MALAWI

In search of the Bar Tailed Trogon

We left Gurue, a quaint tea plantation town in eastern Mozambique, at 5.30am to drive the 200 km dirt track narrow road to the Masenga border crossing. There was little to no traffic on the road and we were able to average around 40 kph. The area is very rural and the landscape is hilly and scenic. This region of Mozambique is less often visited than the coastline and it would have been nice to have spent time out here in a remote area of Mozambique. Fortunately there had not been much rain here yet so the road was quite passable.

We made the border at 10am and found no other vehicles there. We changed our money into Kwacha and were through both sets of borders in 45 minutes. Arriving in Malawi, we were back on tarmac roads and made our way towards Blantyre where we hoped to get Malawi SIM cards and stock up on a few items. The landscape is hilly and very green. The south seems to be where the tea comes from as there were large farms with swarms of people picking the tea leaves. What struck me most was how busy Malawi is compared to Mozambique. In comparison, there are people everywhere and lots of traffic on the roads. Clearly it is more advanced and there appears to be much more commerce, both small scale and large. We arrived at a town on the outskirts of Blantyre and found a Standard Bank, taking all types of cards, and a mobile network outlet. We got all that we needed to do here so did not have to drive downtown, which would save us lots of time.

We headed northwards towards our intended destination of Cape Maclear on the southern edge of Lake Malawi. We then had our first experience with Malawi police. During the afternoon we were stopped three times and got a speeding fine of K5000 for going 56kph in a 50kph zone. One officer asked to see our warning triangles, which I had expected frequently in Mozambique. We were stopped more in one day in Malawi than we were during our 4 week stay in Mozambique. By 4pm we had made it to Lilondwe and decided to call it a day. We found a decent campsite called Shire Camp along the Lilondwe river and pulled in for the night. It was a pleasant area and it even got cool enough in the evening that we did not have to use our tent fan.

The following morning we drove the 200km to Cape Maclear and were stopped just once by a pleasant police officer who was curious how we got here from England. Just before we got to Monkey Bay we took the 25km dirt road to Cape Maclear and a national park. There is a lot of bird life in this area and I had a good feel about this place that is generally highly regarded by travellers we have met along the way. When we got to Cape Maclear we sought out the Fat Monkey Camp, which is located right on the lake shore, We immediately liked the spot, found a perfect shady area to set up camp and booked in for two nights. The water is a fine blue colour and is crystal clear. The water is a perfect temperature and we wasted no time in getting in and lazing around. Later that afternoon I wondered down to the lake shore fishing village and got some great photos. The people are very friendly and I chatted with some fisherman who explained how they catch the sought after small Kapenta fish at night time with decoy lanterns. Our neighbours were a North American couple working in Lilongwe, Ben from Louisiana and Laurie from Saskatchewan. Laurie is a physiotherapist and offered to work on John’s problematic right foot. Laurie reckoned that it was misaligned and worked some magic to greatly improve it.

Later that evening we watched some six nations rugby at the bar whilst having some cold beers. The horizon was lined with the fishermen’s decoy lights as they tried to tempt the Kapenta from the depths by fooling them into thinking it was dawn. As it was a weekend it was fairly lively at Fat Monkey’s with local expats and volunteer workers.

The following morning we decided to hire a kayak and head out to the nearby islands to do some snorkelling. A local asked us if we wanted any fish and after a brief chat we bought a kampango fish which looks a bit like a cat fish, and is supposedly very tasty. Whilst waiting for the kayak to arrive we arranged to have a couple of shirts made up with crazy patterned local cotton material.

We paddled out to the island and spent two hours snorkelling around the rocks. The water was crystal clear and there were shoals of colourful cyclids. They were many different colours and it was like snorkelling on a coral reef. Later that afternoon we returned to shore in a ‘zig zag’ as the rudder had ceased to function. We picked up our fish and wood so that we could cook on an open fire that evening and later our new shirts turned up. We cooked the kampango, which turned out to be very tasty.

We enjoyed our couple of days at Cape Maclear but the following day it was time to head to the capital, Lilongwe, as we needed to get Proper Job serviced and also pick up my sister Jane. We had been told of a garage called Costantini Brothers which is Italian owned and used a lot by expats. Such advice has during my trip through Africa turned out to be good advice so I decided to check them out as soon as we arrived in Lilongwe that afternoon. We drove back to the tar road and headed towards Lilongwe. John was deriving and 45 minutes later he got his second speeding fine. Again we were quite miffed at the lack of speed signs, and even more so when a couple of locals that the police stopped just drove off. This time we were doing 72 kph in a 50 kph zone but the fine was the same as before, 5000 Kwacha. You may as well speed through Malawi if that is the case. The police told us that the speed guns had been given to them by the British police. John has now had three fines, two for speeding and one for not wearing a seat belt. Let’s see how many more he will rack up during the trip up the east coast.

