Crazy fisherman at Pangane
The view from Mufasa at the Pangane campsite
One of the beautiful sunsets at Pangane
More will come at a later date, internet connections willing in Kenya!
Saturday 28 June 2008
Some pictures - part 7
Our 'rustic' shower at the Pangane campsite
Crazy fisherman at Pangane
The view from Mufasa at the Pangane campsite
One of the beautiful sunsets at Pangane
More will come at a later date, internet connections willing in Kenya!
Crazy fisherman at Pangane
The view from Mufasa at the Pangane campsite
One of the beautiful sunsets at Pangane
More will come at a later date, internet connections willing in Kenya!
Some pictures - part 6
The main Mosque on Ilha da Mozambique
Kingsley Holgate and his merry men waiting to cross to Ilha da Mozambique
Our very nice campsite under the baobab trees at Pemba
Passing the time on the beach at Pemba
The long road to Pangane, Mozambique
Kingsley Holgate and his merry men waiting to cross to Ilha da Mozambique
Our very nice campsite under the baobab trees at Pemba
Passing the time on the beach at Pemba
The long road to Pangane, Mozambique
Some pictures - part 5
Campsite on beach looking out to Ilha da Mozambique
Sunrise over Ilha da Mozambique
Ruined church on Ilha da Mozambique
Downtown Ilha da Mozambique
The local hardware store on Ilha da Mozambique
more to come, and still slow
Sunrise over Ilha da Mozambique
Ruined church on Ilha da Mozambique
Downtown Ilha da Mozambique
The local hardware store on Ilha da Mozambique
more to come, and still slow
Some pictures - part 4
The queue for the ferry across the Zambezi
The ferry ride ... standing room only for those not driving a vehicle
Your typical ruined old Portuguese house along the roadside in Mozambique
Your typical Mozambqican village hut along the roadside, nice view too!!
More typical mud and thatch huts
The ferry ride ... standing room only for those not driving a vehicle
Your typical ruined old Portuguese house along the roadside in Mozambique
Your typical Mozambqican village hut along the roadside, nice view too!!
More typical mud and thatch huts
Some pictures - part 3
A happy punter on a game drive in the Gorongosa NP
A happier punter with her loot in the campsite at Gorongosa NP
No quite your average petrol station in Mozambique
Some essential food items, coconut coated doughnut things ... yum
The bridge ovr the Zambezi river ... due to be completed this year, or this decade, or this centuary ... who knows
A happier punter with her loot in the campsite at Gorongosa NP
No quite your average petrol station in Mozambique
Some essential food items, coconut coated doughnut things ... yum
The bridge ovr the Zambezi river ... due to be completed this year, or this decade, or this centuary ... who knows
Some pictures - part 2
Our campsite at Inhassoro, Mozambique
Buying rock cod for dinner at Inhassoro, shame Rich forgot to wash the sand out of it!!
Stormy weather, thankfully out to sea
Bridge over the Save River, Mozambique
Entrance to the Gorongosa NP
Faster connection now, but still SLOW!
Buying rock cod for dinner at Inhassoro, shame Rich forgot to wash the sand out of it!!
Stormy weather, thankfully out to sea
Bridge over the Save River, Mozambique
Entrance to the Gorongosa NP
Faster connection now, but still SLOW!
Thursday 26 June 2008
Some pictures ...
Sue's kitchen cupboard...
Me getting older
Team mug shot before we head off ...
The road to Morrungulo, Mozambique ...
The beach at Morrungulo, Mozambique
more will follow but it has taken 30 mins to post these 5, and we are giving up till we find a faster internet cafe. Oh and we need a nice cool beer!!!
Me getting older
Team mug shot before we head off ...
The road to Morrungulo, Mozambique ...
The beach at Morrungulo, Mozambique
more will follow but it has taken 30 mins to post these 5, and we are giving up till we find a faster internet cafe. Oh and we need a nice cool beer!!!
Wednesday 25 June 2008
Zanzibar is beautiful, well that is what people tell us
Well we eventually stayed 3 nights at Selous. One day was spent emptying all
the boxes from Mufasa and sweeping out the accumulated dust and debris as
well as trying to invent new ways of keeping it out to start with! Our only
safari was on the river as Sue and myself chose not to drive into the park
ourselves, partly due to the cost but we also just fancied doing sommit
different. So instead Kaz Rich and Rebecca joined us on the river and we
spent a very pleasant 2.5hrs cruising with our guide. We saw some great
sights, plenty of birds, hippo, crocs, and some interesting monkey sightings
too, not to mention a fantastic sunset over the distant mountains with
hippos wallowing in the water just in front of us.
