Mozambique Dec 08

MOZAMBIQUE 22 DEC 08 – 9 JAN 09
Total distance: ±2 000 km
Corlia and I decided to visit Mozambique, for the first time, over the past December holidays. The plan was to travel to Flamingo Bay Lodge over 2 days, stay there for 2 weeks and then head back for 2 days, staying over at Casa do Campo each way.

The preparation was a bit unnerving as it was my first time crossing borders! So everything was new to me (medical aid, vehicle insurance, registration papers, passports, etc.). I am sure for most of you this is nothing new. In retrospect, it really wasn’t a big deal and actually no reason to stress. Anyway, the trip started on Monday 22 December 2008.


Just before departure…


We didn’t leave too early as we didn’t need to be at Casa do Campo early. The idea was to get to the border between 15h00 and 16h00 and to be through by 17h00. We also had to meet with a varsity friend of Corlia in Nelspruit who were to assist us in obtaining third party insurance and a “ZA” sticker for my bike. [Long story short: I couldn’t find a plain “ZA” sticker in Pretoria. All had “AA” or “Outdoor Warehouse” or something on it. It was a matter of principle and I didn’t want to pay for a sticker being used for advertising. If the AA or Outdoor Warehouse wants to use my bike for advertising, the sticker must at least be sponsored. Petty, I know, but I somehow had a problem with that. So, by the time I decided to leave it at that and buy the next “ZA” sticker I found, I couldn’t find any in Pretoria!]

Trying to avoid the highway (N4) we headed out with Pretoria Road towards Bronkhorstspruit. I don’t have a GPS and quite like the adventurous feeling of travelling on a gut feel and just heading in a general direction. So we passed through Bronkies heading straight for Witbank, enjoying the excitement I normally feel at the beginning of a journey like this, when suddenly we passed a sign that read “residents only” (if I recall correct). We headed straight and….dead end! So we got on the N4 and headed for Witbank, Middelburg and Nelspruit, thinking that we’d be enjoying our share of “back road riding” on day 2 in Mozambique.


Our stop in Nelspruit


Happy about the plain “ZA” sticker!

So, we got the insurance and the sticker and after lunch we headed for the border. At the Sasol Garage just past Komatipoort we changed a few South African Rands for Mozambique Meticais at an exchange rate of 2.5 (which I didn’t think was too bad). At the border I decided to have a go at the paperwork myself. Step one: Get the forms. Step two: complete the forms….were do I find a pen?... here you go...Ah, thank you! My name is Abdul... Pleased to meat you…Fill in here, registration number there…… and so I found my first runner. I decided to go with it as I didn’t really know the ropes. Abdul helped me through the motions (I never gave him our passport or any other important documents) and I am sure he saved us a lot of time. We were through the border and back on the road in under half-an-hour. He even gave me his cellphone number and told me to phone him when we came back. Got to Casa do Campo just before dusk.

Total distance for Day 1: ±400 km


to be continued...

Lekker !!!!

I have been waiting for this report, and FINALLY!!!!

Thanks Sias and Corlia, can't wait for the next installment !!!

Excellent start! I can't wait to read the rest of your trip report. By the way, if I'm not mistaken, Pick & Pay Faerie Glen sells plain unbranded ZA stickers in the car section And I agree - if they brand it, they pay for it That's why I feel BMW should subsidize my bike for putting their badge on it!

Casa Do Campo!

For those of you who don’t know, Casa do Campo is an old farmhouse converted into a guest house about 6 km into Mozambique (Although here you might learn that the border might technically not be where it is supposed to be…). Here we met Collin (owner), a very pleasant guy, who introduced us to the favourite local beer, “2M” (pronounced “dosh em”). A very nice beer and we knew we were going to have many more over the next two weeks.

Here we also met a couple of other people on their way to Barra Lodge. [Flamingo Bay Water Lodge and Barra Lodge are part of the same group and located about 2 km apart] I am always amused by people’s (more specific: non bike-lovers) reaction when you tell them you are taking on such a journey as this by motorbike. They are always a bit shocked and ask something like: Why would you decide to go by bike? Isn’t it uncomfortable? or something along those lines. I guess they’d never understand unless they try it and they’ll never try it unless motorbikes really intrigued them at some stage. Anyway, I do it because I absolutely love it and, for me, there is no other way to travel.