We found Costantini Brothers and spoke with the owner Vince about the service. He could not do it that day but could do so in the morning at 7,30am. Vince told us a good place to stay nearby called Mbuya Camp which was run by a British couple who were ex overlanders. We quickly visited Shoprite and bought a few ‘very expensive’ items to stock up for the next few days. We initially thought we had been charged someone else’s shopping bill as well. Lilongwe is a pretty neat city though and is not so crowded with traffic and people. We drove to Mbuya Camp and booked into a basic chalet for a night so we could get away quickly on the morning. The camp was lively with volunteer workers and has a great swimming pool. That evening we had one of our Mozambique pineapples with dinner which left three for Jane when she arrived. We would earn lots of ‘browney points’ for dong that.

The following morning I left John at the camp as his foot had worsened over night. I made my way to Costantini Brothers and was working on the car with the mechanic by 8am. I had persuaded Vince to let me work with the mechanic so I could learn more about the machinations of Proper Job. We toiled in the hot sun for four hours and finished at midday thirsty and overheated. No time to rest though as Jane was arriving at 12.30. I said my farewells to the team and would highly recommend them to other over-landers. They are much cheaper than the Lilongwe Toyota garage. I made my way back to the camp to pick up John. On the way I turned on my mobile and got a message from Jane saying she was at the airport customs. I sent a message saying I would be late because the service had taken longer than planned and the road to the airport was supposed to have a few speed cameras. The airport lies about 20km away. We arrived at 1pm and had no encounters with speed cameras on the way. It was great to see Jane and I was looking forward to the next few weeks as she is great fun on safari. We loaded her bags into Proper Job and headed eastwards towards Lake Malawi. Our destination was Senga Bay where we planned to stay for a couple of days at Steps Camp, next to the Livingstone Hotel.

The drive was through a scenic landscape of hills and after about an hour we descended down the high escarpment and towards the lake. Jane always does a lot of research on the countries she visits so she pretty much had an itinerary planned for Malawi (and probably Tanzania as well but she hasn’t told us about that yet !!). She also mentioned that Bilharzia, a water borne parasite, was a problem in Malawi. It is a nasty parasite and people can develop major complications if they catch it. My Cornish friend from Accra in Ghana, Angelo Massimino, knew a person that had been paralysed by it. By the way Angelo, you never confirmed if the US$1000 loan repayment had arrived in your account. I don’t want the Camborne mafia chasing me around Cornwall. We decided to buy a course of tablets along the way, as John and I had spent a lot of time already swimming in Lake Malawi.

We arrived in good time at Step Camp and found a shady flat spot to set up our camp. The camp has good facilities but was quiet as it was not the busy season. There were two other campers, one group from South Africa and one from Germany (who had travelled down the east coast). Jane and John worked out how to set up Jane’s new tent and I took some time chatting to the Germans about their route through East Africa. That evening we ate at the camp restaurant and enjoyed a few cold ‘greens’ (Malawi Carlsberg). We also arranged to go on a three hour hike the following morning to Hippo Pools. A storm was building on the horizon and by about 8pm it arrived. For the next twelve hours it rained solidly. This would be a good test for Jane’s new tent. Thankfully it kept the rain out.

The following morning we had a quick cup of coffee and headed out towards Hippo Pools. The track went through the bush and along the lake, passing by a couple of rustic fishing villages, We heard stories from our guide of how the Chinese are starting to infiltrate even their basic village activities like craft making and fishing. There seems to be a growing dislike for the Chinese whom they claim treat them badly. The day was very humid and we eventually arrived at Hippo Pools to be told that they were now gone into the reeds. I have seen many hippos but Jane was a bit disappointed at not seeing any. I am very confident that she we will see all the animals she wants to by the time she departs to the UK from Tanzania in six weeks time.

We walked back to camp and jumped straight into the lake to cool down. After lunch Jane and John went on a boat trip to the nearby Lizard Island. I decided to relax and catch up with some chores. Some fishermen stopped by and I bought two Lake Tigers (the locals call them butter fish) for dinner. These have sharp razor like teeth but are not related to the hard fighting Tiger fish from the Zambezi. The fish was tasty and we ate them at the bar as the winds once again started to build. The wind brought the rain clouds and again we had quite a lot of rain during the night. The following morning we awoke to the pandemonium of a troop of Baboons around our camp. They found the remains of our pineapple in a nearby bin and ripped it apart to get inside. We had a quick breakfast and packed up our wet tents and drove northwards.