On return to camp we had company. A group of several people had turned up
and were setting up camp next door to us. As normally happens you think
'well that is our perfect private camp gone!'. They were however a very
pleasant American family with some friends and their Aunt (who lives in
Tanzania) as their tour guides. The bushcats departed the next day heading
for Dar-es-Salam and we just chilled out around camp. The American's went on
a game drive and had a long and eventful day in the park. Some were sitting
on top of the Uncle's Land Rover and a few got stung by bees at one point.
Later that evening we joined them around their campfire to toast
marshmallows. The elephants returned again that night much to the delight of
two of the party next door, but this time we had not made it to the relative
safety of our tent. We had to sit it out near the campfire listening and
hoping of a glimpse in the dark, but after a while of hearing the breaking
of branches the elephants moved off into the night not venturing in our
direction.
Early the next day we upped sticks and headed to Dar ourselves, our base to
visit exotic Zanzibar, and apart from the long slow bumpy 80km from the park
to the turning north the drive was easy and uneventful. Our new camp was at
the delightful and cheap Sunrise Beach Resort in the South Beach area south
of Dar. We were pointed in this direction by a couple of Scottish lads who
Sue and I had bumped into on the drive up from Kilwa Masoko a few days ago.
They had been on the road for only 3 months from Scotland and were already
70% of the way down Tanzania. A bit of a quick trip. Anyway, Sunrise is just
fabulous. There is camping just off the beach under the palm trees for only
Tsh4000 per person and a restaurant and bar just next to us. Food and beer
is cheap and very nice too! Sue and I enjoyed a superb curry with a few
beers the first evening. It is a bit like a budget Mauritius here. Beautiful
white sandy beach, bright blue sea, and the bar and restaurant with
excellent service. They also have secure parking for the vehicles that you
can use when you pop over to Zanzibar. Some people even use it to leave
their overland vehicles here when they pop home to Europe or wherever for a
few months before returning to continue on their adventures. The only down
side is the loud music on Saturday evening, and the not quite Pavarotti
voice of the man and his keyboard.
To get to Dar from the camp you have a 8km drive and then a ferry across the
water that separates Dar from the south beach area. The ferry is an
outrageous Tsh1100 (£0.48) for the truck and the two of us, and only takes a
few minutes. We popped over on Monday to check out Toyota for servicing the
trucks. You would not believe what they want to charge for the privilege!
Needless to say as we only need an oil change we have decided to use an
alternative garage recommended to us by a German who is staying at the camp.
We also paid homage to two of the supermarkets which are mainly used by
ex-pats and stock quite a wide range of goods at prices that range from
moderately expensive and very expensive to insanely expensive as they are
imported from the UK and South Africa! We bought some staples like rice and
pasta which were normal prices and also treated ourselves to one or two
luxuries from the moderately expensive range, like chocolate Hob-Nobs.
Although we managed to buy one packet of biscuits from the very expensive
range by mistake. We also managed to bump into the American family from
Selous, small world. They had another tale to tell from their time at the
park. The night we had left they were robbed in the camp. In the middle of
the night 4 locals appeared with pangas (large blades) and proceeded to
slice open tents and demand money from the occupants. Thankfully they made a
hasty exit after the Uncle had woken and shouted whatever in Swahili, and at
least no-one was hurt, just a couple of damaged tents and a few Tsh stolen.
Glad we left that day!!
Anyway, Sunrise Beach Resort seems to be a stopover for overlanders, with
the obvious draw of the beach sun and sea, and the secure parking. Andy,
Sarah, and their 2 young boys who are doing a 10 week trip from SA in their
old Landy left yesterday heading back south towards SA. Chris and Janet in
their little 4WD Toyota camper are doing a monster tour from the UK via
northern Scandinavia-Russia-other Russian states-Iran-Syria-Jordan-east
Africa down to Cape Town-west Africa back to UK; amazing!! Thomas, the
German, is his old Mercedes based fire engine and trailer, making his way to
Matema on the northern shores of Lake Malawi to start a new campsite,
www.crazy-crocodile.com, and another German couple arrived yesterday in
their large old Mercedes overland truck.
It is tough staying here. It will be hard to leave, but tomorrow we must
make the trip over to Zanzibar otherwise we never will!! We can always park
off again when we get back, but the clock is ticking and we still have many
a KM to travel yet.