We had baby calamari for starters and grilled chicken as main course; very nice and very fresh. The food was prepared by the locals (chargrilled) and it was the first time I had chargrilled baby calamari – Very nice! We had a couple more 2M’s (probably one too many) and got to bed a bit later than we planned (at about 23h00).


Collin


Hmmm-mmm!


Enjoying those 2M's


Obviously excited of what lay ahead!

We decided to leave there at 5h00 to be safe. We would then reach Flamingo Bay Lodge at about 15h00 if we take it really easy (which we intended to do). If you want to get up early, this is the place to stay over. There is no electricity supply so everything is run on a generator. The generator starts when it gets dark and is switched of when everybody’s in bed. So if you’re not the last man standing you at least go to sleep with a fan still cooling you down. Well, if you are the last man standing, you’d probably have too many 2M’s in you to care about the heat.

The generator was switched off sometime after we went to bed and got up just after 4h00. You wouldn’t be able to stand the heat much later than that anyway! We hit the showers and headed for Maputo hoping to miss the morning peak traffic.

Writing this, I realise that I took way too few photos of our journey. Probably because it was to hot to stop and take photos every now and then. We just wanted to keep moving!

stay tuned...

Kon dit nie beter vertel het myself nie!
Jy verbaas my elke keer wanneer jy die trip reports begin skryf.... wie sou nou kon raai .... Sias die storieverteller!!!

Ahh Sias!, very good read so far . Thank you for sharing your trip with us.





…….and it’s about time nê

Corlia wrote: Kon dit nie beter vertel het myself nie!
Jy verbaas my elke keer wanneer jy die trip reports begin skryf.... wie sou nou kon raai .... Sias die storieverteller!!!

Ek hoop dit is nie net 'stories' nie!!

Miskien dis hoekom so min pics??? Lekker so ver ...nou waar is die res???

Rejuvenated DaveS wrote:

Corlia wrote: Kon dit nie beter vertel het myself nie!
Jy verbaas my elke keer wanneer jy die trip reports begin skryf.... wie sou nou kon raai .... Sias die storieverteller!!!

Ek hoop dit is nie net 'stories' nie!!

Miskien dis hoekom so min pics??? Lekker so ver ...nou waar is die res???

Elkeen het mos sy eie weergawe van die waarheid!

I forgot to activate my cellphone roaming so I had no use for my cellphone and, as I don’t wear a wristwatch, couldn’t really keep track of time from hereon. This meant that my holiday was now REALLY under way. Sleep when you’re tired. Get up when you wake up. Eat when you’re hungry. Drink till you’re tired. And then start all over again. Later during our holiday I convinced Corlia to also let go of her watch and just go with the flow. This, for me is the ultimate feeling of freedom when on holiday.

I commute by bike every day and can honestly say that Maputo’s early morning traffic is a lot more stressful than in Gauteng. The EN1 (which is the main road heading north) passes through wat I call the Soweto of Maputo. What a mess! There seem to be no rules and very little consideration to bikers; taxis trying to pass you left and right.

At some stage a local guy on a bike passed me, looking very comfortable with his surroundings. So I decided to tuck in behind him. At one stage we were behind a bus. Then he started to pass the bus (with me right behind him) and then suddenly turned right. Looking straight in front of me I saw the traffic police. I looked down and there was a double yellow line between me and the bus and I realised that I was obviously not allowed to be in the yellow lane. Quickly braking, indicating to the left and tucking in right behind the bus again, I realised that I am in trouble. The policeman indicated me to pull over and I had no idea what my excuse would be. I didn’t want to surrender and admit guilt straight away, but had no idea what I was going to say.

So the policeman approached me: “Why you drive so ziggy zaggy?” and all that came out was “I was confused!” In response to which he said: “Confused? You go!” and pointed in the direction I was travelling. Very unsure as to what just happened and why I came off scot-free, I took off without hesitation. It was only on our sleep over at Casa do Campo on our way back (2 weeks later) that Collin shed some light on what happened. According to the Portugese definition, if someone is confused it is because that person was deliberately mislead or confused by someone else. You are therefore seen as a victim, I suppose, and that is probably why I got off scot-free.