Our destination that day was the remote Bua River Lodge Camp which lies along the Bua River just inside the Nkhotakota Reserve. We filled up with diesel along the way and bought a few more supplies. We left the main roads and drove for 25km along a winding dirt road. We passed by the entrance gate to the park on the inside and arrived at the camp. It is a very peaceful spot and overlooks the river which is currently a chocolate colour. The waters in this river originate in Zambia so I guess they are having a lot of rain there. Again we found good places to set up camp; Proper Job on a flat shaded area and Jane on a shaded wooden platform overlooking the fast flowing swollen Bua River.

That evening we went for a guided walk down the river with a Swiss couple who were the only other campers. Along the way we surprised a couple of poachers. They were not animal poachers though but fish poachers. The guide had some fun sneaking up on them, and as they fled he grabbed their bamboo fishing rods and confiscated them. I must say I sympathised with the fishermen as they were from the local village that were displaced from the park area. Looking at their fishing equipment they were clearly not catching fish on a large scale and were more likely catching a few to eat. The guide told us they could get up to two years in prison for poaching fish. That is totally over kill in my book. We stopped on the way back to camp for a couple of sundowners and I drummed up a tasty vegetable stew when we arrived back at camp. The Moroccan spice I bought in March is still working its magic, turning basic stews into a tasty affair.

There are no network signals at Bua River Lodge so that evening I used my satellite phone for the first time during my African trip to call my friend, and stockbroker, Ronan Clohissey in Toronto. I had recently decided to switch some of my gold shares around so needed to keep on top of the markets for as few days. Ronan has been great during my African trip and reckons he now has more telephone numbers for me than any other of his clients, He is always good to chat to and genuinely enjoys hearing of my adventures.

The rains came again during the night and for the first time on my African adventure it feels as if we are now truly in a rainy season. Fortunately we seemed to have mostly missed the rains in Mozambique and southern Malawi. Going northwards over the next couple of weeks into Tanzania we should once again be out of the rains. The following morning Jane and I went on a two hour bush walk through the bush and along the river to a set of rapids. The bush is thick, green and lush and we were not likely to see any animals. I was once again surprised by the quietness of the forest and walking brought back memories of earlier silent forests visited during my journey. We did see a crocodile with its mouth ajar in fast flowing water waiting for any passing fish to slip into its jaws. That evening we sat at the lodge and had a sun downer followed by pasta chicken. The heavens opened up again at about 6am the following morning and we had a quick cup of coffee before packing up in the rain. This is not ideal, but we needed to move on and I was concerned by how passable the road coming down to the camp site would be after heavy rains. I locked up all the differentials to crawl up the slippery road but Proper Job managed it without any problems whatsoever.

We got back onto the tar road and headed towards the Chinchetche Strip on Lake Malawi. This area had been recommended to us by the manager of Bua River Lodge so we decided to give it a go. After a couple of hours driving we found the turn off for Makusi Bay Lodge and drove down the winding t rack through farm lands and to the lake. We were immediately impressed by this picture perfect place and found a great camping site. We soon set up camp and went for a swim in the lake. The lodge is run by a South African couple and owned by an Englishman called Tony Jackson. Later that afternoon two other overlanders arrived and we soon caught up with stories and information. One thing that became apparent was that there was now a serious shortage of fuel in Malawi. There had been some demonstrations which had been put down by the police. Malawi had run out of foreign currency and the tankers were lined up waiting to depart from Mozambique and Tanzania. Locals criticised the fact the president had recently bought a brand new jet for himself and had lent money over the past year or so to Robert Mugabi who is some relation to his wife. Luckily we had filled up both tanks when we left Senga Bay so we had enough for a while. Throughout my journey in Africa I had not been in a country which had literally run out of fuel.

That evening we went to the bar and had a good time with the managers and the owner. The food was very good but also very expensive. We found out some useful information about the highly recommended Chizimulu Island which we hoped to visit next. Most people travel to the island on the M.V. Ilala, which plies its way south to the north on a weekly round trip. We were told that there were now two ferries running from Nkata Bay so one did not have to spend a whole week on the island waiting for the M.V. Ilala to return. The M.V. Ilala leaves from Nkata Bay at 8pm on Monday so we planned to stay one more day here before heading to Nkata Bay.

