3 days in hell and 3 days in heaven

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Where do I begin?
We left the beautiful isle of Ilha on monday morning despite what our house mom told us todo, which was to leave the next day.... to hopefully arriv ein Nampula by mid after noon. Well, the first mode of transport was an open back truck... yes mom I was riding in the back of a pick up on the freeway...it wasn't at all comfertable until someone decided to load a matteress on board as well as the 17 people. WE had the good seat, on the matteress. That truck dropped at the half way point where we jumped off had a fanta or two and hopped on to another truck, please note that the temps were prob about 35 at least and in the late morning sun it was bloody hot!. The next truck was a scam artist. He kept over charging people for their luggage and for their rides, we felt really uncomfortable with the thought of him taking us all the way to Nampula so we hopped off in the little town that we were stranded in on the way to Ilha. There we transfered to chapas. (mini bus) Paul jumped off the truck right away and demanded our money back. Not bad for a fellow who speaks exactly 5 words of portugese eh?

WE arrived in Nampula vertually unharmed, except our sit bones from the truck rides. In nampula we attemped to secure a ticket for the train to Cuamba, this unfortuantly took a long time, and we still hadn't eaten since 6 am. The tickets for second class had sold out and the first class car wasn't comming with this train, so we were stuck in 3rd class.

Now the fun begins. We booked our selves into a fairly nice hotel for 800,000 mt a night and went shopping for batteries, film, lighters, mozzie coils, etc. and for dinner.

Ok so we get some early ZZZZZ's b/c the train leaves at 5 am, we know from expereince that we should be there at least 1 hour before, so at 3:45 we set out for the train station not more than 3 blocks away.

This is when you put your money on the table for the bet on whenI got mugged first.....not exactly mugged, more like pick pocketed. AS we approached the all ready steaming full train, some fellows tried to help us onto the train. Well we got on and in about 2 seconds lost everything in my pockets, and paul started yelling, hey watch your pockets, watch out for pick pockets, but it was too late. my wallet was gone. Never fear faithful readers, it was only my day wallet, just money no cards and no passport.
The train was hell all by it self. 4 people to a wooden bench that would normally semi comfortably seat 2.5 people. 14 hours later we arrive in cuamba. Also aboard the train were chickens (tied by the feet) screaming babies (I think they should have a car for mothers only) and pick pockets. The villages that we passed all ran up to the train to create an instantaeous market, all you ha to do was lean out the window with some money......
The toilet was a hole in the floor and it led directly the the tracks.

ok, only so much complaining a person can do, right?
But it doesn't end there.
We arrive in Cuamba and there is a Chapas waiting to take us to the boarder. Paul is busy arranging the bags, and I wander off to get some water, cuz god knows how long until we see bottled water again, and thats when I get my other wallet stolen.
DOH!
It was my fake wallet with trinidadian money and canadian tire money and exprired cards in it. Feeling very violated I hopped on to the cramed full bus (25 people in a minivan with all their luggage) and set out on the 77km journey to the boarder. It got dark. It had been raining, the bus was going SLOW!!! and we hit a mud patch. We had to get out of the bus and walk in the dark through a corn field and mud for about 1 km, until we found ground dry enough to drive on.
We all piled back in and drove to the boarder
The boarder had a super cheap hotel 40,000 mt per night for 2 ppl (about 1.20 usd) where we crashed. the hotel, rather dive, was bug and mozzie infested. so we slept onthe floor with a mozzie net around us. it didn't work, the mozzies got into the suspended net and about 25 bit us, but then we obliterated them at about 3 am. my white net now has red blotches.

Lets back up a few days. Pauls ear infection came back, its leaking again. I have the flu and an ear infection. today is the worst so far. Which in a way is good b/c we FINALLY MADE IT TO MALAWI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
At the boarder at 6:30 am we were told to come back at 7:30 so we went and had breakfast (please note, that for the last week or so, there have been no veggies in our systems, and very little fruit except mango) of tomatoes, eggs, bread, fanta, etc. Felt like heaven.
WE get back to the boarder and I get stamped out then in, and they look at paul's passport and lo and behold.....
He needs a visa and must return to Nampula to get it. I nearly keeled over. NO WAY IN HELL were we going back the same way we came, not after little sleep, and 15 or more hours of very very uncomfortable travel, so I asked him (the border offical) how can you help us ? He replies I want breakfast and a coco cola. Ok done, we had a tomato and egg sandwich ready just in case, Got him a coke and then asked again, what can you do to help us? please, please please don't send us back to nampula!!!!
He then asked for money, so we discussed a price and 20 usd seemed reasonable to him and to us and so I forked over my secret stash and he wrote paul a visa waiver but sent us directly to Blantyre where we are now. He said it would take 3 hours from the border to blantyre. It took 7. B/c our truck ran out of gas and the mini buses (not called chapas here) are inefficent and run by morons. (alittle frustrated today ) it is on 150 kms from the border.
So we arrived, booked into a nice hotel called doogles (we are staying in a chalet until we get better, or the weather improves or we run out of money) and then headed off the the hospital for some treatment and meds. It cost 2000 MK (malawi kwacha) to see the doctor (but paul asked the doc to see him for free and it worked)

The exchange is about 1usd=120mk
so here we are on antibiotics, exhausted, filthy, covered in mud an mozie bites, but were in malawi, so its got to get easier from here.

The plan is to stay for a few days until my ear is less swollen, and pauls stops leaking. then we'll head to liwonde to a game park for a day or so and up to cape mclear and monkey bay, where we will hopefully catch the boat to northern malawi.

I have some very nice and heart warming stories, but today, b/c I feel like I've been hit by a train (hahah I have been hit by a train)
I'm whinging. The scenerey in northern Moz was absolutly specatacular, awesome rock climbing if it wern't heavily mined.
We crossed into Malawi on a large wet land that stretched for as far as we could see. The alleged drought Malawi has been suffering from is not in the south, thats for sure, there are veggies for sale, fruit, bread, corn, even sweat peas. Maybe in the north is where the food shortage is.
anyway, thanks for listening to my rant.
Pictures will follow in the next few days b/c I've found fairly fast internet conection.

ps. sorry bout your bike danielle, I bet if you take it to the shop (la bicicletta) the guys will fix the bike, and bill me later

Pps to the family, I'm gonna try and phone on my b day jan 31 so stand by your phones ;-)

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Photos

lovely ain't it?
ilha de mozambique

Comments

[Daddo]

whaddafugginday!
I guess congratulations on your survival so far. Keep a close watch on those ears. Infections can be worrysome and painful. And remember the ear canal leads directly to the welcome mat to your innards. I hope whoever stole your Canadian Tire Money tries to use it! I guess the best advice is keep only the bare minimum of whatever cash you need at the moment in your pockets. I presume the pickpockets are proffessionals and use distractions to help themselves. My cell phone is charged and ready. My land line is connected. Ok, so what are your plans for your birth day? Love and hugs to ya. Dad

[anonymous]

Just when you thought...
I am sorry you two had such a hard time of it. I also hope that your ears will clear up very soon. You can rant anytime. Love you.

[strangelaowai]

Travel Troubles Ahoy
Oy, sounds like a mess! But hey, it's a mess that spawned a great rant, a classic piece of literature if you don't mind my saying, so at least there are some benefits. Plus it sounds like you are now in a less miserable, more fantastic area. Please do post the pics when you get the chance. Anyways, take care out there lucienneandpaul. We have a saying in Chinese, zhu ni yi lu shunfeng (祝你一路順風): "wish you smooth sailing!" Different translation: "hope that the wind travels in the same direction as you."