S06'51.001 E39'21.523
the boxes from Mufasa and sweeping out the accumulated dust and debris as
well as trying to invent new ways of keeping it out to start with! Our only
safari was on the river as Sue and myself chose not to drive into the park
ourselves, partly due to the cost but we also just fancied doing sommit
different. So instead Kaz Rich and Rebecca joined us on the river and we
spent a very pleasant 2.5hrs cruising with our guide. We saw some great
sights, plenty of birds, hippo, crocs, and some interesting monkey sightings
too, not to mention a fantastic sunset over the distant mountains with
hippos wallowing in the water just in front of us.
On return to camp we had company. A group of several people had turned up
and were setting up camp next door to us. As normally happens you think
'well that is our perfect private camp gone!'. They were however a very
pleasant American family with some friends and their Aunt (who lives in
Tanzania) as their tour guides. The bushcats departed the next day heading
for Dar-es-Salam and we just chilled out around camp. The American's went on
a game drive and had a long and eventful day in the park. Some were sitting
on top of the Uncle's Land Rover and a few got stung by bees at one point.
Later that evening we joined them around their campfire to toast
marshmallows. The elephants returned again that night much to the delight of
two of the party next door, but this time we had not made it to the relative
safety of our tent. We had to sit it out near the campfire listening and
hoping of a glimpse in the dark, but after a while of hearing the breaking
of branches the elephants moved off into the night not venturing in our
direction.
Early the next day we upped sticks and headed to Dar ourselves, our base to
visit exotic Zanzibar, and apart from the long slow bumpy 80km from the park
to the turning north the drive was easy and uneventful. Our new camp was at
the delightful and cheap Sunrise Beach Resort in the South Beach area south
of Dar. We were pointed in this direction by a couple of Scottish lads who
Sue and I had bumped into on the drive up from Kilwa Masoko a few days ago.
They had been on the road for only 3 months from Scotland and were already
70% of the way down Tanzania. A bit of a quick trip. Anyway, Sunrise is just
fabulous. There is camping just off the beach under the palm trees for only
Tsh4000 per person and a restaurant and bar just next to us. Food and beer
is cheap and very nice too! Sue and I enjoyed a superb curry with a few
beers the first evening. It is a bit like a budget Mauritius here. Beautiful
white sandy beach, bright blue sea, and the bar and restaurant with
excellent service. They also have secure parking for the vehicles that you
can use when you pop over to Zanzibar. Some people even use it to leave
their overland vehicles here when they pop home to Europe or wherever for a
few months before returning to continue on their adventures. The only down
side is the loud music on Saturday evening, and the not quite Pavarotti
voice of the man and his keyboard.
To get to Dar from the camp you have a 8km drive and then a ferry across the
water that separates Dar from the south beach area. The ferry is an
outrageous Tsh1100 (£0.48) for the truck and the two of us, and only takes a
few minutes. We popped over on Monday to check out Toyota for servicing the
trucks. You would not believe what they want to charge for the privilege!
Needless to say as we only need an oil change we have decided to use an
alternative garage recommended to us by a German who is staying at the camp.
We also paid homage to two of the supermarkets which are mainly used by
ex-pats and stock quite a wide range of goods at prices that range from
moderately expensive and very expensive to insanely expensive as they are
imported from the UK and South Africa! We bought some staples like rice and
pasta which were normal prices and also treated ourselves to one or two
luxuries from the moderately expensive range, like chocolate Hob-Nobs.
Although we managed to buy one packet of biscuits from the very expensive
range by mistake. We also managed to bump into the American family from
Selous, small world. They had another tale to tell from their time at the
park. The night we had left they were robbed in the camp. In the middle of
the night 4 locals appeared with pangas (large blades) and proceeded to
slice open tents and demand money from the occupants. Thankfully they made a
hasty exit after the Uncle had woken and shouted whatever in Swahili, and at
least no-one was hurt, just a couple of damaged tents and a few Tsh stolen.
Glad we left that day!!
Anyway, Sunrise Beach Resort seems to be a stopover for overlanders, with
the obvious draw of the beach sun and sea, and the secure parking. Andy,
Sarah, and their 2 young boys who are doing a 10 week trip from SA in their
old Landy left yesterday heading back south towards SA. Chris and Janet in
their little 4WD Toyota camper are doing a monster tour from the UK via
northern Scandinavia-Russia-other Russian states-Iran-Syria-Jordan-east
Africa down to Cape Town-west Africa back to UK; amazing!! Thomas, the
German, is his old Mercedes based fire engine and trailer, making his way to
Matema on the northern shores of Lake Malawi to start a new campsite,
www.crazy-crocodile.com, and another German couple arrived yesterday in
their large old Mercedes overland truck.
It is tough staying here. It will be hard to leave, but tomorrow we must
make the trip over to Zanzibar otherwise we never will!! We can always park
off again when we get back, but the clock is ticking and we still have many
a KM to travel yet.