Very relieved to be through Maputo and after about 2 hours on the road we were on the lookout for a opportunity to stretch our legs. As we passed a building I read “Ultra City Snack Bar” and decided to turn around and stop there. They had just opened when we stopped. It was already very hot and we ordered one large 2M and 2 glasses – which is the way you drink 2M in Mozambique, according to Collin. It was after the second 2M and some small talk with the barman that I realised it was only 7h00 in the morning! To early to drink a bear under normal circumstances, I know. But hey, we are on holiday, we’ve been up since 4h00 and riding since 5h00, it was hot and….. we are in Mozambique!



A beach bar with no beaches in sight!

We finished our drinks and carried on. Next Stop: Xai Xai. Here we refuelled and had lunch at a restaurant called 3M - A very nice place and highly recommendable. From Xai Xai to Inhambane there aren’t many opportunities for formal stops at snack bars or anything like that. The road past Xai Xai is very bad and by this time I came to realise that very little of the locals stick to the speed limits. So every time a taxi or truck passed me I tucked in behind it, hoping that the traffic police wouldn’t see me. Some of the taxis and bakkies reached speed of above 150 km/h and these I decided to let go. I didn’t want to push my luck.

At Inharimme we caught our first glance at the sea! A few kilometres before Inhambane, it started to rain. We decided not to put on our rain suits as it was too hot and thinking that cooling off in the rain would be great. We rode in the rain longer than I expected and we were soaking wet by the time the rain passed. It was nice and cool though and not too long after that we were fairly dry. We got to Inhambane and from there followed the directions to Flamingo Bay Lodge which I got from their website. According to the directions the last bit was a “sand road” which was a bit unnerving as I am always a bit more nervous when riding tough terrain with Corlia on the back. And to make it worse, I had panniers on and a rucksack strapped on the back as well.

We got to the point where the tar road bears right and the sand road continues straight. So here we had to continue straight with the sand road. It was not as sandy as I feared and on we went. Me standing upright, with Corlia sitting down behind me. This works better for us than both of us trying to stand. I was trying to avoid the sandy patches as far as possible, trying to stay as focussed as I needed to, feeling very confident. Going along at about 60 km/h (I find myself most comfortable at this speed with a loaded bike) when we got to a Y junction.

The sign indicated that we turn left here. From this turn, the not so sandy, sandy road became more like the sandy road I had imagined and feared. Because of all the 4X4’s and quads going around this corner, it was deep soft sand. And now I had to slow down and turn! Two things I find don’t really work well in deep sand. And this with a loaded bike! Ok…ok…yes, all this build-up to try and justify me loosing control of the bike on that corner. So we came off in the middle of the turn. Checking that Corlia is all right some of the locals came running towards to help. Although very grateful for the gesture, I shouted: “No! Don’t touch there!” as they grabbed onto the panniers in an effort to help pick up the bike. I might have come across a bit rude, but hey, adrenaline was pumping through my blood and I knew it was not a good idea to try and pick the bike by its panniers. Suddenly this quiet road became a bit crowded as a couple of 4X4’s appeared, trying to get passed, with us pretty much blocking the road. So I picked up the bike and while we are trying to get out of the way two local guys approach us: “Fresh buns!”, “Crayfish!” I couldn’t help but laugh as I told them “no thanks”. What a time to try and sell buns and crayfish to someone!

I struggled to get out of the deep sand. First gear, high revs with a sand fountain behind me, moving very slowly out of the deep sand. The last bit of road (about 5 km) was very sandy and after the fall I took it a bit easier. So we got to Flamingo Bay Lodge before 15h00, unpacked and took a shower.

Total distance for the day: ± 600 km


Safe and sound at Flamingo Bay Lodge

Very nice !!!

Lesson 1 in Sand:
Pull away in 2nd gear, never 1st gear

Lesson 2:
Gooi miellies!!!!

