|
Updated Information
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
0km |
Meals
Baracuda steaks and prawn curry at Samara |
Weather |
|
Vilanculos, Mozambique |
09 October, 2004
Happy Birthday, Witt! |
Zombie Cucumber backpackers |
21°59.905’S x 35°19.418’E |
Odometer: 39340km |
Sunny, 95(F)
degrees |
|
We spent the morning lounging
at Zombie Cucumber, reading, updating the website, and talking with other
travelers and the owners. We met Megan, an Aussie who had been working at
a backpackers in Cape Town after completing a trans-africa trip on an
overland truck. Rupert, another Aussie, has driven a Land Rover from the
UK via the east coast. We’ve agreed to give him a lift to Tofo, as he’s
left his car in SA for some repairs. His job before he left was as a door
engineer for Land Rover in Sollihull, and he’s quite keen on them (Land
Rovers). Graham and Jillie are two brits who had a brand new 110
professionally equipped in the UK and shipped it to SA for a tour of
southern Africa. Antonio and Lara are two very funny Spaniards on holiday.
Steph and John own Zombie Cucumber and are very friendly. Molly, their
dog, just hangs out looking for opportunities to beg for food. We started
getting hungry for lunch and walked about 40 minutes to Samara, a
restaurant recommended by Steph. Paulo, the Mozamiquan (of Portuguese
descent) owner is one of those people for whom food is a passion. We
enjoyed a 3-hour lunch at a table near the beach. The food was
outstanding. In a feat of gastronomic excess even I couldn’t match,
Antonio and Lara ordered two lobsters for dinner. We finished lunch at
around 330; The lobsters are due to be ready at nine o’clock. We walked
back into town, stopping at the internet café on the way. We spent the
evening, sans dinner, playing boa on a board Jen bought me for my birthday
in Malawi, made of Mulanje Cedar, and talking. |
|
Enjoying lunch on the beach.
Rupert, Lara, Anto |
Megan, Jillie, and Graham |
|
Updated Information
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
0km |
Meals
Baked fish with rice |
Weather |
|
Vilanculor, Mozambique |
10 October, 2004 |
Zombie Cucumber backpackers |
21°59.905’S
x 35°19.418’E |
Odometer: 39340km |
Rainy, 78(F) Degrees |
|
It started raining early this
morning, but stopped briefly after breakfast. Jen and I went for a run
through the town. After showers we went to the bar to relax and read. A
couple of local fishermen showed up bearing a 30kg fish they had just
caught. Steph, the owner and chef, bought it and changed the menu on the
chalkboard. She did an excellent job of preparing it with lemon and herbs,
and about 10 of us feasted on the beast for dinner. Graham and Jillie have
some DVDs with them and we watched ‘old school’ on the laptop after
dinner. |
|
Dinner's here! |
Anto and his artistic dinner
menu |
|
Updated Information
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
75km |
Meals
leftovers |
Weather |
|
Morrungulo, Mozambique |
11 October, 2004 |
Shiela's Shoal |
23°13.254’S
x 35°29.189’E |
Odometer: 39521km |
Rainy, 75(F)
degrees |
|
After long goodbyes to
everyone at Zombie Cucumber, we (with Rupert in back) headed south for
Morrungulo, the next stop along the beach. The rain was coming down
steadily as we drove out to the main road. After about an hour we turned
off onto a dirt road, which was fairly sandy so the rain hadn’t made too
much of a mess out of it. We pulled into Shiela’s and set up our ground
tent for Rupert inside a shelter. Fortunately it was large enough for us
to cook in, out of the rain. It was one of those days where the sea and
the sky are the same color of gray and the wind whips at the crests of the
breakers. I took off south down the broad, flat beach and ran for almost
two hours, futilely chasing the spot where the cliffs disappear into the
mist. |
|
Grey skies at Morrungulu |
|
Updated Information
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
170km |
Meals
Seafood pizza, prawns |
Weather |
|
Tofo, Mozambique |
12 October, 2004 |
Bamboozi Lodge |
23°50.464’S
x 35°32.249’E |
Odometer:
39691km |
Overcast, 85(F) Degrees |
|
The rain stopped during the
night and we awoke to slightly overcast skies. After breakfast we spent a
couple of hours walking on the beach, accompanied by three dogs from
Shiela’s. At about 1030 we headed south for Tofo. They’re working on
widening the road but before they do the mines that have been laid near
bridges have to be cleared. We passed numerous mine-clearing teams along
the road, and many mine fields marked with red and white stakes. After
stopping for beer, cash, and a very slow internet café in Vilanculo, we
made the short drive to Tofo beach and Bamboozi Lodge, recommended by
Rupert. You can’t see the ocean from the campsite, as it is sheltered by
large sand dunes. The bar and restaurant sit on top of one of those dunes
and enjoys a sweeping view of the beach as it curves toward the village of
Tofo. The beach is pristine, clean white sand. We went to the bar for
dinner and Rupert introduced us to some friends he met while staying here
before. We enjoyed some excellent seafood and spent the evening drinking
and talking.
|
Break for sale (each sign is "fresh bread" in a different language). The bread was very tasty!
|
|
Updated Information
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
0km |
Meals
Crab curry, prawns |
Weather |
|
Tofo, Mozambique |
13 October, 2004 |
Bamboozi Lodge |
23°50.464’S
x 35°32.249’E |
Odometer:
39691km |
Partly Cloudy, 92(F) Degrees |
|
After breakfast we walked the
kilometer down the beach to the village of Tofo, where the scuba operators
are located. We got on a dive this afternoon and hustled back to the car
to retrieve our gear. Lunch consisted of cashews bought from a kid on the
beach. Launching the dive boat off the beach into the surf was an
adventure. First we hauled the bow around to face into the waves, then
tried to scramble aboard as the incoming surf tossed the boat around. The
skipper gunned the engines and we ploughed into the next breaking wave,
sending the boat almost vertical, then plummeting back down into the
trough. Two or three more of these and we cleared the surf, the boat
literally flying off the swells. The ride to the dive site was about
twenty minutes of jolting adrenaline. Things calmed down once underwater
and we spent 45 minutes looking at all manner of sea life including some
rays and an octopus. Getting the boat back onto the beach was just as
exciting as getting it off. The skipper timed an incoming wave, hit the
gas, and rode the wave at speed onto the beach resulting in a very abrupt
stop as the boat hit the sand. We enjoyed an excellent post-dive lunch at
Merinos and walked back to Bamboozi. We’re scheduled on a “deep” dive to
Manta Reef (28m) tomorrow, which means we have to study tonight to upgrade
our qualifications. |
Heaving the boat into the surf
Heaving the boat into the surf
|
|
Updated Information
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
0km |
Meals
sautéed
prawns with pasta |
Weather |
|
Tofo Mozambique |
14 October, 2004 |
Bamboozi Lodge |
23°50.464’S
x 35°32.249’E |
Odometer:
39691km |
Overcast, 85(F) Degrees |
|
We decided to skip the dive
and sleep in this morning, which turned out to be a mistake as the dive
was reported to be excellent. We re-booked for tomorrow, and are hoping
the rays hang out for another day. We bought about 5 pounds of prawns from
a local lady and are planning to cook them with a few people tonight. We
spent the afternoon in the bar writing website updates and watching the
tide come in. That evening we cooked up the prawns with Rupert, Sophie,
and ?? and enjoyed an excellent meal. |
|
The bar at Bamboozi lodge |
 |
|
October 15 ---> |
