one bloody long road trip

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This blog entry could also be called two idiots on a road trip...

Jens the German guy I’m traveling with at the moment and I decided that we wanted to go up north as quickly as possible. I wanted to save time in Mozambique to be able to visit Malawi and he wanted to go from north to south. All said and done we decided that we will try to cover as much distance in as short as time as possible. We did … 4 days, over 30 hours in busses and over 1500km later we arrived. This is our story

The whole tour started in Inhambane with a Dhow (small sailing boat) across to a small town from which we apparently could get a bus to Beira some 10 or 12 hours up north. After waiting nearly 3 hours one turned up… full. They were eager to sell us tickets anyway as there was still some standing space left. We both really didn’t fancy standing in an overcrowded bus and after a quick chat we left for Vilhanculo which is just a few hours up north. From there we can get a bus further up north early in the morning. When we arrived in Vilhanculo we found to our surprise that apart from one dorm bed there was no accommodation left. To cut a long story short we met some really nice South Africans which let me sleep in the entrance room of their hut. Wasn’t that bad as I had to get up at 3am anyway for a 4am start (Don’t ask Mozambique busses start that early). 7 hour later we arrived at an intersection where we had to make the decision to push on or to go 3 hours to Beira which we would have to backtrack the next day. As it was only 12am it seemed a clever idea to push on and we were rewarded by finding a bus which nearly immediately left. This bus brought us in a little over 5 hours to the banks of the Zambesi. The Zambesi is Mozambique’s largest river which cuts the country in two from east to west. There are only one or two bridges over this mighty river and none of them was in sight were we where. Normally you use a ferry to cross the river which is at this point around 400m wide but it stops at 5pm and it was also dark. Luckily for us Jens started to talk to some locals who were also on the way to where we wanted to go to and we followed them to the “night ferry”. The so called ferry is a very small boat with a small outboard engine attached which in African tradition is packed to the rim with people and goods. Luckily the water was very quiet and the crossing takes only 10 minutes. I was completely scared those 10 minutes as it always seemed that the boat would capsize any minute but miracles happen and we arrived at the other side safe. It was now 6pm and pitch black but the locals were sure that there would be some Chapas (minibus or pickup) waiting for us. Well there weren’t any. After a lot of confusion, waiting and more confusion one was organized. The small problem was that it was meant to bring some other people somewhere else and somewhere else wasn’t in our direction. Saying that money rules also in Africa and there were more people wanting to go to Quelmaine (our destination) and so the driver decided that everyone is going there. I though using a small boat at night crossing the Zambesi is scary but I was wrong. The following 4 hour drive in a small pickup with wooden benches in the back was even scarier. The problem at night is that potholes are hard to see which didn’t seem to stop our driver to speed along. I seriously don’t understand how the cars here last for more than one year as they are driven over deep potholes at high speed which normally results in the suspension being maxed out.

Everything has to come to an end and I thank the gods that it wasn’t my life but the ride. We arrived safely at 11pm outside of the bus terminal in Quelmaine. Now let’s recapture. We had been traveling endless hours on busses and arrive at 11pm in a city. What do you do a) get a room and some rest b) book yourself into another bus which leaves at 3am and takes another 12 hour? Yes correct b is the answer.

The bus was meant to leave at 3 am so we didn’t bother doing anything else and went into the bus to have a nap. The first problem was to find a seat but that was quickly sorted out. The other problem was the air quality in the bus. The bus was not moving and about 30 people were already sleeping in it. From what I can tell some people were already traveling a day or two and were like us lets say not smelling like roses anymore. I stayed outside.
Our bus was not the luxury coach you might be used to but an old style thing which must have been designed before the war (your choice which one) and wasn’t made for comfort or speed... There was another bus next to us which looked pretty comfortable and fast. I still don’t know why everyone insisted that we the slow one and I don’t know why we didn’t change.
The last trip should have taken around 10 hours but due to the many stops to take on even more passengers and load and unload cargo it took more than twelve. That is not too bad in a nice bus but its not if you already spent a whole day traveling and you are squeezed into the last row (bumpy) next to three mothers with kids (smelly and screaming). Anyway after an agonizing trip squeezed between a wide hipped lady and a broad shouldered German (hello to my physio I will se him after this trip to sort my back out) I arrived in Nampula which was quickly followed by booking us into a fancy room with real beds and hot showers. I'm telling you that you cannot appreciate a hot shower properly unless you smell against the wind and leave a trail of dirt in the shower.
The next day we got up late and took a leisurely 4 hour Chapa trip to the Ihla de Mozambique which was the final destination and the goal of this epic journey. Man that place better be good.

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Photos

The coat of arms of Mozambique
Yes you see right a AK47 in it..

First minibus
Full but who cares if you sit in the death seat in front?

During one of the many stops
The kids actually ask for pictures to be taken of them. Guess they are bored

6pm already 12 hours on a bus
not looking forward to this trip