S06'51.001 E39'21.523
Thursday 19 June 2008
Tanks for the ride!
Well we made to Selous after an arduous trip, 7.5 hours behind the wheel to drive 250km. Dodging manic coaches and trucks on a bad lumpy bumpy sand/mud road, the main road south from Dar! With still another 3 hours to go heading west to Selous our auxillary fuel tank chose to try going a different route! Sue heard a strange noise which I passed off as the gearbox, then I heard it too. We stopped, I checked, I said sommit non repeatable, and then we set about making a repair. I crawled under to inspect whilst Sue positioned warning triangles. The bracket holding the tank up had fractured on one side and was hanging and catching the bumps hence the noise. Thankfully the other side had held on tight enough to prevent a disaster! So we used our 2 trusty IKEA straps to fasten it up as a temp measure, and we will make a plan.
The camp is fab! In the bush beside the river which is full of hippo. Just the 5 of us here. Well except that is for the elephants that have just walked past the truck as I am writing this. It is 11pm so we are up in the tent, it is a full moon so we can see them very well just a few feet away! I can that is, Sue is hiding under the duvet!
S07'45.689 E38'13.738
The camp is fab! In the bush beside the river which is full of hippo. Just the 5 of us here. Well except that is for the elephants that have just walked past the truck as I am writing this. It is 11pm so we are up in the tent, it is a full moon so we can see them very well just a few feet away! I can that is, Sue is hiding under the duvet!
S07'45.689 E38'13.738
Dead ants!
A new day dawned, we broke camp, and headed into downtown Mtwara to stock up at the market. Well they had all you could need and some. The only problem was prices. We were used to Moz money, 47 to £, and now had to deal with Tanz, 2230 to £. So to see if we were getting robbed we had to convert back to Moz equivalent. Most things were better value and we stocked up. I am sure we were still robbed blind but we were happy with our loot.
Back in Mufasa, just a few meters down the road and we were stopped by the police. Well our first thought was, oh bugger forgot to sort out buying 3rd party insurance (required) after entering the country as they didnt sell it at the border, so we were panicing and expecting a hard time, and a hard fine. But after a quick light check, a scan of my license, and some fluent Swahili we were scampering away!
Next step, find the the local agent and get the required paperwork. One problem, it was Sunday! We managed to track down the office, then the persons home, and finally arranged to meet later that afternoon after church (her not us). She was very helpful, if a tad methodical and slow, but we paid our dollars and got insurance (Comesa) that will cover us for the rest of our trip, well in theory anyway!
By this time we only had the option of finding a local site for the night, which we did just out of town on the road north. Interesting place! Dinner was good though, peppered steak, and a beer.
So back on track the next day we headed up the coast to Kilwa Masoko, and the Sea View Resort. A very nice spot indeed. The only people in the campsite, own use of the ablutions, and the lovely sandy beach just down the path, perfect! A quick swim, shower and off for lobster at the restaurant, well rude not too!
The down side, several billion ants, all looking for human flesh to chew on. The bushcats stayed one night and then made a hasty escape north to Selous NP. We chose to stay longer to get the washing done. Boy it was hard dodging the ants all day. Our planned 3 nights became 2 and we decided to skip on to Selous NP to catch up with the advanced party.
S08'55.664 E39'31.291
Back in Mufasa, just a few meters down the road and we were stopped by the police. Well our first thought was, oh bugger forgot to sort out buying 3rd party insurance (required) after entering the country as they didnt sell it at the border, so we were panicing and expecting a hard time, and a hard fine. But after a quick light check, a scan of my license, and some fluent Swahili we were scampering away!
Next step, find the the local agent and get the required paperwork. One problem, it was Sunday! We managed to track down the office, then the persons home, and finally arranged to meet later that afternoon after church (her not us). She was very helpful, if a tad methodical and slow, but we paid our dollars and got insurance (Comesa) that will cover us for the rest of our trip, well in theory anyway!
By this time we only had the option of finding a local site for the night, which we did just out of town on the road north. Interesting place! Dinner was good though, peppered steak, and a beer.
So back on track the next day we headed up the coast to Kilwa Masoko, and the Sea View Resort. A very nice spot indeed. The only people in the campsite, own use of the ablutions, and the lovely sandy beach just down the path, perfect! A quick swim, shower and off for lobster at the restaurant, well rude not too!
The down side, several billion ants, all looking for human flesh to chew on. The bushcats stayed one night and then made a hasty escape north to Selous NP. We chose to stay longer to get the washing done. Boy it was hard dodging the ants all day. Our planned 3 nights became 2 and we decided to skip on to Selous NP to catch up with the advanced party.
