October 03 - October 08,  2004

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Country Facts: Mozambique

Updated Information

Distance  Today:
400km

Beef Curry

03 October, 2004

bushcamp

17°15.863’S x 33°24.221’E

Sunny, 93(F)
degrees

We left Blantyre this morning at about 830, arriving at Malawi immigration at Mwanza a couple of hours later. This is the primary route into Malawi for trucks bringing goods from Zimbabwe and South Africa and the border is very busy. We arrived just after two busses and had to que for about 20 minutes to clear immigration. After blowing the money changers and trinket sellers, we managed to get through the border ahead of the busses, and so cleared immigration on the Mozambique side fairly quickly. Customs charged about $2 for the vehicle and $23 for 30 days’ insurance. We crossed the Zambezi river and arrived in Tete shortly after lunch. The city seems like a sleepy place, but it was Sunday afternoon. We managed to locate an international ATM and became instant millionaires again, withdrawing 2 million metacals (about $100). At Changara, the truck route heads West into Zim. We went south toward Chimoio on tarmac that suddenly became slow and potholed. Kids pretending to fill the holes with dirt and asking for coins were out in force, throwing handfuls of dirt high into the air for effect. The road improved in places, and we ended out making better time than we expected. We pulled off onto a service road under some power lines and located a bushcamp for the evening. The campsite was good except for bees that were attracted to our water bottles. They went home after dark and we were able to make some dinner.

Bridge over the Zambezi

Updated Information

Distance  Today:
284km

 Leftover Mexican mince

04 October, 2004

Msida campground

 19°02.451’S x 33°03.885’E

Sunny, 97(F) Degrees

We left camp this morning before the bees awoke, heading south. We drove to Chicabamba dam where we enjoyed an excellent lunch of roasted fish with rice. The meal including beer and soft drinks came to $6 for both of us. We knew the fish was fresh, as shortly after we ordered we saw a woman deliver it in a bowl on her head. In the afternoon we headed to Msika camp hoping to be able to get some information on hiking in the chimanimani mountains. They didn’t know anything though and we spent the remainder of the afternoon reading and relaxing.

Chicabamba Reservoir

Updated Information

Distance  Today:
520km

Boerewors with Pasta

Vilanculos, Mozambique

05 October, 2004

Vilanculos camping

 21°59.592’S x 35°19.456’E

Sunny, 99(F)
degrees

This morning we drove to Chimoio still hoping to be able to find information on hiking in chimanimani. We tried to send some postcards from the post office, but they didn’t have any change so we couldn’t buy stamps. We spent about 30 minutes trying to locate the tourist information office, but when we finally found it we discovered they don’t have much information for tourists. They sent us to another town nearer the mountains, but after discussing it we decided to just head for the beach instead. We spent the rest of the day on a long uneventful drive south to the coast. The roads were mostly good with a couple of potholed sections. We arrived in Vilanculos at about 4pm and booked a three day trip to a nearby island chain starting tomorrow. Vilanculos camping seems run down and is definitely overpriced. We’ll probably try to find somewhere else to stay when we return from the dhow trip.

Updated Information

Distance  Today:
25km

 Rice with tomato sauce and calamari

06 October, 2004

Gabriel's Lodge

 Not Recorded

Sunny, 92(F) Degrees

We boarded a small dhow this morning and headed to Magaruque Island for some snorkeling and lunch. There were 10 people on the boat, including a couple of other overlanders. The snorkeling was nice, and after lunch we went to Benguera Island, which is where we’ll stay for two nights. The place seems very nice, but the management is a little disjointed. We sat in the bar and had some drinks while the Sail Away staff organized our rooms. Jen and I got a private Cabana with it’s own bathroom for a bit of luxury. We went for a long walk on the beach before dinner, which was good if a bit basic.

Updated Information

Distance  Today:
20km

 Rice with tomato sauce and calamari

07 October, 2004

Gabriel's Lodge

 Not Recorded

Sunny, 97(F) Degrees

The mattress in our cabana is just a thick piece of foam. Foam is fine to sleep on unless it’s too thick, in which case you sink into it and wake up in the middle of the night feeling like a pretzel. Jen and I didn’t sleep well, and some of the others on the trip reported the same thing. We took the boat to the next island north where we climbed some sand dunes and enjoyed the beautiful turquoise water. We went out to two-mile reef for some snorkeling, which was much nicer than yesterday. The fish were beautiful and we saw a small blue-spotted ray and quite a few dolphin on the boat ride back. We enjoyed another walk on the beach and another beautiful sunset before dinner. We were a little disappointed to be served the exact same thing as we had last night. We sat around in the bar drinking and talking until they closed at 930.

Updated Information

Distance  Today:
30km

 Restaurant

08 October, 2004

Zombie Cucumber backpackers

 Not Recorded

Sunny, 95(F) Degrees

Last night I couldn’t sleep at all and ended out spreading out my sleeping bag on the concrete floor, which wasn’t great but it was an improvement over the bottomless foam. After breakfast we packed up and loaded our stuff into the boat, and headed back out to two mile reef for more snorkeling. The water was quite choppy and the visibility not as good, but we did find a sea turtle to follow around for awhile. We stopped on the beach at the north end of Benguera Island for lunch and to raise the sail on the dhow, then rode the wind back to the mainland. We went with Megan, Rupert, Antonio, and Lara to Zombie cucumber backpackers. It’s much nicer than Vilanculos Camping, and cheaper. We enjoyed some excellent food cooked by one of the owners, who is reputed to be the best chef in town. Jen had a beef moussaka, and I had an excellent prawn and crab pasta. Another couple from the dhow safari, Graham and Julia, have shipped their Land Rover from the UK and are enjoying a four month holiday in southern Africa. They are at the beginning of their trip, and their vehicle looks as if it has just been driven off the floor at an expedition show.