swipe some food. Fortunately they both headed off as the day wore on and the heat increased.
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