S08'55.664 E39'31.291
Sunday 15 June 2008
Mufasa is the name, cruising Africa is my game!
Well i guess it is time to give the truck a name, and Mufasa is our choice!
Tanzania watch out, we have arrived!
We made it thru the Moz border, the ferry arrived and we made it across to Tanzania.
It was looking close at one point whilst waiting it out at Moz immigration to get our passports stamped, but they were eventually processed and we burnt dust to the river. Needless to say the ferry was late, but as soon as it had made ground and the only car had struggled up the bank, then we were down and on and off across the water.
It took a good 90 mins, some hippo sightings, and some cunning manoeuveres, but we eventually made ground on the northern bank. We still had the tricky task of getting the trucks off and up the steep sandy bank, but a good dose of the loud peddle and a steady nerve got us thru.
It was a short drive to the border and an easy process to get thru, despite the slow methodical stumblings of the customs lady.
Then it was put foot and chase the sun to Mtwara for a place to sleep, not before hitting an ATM.
A good spot, well it was dark so who knows, and a splash out on chicken and chips washed down with some local beer, and time to sleep.
S10'15.520 E40'10.208
It was looking close at one point whilst waiting it out at Moz immigration to get our passports stamped, but they were eventually processed and we burnt dust to the river. Needless to say the ferry was late, but as soon as it had made ground and the only car had struggled up the bank, then we were down and on and off across the water.
It took a good 90 mins, some hippo sightings, and some cunning manoeuveres, but we eventually made ground on the northern bank. We still had the tricky task of getting the trucks off and up the steep sandy bank, but a good dose of the loud peddle and a steady nerve got us thru.
It was a short drive to the border and an easy process to get thru, despite the slow methodical stumblings of the customs lady.
Then it was put foot and chase the sun to Mtwara for a place to sleep, not before hitting an ATM.
A good spot, well it was dark so who knows, and a splash out on chicken and chips washed down with some local beer, and time to sleep.
S10'15.520 E40'10.208
Saturday 14 June 2008
Leaving Mozambique? Soon, possibly
Well we are at the border post in Moz. The customs guy, very nice man, processed our carnet for the truck very quickly. The immigration man however is slower due to the 30 or so people already here coming into the country, some of which (12 lucky punters) are about to depart on their taxi (Toyota pickup).
Hopefully we shall be on our way soon to do the final few km to the river and wait for Captain Phillip and his ferry.
Hopefully we shall be on our way soon to do the final few km to the river and wait for Captain Phillip and his ferry.
Our mission, another country
Hopefully we will be in a new country tomorrow. Not that we will be glad to leave Moz, we have really enjoyed our first visit here, we will be back.
We left Pangane on thursday, still no sign of the tent cover so we hashed sommit together, and made our way to Mocumboa and the last main town on our trip thru the country. Sue and i got stopped at a road block for the 1st time. I think the policeman just wanted to practise his English, and after a quick perusal of our documents we were soon on our way again.
Not much to report on Mocumboa itself, just another ruined Portuguese settlement. Saying that there is something about these old towns that appeals. The sights of the departure of a modern society and a return to a more primitive life fascinates me, its almost like a sci-fi movie after an nuclear apocalypse.
We were hoping to fill up with diesel this morning on our way out of town but the pump ran dry after barely a single litre had dribbled into Rich's tank. They promised an imminent delivery but even after a quick tour of the town there was on sign so we decided to make do and hope for supplies in Tanzania.
The drive today kept us busy on a deteriorating and narrowing sandy road but it was more than manageable. We have ended up for the night just west of Quionga at a mission run by Andre and Anne Marie, originally from Cape Town. They have been up here for 3 years now, and they very kindly offered to let us setup camp on their land.
The good news is that I managed to SMS Captain Phillip the ferry man and we are set for catching the Rovuma crossing at 1200 sharp on Saturday. So assuming we make the 20km on a bad road in the morning and succeed in finding some officials to process us at the Moz border we shall cross to Tanzania. Oh and we must remember that 1200 Tanz is actually 1100 Moz time!
S10'35.530 E40'30.442
We left Pangane on thursday, still no sign of the tent cover so we hashed sommit together, and made our way to Mocumboa and the last main town on our trip thru the country. Sue and i got stopped at a road block for the 1st time. I think the policeman just wanted to practise his English, and after a quick perusal of our documents we were soon on our way again.
Not much to report on Mocumboa itself, just another ruined Portuguese settlement. Saying that there is something about these old towns that appeals. The sights of the departure of a modern society and a return to a more primitive life fascinates me, its almost like a sci-fi movie after an nuclear apocalypse.