Well done , keep it comming.....

Very nice read so far !!

I am green eyed with jealousy at the moment. Well written story, keep it coming. I have been to Inhambane area 5 times in the past 8 years and just love it. Very brave to drive on some of those very soft sandy roads with a loaded bike with pillion. The road north with the exception of the 99 or so km's from Xai Xai north is brilliant now compared to the first trip that I did in 2000 with my 4x4. The road was so bad that the total travelling time was around 16 hours from JHB. There were sections with so many potholes that you could not drive at much more than 15km/h. When I am a big person and have my GS I will go back by bike.

Beautiful. ALL the fun we thought you'll have. Been there too but (chikens) in a 4X4. Having a 2M around 07h00 am is basically as normal as brushing your teeth. Especially during December.

Can't wait for the rest. Why do you get tired (of writing) so quickly?????

Great story so far, keep going...

"... last bit of road (about 5 km) was very sandy ..."
I know

You & Corlia and the loaded Dakar passed us not far from Xai-Xai . . It sure makes one feel greeeen...
(we were in 4x4 in opposite direction on our way to Collin's Casa do Campo! - Missed you two by a day!)

Looking forward to the rest of your report!!

Sharkie wrote:Lesson 1 in Sand:
Pull away in 2nd gear, never 1st gear

Lesson 2:
Gooi miellies!!!!

Thanks Sharkie! Did not know that...but now that you mention it, it actually makes sense!

Gemmerkat wrote:Having a 2M around 07h00 am is basically as normal as brushing your teeth. Especially during December.

Can't wait for the rest. Why do you get tired (of writing) so quickly?????

I knew you'd understand about the early morning drinking! I will try and finish tonight. With reference to the writing, I think I start posting too soon… In future I’ll do the whole report and “copy and paste” - post once I’m finished!

Thanks again for the panniers! They work great!!!

GSlady wrote:"... last bit of road (about 5 km) was very sandy ..."
I know

You & Corlia and the loaded Dakar passed us not far from Xai-Xai . . It sure makes one feel greeeen...
(we were in 4x4 in opposite direction on our way to Collin's Casa do Campo! - Missed you two by a day!)

Looking forward to the rest of your report!!

Collin told us you were going to stay over the following night, so I knew we were bound to pass you guys somewhere along the route. But I didn’t know for what vehicle to keep an eye out! So sorry for not waving! Sure you guys had a lovely holiday as well!?

Sias en Corlia.
Baie dankie vir julle storie,dit was great en hoop dus nie die laaste trip nie, en Corlia dit is nou tyd dat jy jou eie motorfiets kry.Join the fun.
Baie dankie

I had to disassemble and then reassemble the right hand pannier and glue the right rear indicator after our little accident and the bike was good to go.

So we spent 2 weeks at Flamingo Bay Lodge. Not wanting to bore you with too much detail, I would like to highlight a few things to do in and around the area just so you have a few things on your to do list when you go there:

Sunset cruise on a catamaran
This is a must do and the ultimate way to enjoy a Mozambique sunset.


Horse ride on the beach
I would recommend the morning ride as the afternoon ride might get a bit hot. Hopefully you don’t get a lazy horse like I did! It was still worth it though…



Ocean Safari
For those who (like us) have not yet done their scuba diving courses. The ocean safari consists of an hour-and-a-half search for dolphins and or whale sharks to swim with. We found dolphins but unfortunately they swam away when we got into the water. After this you snorkel for half-an-hour at the very shallow coral reef (maximum 3 to 4 meters deep).


Sundowners at Sunset Lodge
Get there some time before sunset as you’d want to have cocktails at the swimming pool bar. Afterwards you can enjoy the sunset from the deck.



Beach bar crawling
Take a day to walk along the beach and stop at each beach bar for a drink. This would probably fill most of your day, depending on how long the stops are…


The two weeks flew by to fast and before w knew it, it was time to head home. Packing up before leaving is usually a depressing time for me, but this time I was really looking forward to hitting the long road again after two weeks without much bike riding.

So the journey home began. I will finish this tomorrow. Promise…

still enjoy reading it......