We were hoping to fill up with diesel this morning on our way out of town but the pump ran dry after barely a single litre had dribbled into Rich's tank. They promised an imminent delivery but even after a quick tour of the town there was on sign so we decided to make do and hope for supplies in Tanzania.
The drive today kept us busy on a deteriorating and narrowing sandy road but it was more than manageable. We have ended up for the night just west of Quionga at a mission run by Andre and Anne Marie, originally from Cape Town. They have been up here for 3 years now, and they very kindly offered to let us setup camp on their land.
The good news is that I managed to SMS Captain Phillip the ferry man and we are set for catching the Rovuma crossing at 1200 sharp on Saturday. So assuming we make the 20km on a bad road in the morning and succeed in finding some officials to process us at the Moz border we shall cross to Tanzania. Oh and we must remember that 1200 Tanz is actually 1100 Moz time!
S10'35.530 E40'30.442
Friday 13 June 2008
Now you see it, now you don't
Are we there yet? I am sure if we had kids in the back seats (not that we have any back seats) those words would be ringing in our ears. The journey up from Pemba wasn't extraordinarily long but it just seemed to keep on going, especially the last stretch after Mucojo. The road almost disappeared before it had started, but ended up being a very scenic if slow going single track of medium thick sand. Thank goodness for GPS or we would have probably got lost passing through one of the villages. We eventually made it to the end of the long sandy coconut palm lined spit of the peninsula and arrived at Ashim's Camp. What a magnificent spot, just meters from the sea, camping on the lovely white sand with the aforementioned coconut palms looming above our heads. Not much space for camping and just 3 small basic thatched huts as the other accommodation, and even more basic screened bucket loos and a cold shower. Another taste of paradise? Well almost. Rich and myself went off to find Ashim, and in the process got to see 3 huge Grouper(?) fish that his men had just landed, the largest tipping the scales at around 100kg.
Anyway, after the usual evening rituals we were getting ready for bed and Ashim appeared with his night watchmen and advised us to lock up and put everything away, i.e. tables and chairs. We did so and also put our tent cover in the cab so the loitering dogs wouldn't wee on it, Kaz and Rich put theirs on their canopy.
The next morning Sue and I awoke early just as the sun was rising, and Kaz and Rich were already up and deep in discussion with Ashim, sommit was up. Their tent cover had gone walkies, and the wood bag tiedown strap cut but the wood bag was still there as it was too heavy to grab. So much for the 2 sleeping night watchmen! Apparently things go walkies quite often much to Ashim's frustration. He has been trying to get the local community to hand over the thieves but no luck so far after two days, and we move on tomorrow. One can but hope, otherwise Kaz and Rich will have to try and get a replacement cover sent up from SA, somehow. Until then we will try and rig a temp cover with our groundsheet to protect their tent from the dust and the weather once it is folded up.
Apart from that life has been great here, lazing on the beach and swimming in the warm sea. It is a tad windy though and last night we weren't sure if our tent would get shredded! Thankfully after some hasty precautionary midnight tying down we made it through. Just to ease the stress we have had to make do with fresh grilled barracuda the last two nights, sigh.
Next step, progression towards the border and a date with the elusive Captain Phillip and his ferry, all will be revealed.
S11'59.963 E40'32.647
Anyway, after the usual evening rituals we were getting ready for bed and Ashim appeared with his night watchmen and advised us to lock up and put everything away, i.e. tables and chairs. We did so and also put our tent cover in the cab so the loitering dogs wouldn't wee on it, Kaz and Rich put theirs on their canopy.
The next morning Sue and I awoke early just as the sun was rising, and Kaz and Rich were already up and deep in discussion with Ashim, sommit was up. Their tent cover had gone walkies, and the wood bag tiedown strap cut but the wood bag was still there as it was too heavy to grab. So much for the 2 sleeping night watchmen! Apparently things go walkies quite often much to Ashim's frustration. He has been trying to get the local community to hand over the thieves but no luck so far after two days, and we move on tomorrow. One can but hope, otherwise Kaz and Rich will have to try and get a replacement cover sent up from SA, somehow. Until then we will try and rig a temp cover with our groundsheet to protect their tent from the dust and the weather once it is folded up.
Apart from that life has been great here, lazing on the beach and swimming in the warm sea. It is a tad windy though and last night we weren't sure if our tent would get shredded! Thankfully after some hasty precautionary midnight tying down we made it through. Just to ease the stress we have had to make do with fresh grilled barracuda the last two nights, sigh.
Next step, progression towards the border and a date with the elusive Captain Phillip and his ferry, all will be revealed.
S11'59.963 E40'32.647
Sunday 8 June 2008
Chilling out in Paradise
One night becomes two, two nights becomes three, three nights turn into four, and before you know it 5 nights have eased past. I think it is time to move on. Isn't it?
Our little piece of paradise at Nacole Jardim just outside of Pemba has been, well, just fab. A secluded bush camp with only a few pitches for camping, three chalets, and a sprinkling of backpackers beds, and everything is spread out so that you feel nicely isolated. Brenda the owner makes you feel more than at home, her staff light a fire for you every night and deliver flasks of hot water morning and evening. We are set-up beneath three huge baobabs, which is quite special.
Pemba itself is fine, but nothing to shout about, and food in the market is much more expensive than we have found so far. It is a tourist destination after all.
We have swum, we have snorkelled, we have strolled, we have spotted birds, we have just relaxed. It would be rude not too.
The bread rolls from the bakery in town are great and cheap. Sue and I bought 30 yesterday morning and there is only one left this evening! I think we will leave Pemba via the bakery tomorrow and buy in bulk again as we have read that they are more expensive at our next destination up the coast at Pangane. Assuming of course that we manage to escape the pull of paradise!
S13'00.111 E40'30.851
Our little piece of paradise at Nacole Jardim just outside of Pemba has been, well, just fab. A secluded bush camp with only a few pitches for camping, three chalets, and a sprinkling of backpackers beds, and everything is spread out so that you feel nicely isolated. Brenda the owner makes you feel more than at home, her staff light a fire for you every night and deliver flasks of hot water morning and evening. We are set-up beneath three huge baobabs, which is quite special.
Pemba itself is fine, but nothing to shout about, and food in the market is much more expensive than we have found so far. It is a tourist destination after all.
We have swum, we have snorkelled, we have strolled, we have spotted birds, we have just relaxed. It would be rude not too.
The bread rolls from the bakery in town are great and cheap. Sue and I bought 30 yesterday morning and there is only one left this evening! I think we will leave Pemba via the bakery tomorrow and buy in bulk again as we have read that they are more expensive at our next destination up the coast at Pangane. Assuming of course that we manage to escape the pull of paradise!
S13'00.111 E40'30.851
Thursday 5 June 2008
breaking news!
Rich has blogged, it took him nigh on 2 hours, so i hope it is interesting!
Oh and savour it as it may be mid June before he hits the keyboard again.
Oh and savour it as it may be mid June before he hits the keyboard again.
Wednesday 4 June 2008
A loo with a view
Things are always much better in the light of day. Our overnight stop looked good in the bright morning sunshine, and if we had managed to coax some hot water from the shower then things would have been perfect.
The return to Nampula was a breeze compared to the madness of the drive in the dark. After fuelling the trucks, hitting an ATM, and getting bread and veggies we moved on for Ilha da Mozambique and thankfully we had a good road despite the usual obstacles of vehicles, people, and animals.
The site, Casuarina Campismo, on the mainland right next to the causeway that links to Ilha was idyllic, right on the lovely white sandy beach, cold showers and a bucket flush loo. The only fly in the ointment being the locals using the shoreline as their toilet, as they have probably done for centuries. So no swimming here, and makes you wonder about using any beach doesn't it?
Today we used our legs for the first time in a while and walked over to Ilha to explore, the causeway is about 3km long. The island is a UNESCO World Heritage site and was very interesting to wander. It is quite sight with the streets lined with mostly ruined old Portuguese buildings but it was bustling none the less. As on the mainland, most old buildings are left to rot, a few are utilised for shops, and the locals build their own mud and thatch dwellings in-between. There is quite a bit of reconstruction going on and we came across the Secondary school which looked brand new. The locals were very friendly and understandably inquisitive. It was a long morning, especially as we had started early hoping to find breakfast on the island. All we managed was the odd doughy thing from street vendors, deliciously welcome. Rebecca was suffering from a blister on her foot but soldiered on like a real trooper. We were glad to eventually make it back to camp for lunch in the heat of the midday sun.
Our timing was good though as we had barely set foot off the causeway when Kingsley Holgate and his band of merry men and women pulled up in their convoy waiting to cross over to Ilha. We had a quick handshake and chat with Kingsley before they sped off over to the island to dish out their cargo of mosquito nets. Its a small world but we thought we might cross paths somewhere on route.
So today, north to Pemba and beyond.
S15'02.540 E40'41.726
The return to Nampula was a breeze compared to the madness of the drive in the dark. After fuelling the trucks, hitting an ATM, and getting bread and veggies we moved on for Ilha da Mozambique and thankfully we had a good road despite the usual obstacles of vehicles, people, and animals.