Sias wrote:Collin told us you were going to stay over the following night, so I knew we were bound to pass you guys somewhere along the route. But I didn’t know for what vehicle to keep an eye out! So sorry for not waving! Sure you guys had a lovely holiday as well!?

We didn't wave either - you seemed to be in a hurry...

Not surprised about the 5am departure - by midnight we took our matresses outside - was way too hot to sleep inside!

Now for the home coming episode . . .

We are all waiting with bated breath. Been a great tale todate.

As I said, so the journey home began...

We decided not leave too early as we found the route to the border (±600km) can easily be covered in one day, although not as fast as in SA. The maximum speed limit is 100km/h and passing through each town/village it drops to 80km/h and then 60km/h. And there are a lot of these towns/villages, so you take about 8 to 9 hours to get to the border (including smoke-, lunch- and petrol brakes.

We were both a bit nervous about this first stretch of sand road that lay ahead (after taking a plunge 2 weeks ago). In these situations, I always try to convince myself that there simply is no other way and that I just have to get on the bike and show that piece of sand road who is boss! Well the options were to get on the bike and just do it, or to simply stay there (in paradise!). Somehow we chose to get on the bike and head on out of there. So we smoke a last sigarette with our friends and off we went.

I rode a bit easier/more cautiously seeing that our destination was now a bit further than when we came. You don’t want injure yourself or the bike at the beginning of such a journey. There were a few wobbles, but each time I’d just look up and power through. I was standing with Corlia sitting down behind me. I think Corlia learnt from our last fall not to stick her leg out if we were to fall again. She slightly sprained her ankle when the pannier pushed her leg into the sand. I think we didn’t do too bad, as we got to the tar road with no incidents. Afterwards Corlia told me that every time the bike started to wobble through the sandy areas she would just close her eyes and grab onto the bike hoping that we don’t fall.

We headed left towards Tofu beach to the nearest filling station as my reserve light already came on. We also had to pump the tyres and get some snacks and drinks for the road. So off we went in the direction of Inhambane. Funny how the last stretches of a trip feel so far and now, heading back, this strech between Inhambane and Flamingo Bay Lodge feels like 10km (when we were on our way to Flamingo Bay Lodge it felt like 100km).

Sadly we took only two photos of our whole trip back to Pretoria. I don’t know why and I am very disappointed about this. I made a vow to myself to never take so little photos on a trip again. Anyway, so I am going to keep the trip back a bit shorter - as a trip report without photos (for me) is very boring.

It was much cooler on the way back (or maybe we were just use to the climate by now) and for this I was very grateful. By now I also knew where some of the speed bumps were. One or two (unmarked) speed bumps surprised me on our way there.

Our next stop was at Inharrime. Truly a beautiful spot to stop and have a sigarette as we watched some guys (also heading to SA presumably – GP number plates) pull over and take a swim. Seemed like a ritual before departing with the coastline of Mozambique.


Inharrime

We then headed for Xai-Xai where we would have lunch, but when we arrived in Xai-Xai, we decided to carry on and have lunch at Ultra City Snack bar a few kilometres before Maputo. When we arrived at the Ultra City it was hot. I had about 3 cold drinks! We ate toasteds and chips for lunch. Plain and simple…AND quick! See it was almost 15h00 and we wanted to be through Maputo before 16h00 to avoid the afternoon rush. So off we went.

Got through Maputo without any hassles. The afternoon traffic seemed much better than the morning traffic. Through Maputo and on to Casa do Campo. It was kind of sad heading for the border. Although we were sleeping in Mozambique one more night, our Mozambique holiday already felt at its end. We got to Casa do Campo, unpacked, took a shower, got a cold beer and made ourselves comfortable outside.

After Collin had finished with his daily duties, he came for a drink with us. We ended up chatting till 2h00. So after a whole lot of 2M’s we headed for bed. We didn’t have a long way to go the following day so we decided to leave whenever we woke up.


Fake smile (not happy about leaving Mozambique!)

Distance for the day: ±600km

Sorry for breaking my promise, but the last installment will follow tomorrow...

It looks like you had a great time ..... one day when I am big and no break downs .....