The site, Casuarina Campismo, on the mainland right next to the causeway that links to Ilha was idyllic, right on the lovely white sandy beach, cold showers and a bucket flush loo. The only fly in the ointment being the locals using the shoreline as their toilet, as they have probably done for centuries. So no swimming here, and makes you wonder about using any beach doesn't it?
Today we used our legs for the first time in a while and walked over to Ilha to explore, the causeway is about 3km long. The island is a UNESCO World Heritage site and was very interesting to wander. It is quite sight with the streets lined with mostly ruined old Portuguese buildings but it was bustling none the less. As on the mainland, most old buildings are left to rot, a few are utilised for shops, and the locals build their own mud and thatch dwellings in-between. There is quite a bit of reconstruction going on and we came across the Secondary school which looked brand new. The locals were very friendly and understandably inquisitive. It was a long morning, especially as we had started early hoping to find breakfast on the island. All we managed was the odd doughy thing from street vendors, deliciously welcome. Rebecca was suffering from a blister on her foot but soldiered on like a real trooper. We were glad to eventually make it back to camp for lunch in the heat of the midday sun.
Our timing was good though as we had barely set foot off the causeway when Kingsley Holgate and his band of merry men and women pulled up in their convoy waiting to cross over to Ilha. We had a quick handshake and chat with Kingsley before they sped off over to the island to dish out their cargo of mosquito nets. Its a small world but we thought we might cross paths somewhere on route.
So today, north to Pemba and beyond.
S15'02.540 E40'41.726
Monday 2 June 2008
The great Zambezi
Needing to put some serious km on the clock we made an early start from our free stop at James' house, not before blagging some firewood as James would not accept payment for it.
Anyway, the Zambezi was calling and the scrum that goes with it. The bridge is due for completion this year, lucky if it is this decade! Touts try and sell you anything they can lay their hands on while you queue and wait, or they just beg. The ferry duely arrived and we were directed onboard, drivers driving and passengers walking. I guess if the ferry goes down then hopefully only the drivers drown!
Safely across we made fast tracks to Zalala on the coast east of Quelimane. The sun was doing its sinking and our hopes of a good spot to stay were doing likewise. Thankfully we found Zalala beach camp and restaurant, a nice camp despite the bucket showers. As we were late we ate in the restaurant, a whole 'pedra' fish, prawns, rice and chips, it was delicious. Took a while to hit the table as they had to light a fire to cook on, but well worth the wait!
An early start again the following morning after negotiating a price for the camping. Sue and I agreed on mts200 per family on arrival, but it changed to mts250 that morning. We stood firm and they grudgingly accepted our stance.
So we sped off on the long trek to Nampula. The road was under construction, so some good and some not so good. It was dark when we made it and the campsite didn't exist, the hotel Bamboo next door wanted $80 for a double room! So after a discussion we headed out towards Rapale west of town hoping to find another mystical option that was in our book. 20km later in the dark on a bumpy dirt road avoiding pedestrians, bicycles, motorbikes, and assorted animals we got lucky and the place actually existed. A couple of gins and a plate of pasta soon eased our weary bodies after 9 hour haul.
S15'02.385 E39'08.671
Anyway, the Zambezi was calling and the scrum that goes with it. The bridge is due for completion this year, lucky if it is this decade! Touts try and sell you anything they can lay their hands on while you queue and wait, or they just beg. The ferry duely arrived and we were directed onboard, drivers driving and passengers walking. I guess if the ferry goes down then hopefully only the drivers drown!
Safely across we made fast tracks to Zalala on the coast east of Quelimane. The sun was doing its sinking and our hopes of a good spot to stay were doing likewise. Thankfully we found Zalala beach camp and restaurant, a nice camp despite the bucket showers. As we were late we ate in the restaurant, a whole 'pedra' fish, prawns, rice and chips, it was delicious. Took a while to hit the table as they had to light a fire to cook on, but well worth the wait!
An early start again the following morning after negotiating a price for the camping. Sue and I agreed on mts200 per family on arrival, but it changed to mts250 that morning. We stood firm and they grudgingly accepted our stance.
So we sped off on the long trek to Nampula. The road was under construction, so some good and some not so good. It was dark when we made it and the campsite didn't exist, the hotel Bamboo next door wanted $80 for a double room! So after a discussion we headed out towards Rapale west of town hoping to find another mystical option that was in our book. 20km later in the dark on a bumpy dirt road avoiding pedestrians, bicycles, motorbikes, and assorted animals we got lucky and the place actually existed. A couple of gins and a plate of pasta soon eased our weary bodies after 9 hour haul.
S15'02.385 E39'08.671
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