The following morning I headed out on a walk and when going past the local school met two volunteer teachers, Molly and Lauren, from Australia. Molly has Cornish heritage so I invited them to come around for a pasta and tuna dinner. They quickly accepted as they had not had pasta for a few weeks. After dinner we surprised them with a Snicker chocolate bar each for desert. Jane had brought these with her from the UK and we all relished them. We had a fun evening with them and finished the evening off with a couple of beers at the bar.

The following morning we packed up and made our way to Nkata Bay. We drove to Mayoka Village and enquired further about the ferries to Chizimulu island. We were told that there was only one ferry, the M.V. Ilala. We asked about a private boat but the thought of a plus five hour journey in a wooden boat back from the island did not appeal so we reluctantly decided to abandon our plan. We stayed for one night at the nearby Nyaja Lodge and then moved northwards the following morning to the Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve which lies in the west of Malawi near to the Zambian border. Along the way we looked for diesel but found none. Each garage told the same story, no one knew when they were getting any more. We stocked up at Mzuzu and managed to get some rump steak for a barbeque.

The road to Vwasa Marsh was rough and they had recently had quite a bit of rain. When we arrived we were warmly greeted by the staff and they allowed us to camp at the site of a semi completed chalet. We had a great view over the lake and marshes, which lay were about 20 metres from our camp. That evening we made a barbeque and enjoyed fine steaks and a couple of beers. The marsh has a lot of hippo’s and we say a herd of elephants in the distance. It is also very rich with wildlife and we organised to go on an early morning game walk. We were the only ones staying so had it all to ourselves. The major downside about this place is the large numbers of biting insects, Mossies, Tsetse and Horse fly. By the end of our stay we had been well worked over by these annoying pests and were looking forward to going to the highlands at Nyika where there would be none.

During the night it rained again, but had cleared by morning. At 6am we set out for our guided walk and saw many different birds and a few animals. When we returned to camp, the South African couple (George and Patricia) that we had first met at Senga Bay arrived and we caught up on events. Later that afternoon a herd of elephants waded across the marsh in front of us and we went on another walk. That evening I cooked a meat and vegetable stew and we sat and listened to the sound of the marsh. The frogs were in full swing, sounding like bottles clinking together.

We arranged for another guided walk the following morning and again set off at 6am. About an hour into the walk it started raining heavily and by the time we got back to camp we were soaking. We decided we would stay an extra night so that we could dry out and leave at a reasonable time to drive 110km to our next destination, the Nyika Plateau, along a rough road. That afternoon the sun came out and we managed to dry out our wet clothes etc. During the night there was no rain either so when we awoke the next morning we packed up dry and departed. We enjoyed our stay at this lovely place with its rich bird life and friendly staff.

We were advised of a short cut to the main gate at Nyika and decided to take it. Often I have found that such tips rarely turn out to be good ones. However, on this occasion it was well worth it. Not only did it cut down the distance considerably but the single lane road was good quality sand which went through very pleasant rural Malawi. Along the way we saw many birds, especially around the village maize fields. We made the entrance to the Nyika Reserve in good time and booked in for two nights at the camp site. From the gate it was about 50km to the camp site and we had an enjoyable leisurely drive, stopping at midday for a cup of tea and mangoes. As one ascended the plateau the landscape gradually changed from typical African bush to a British moorland. We arrived at the camp site and met our South African friends, George and Frances. They had arrived the day before and had endured a fierce rain storm which drove the rain horizontally. It actually forced them to abandon their tent and seek shelter in the communal hut.

We went down to the main lodge to register and checked out the activities. One can fly fish, mountain bike or go on game drives. On the walk back to the campsite we stopped into the friendly staff village for fresh bread. When we arrived back at camp the attendant had made a nice fire for us and the weather held up to enable me to cook our remaining rump steaks. The view from the camp site is great and you can observe wild animals roaming across the grasslands.

The temperature is a lot cooler up here at 2,500 metres above sea level and it was a welcome respite from biting insects. For the first time since leaving the western coast of South Africa I dragged out my beanie and fleece jacket. That evening after dinner we sat around the camp fire which we kept stoked with the abundant pine wood that is in this area. During the night it was cool enough to get inside the sleeping bags again, and in the early hours the rains started and lasted until 10.30am the following morning. We had hoped to go on a drive and walk in the morning to try and find the rare Bar Tailed Trogon, but the rain killed this plan. Instead we enjoyed a cooked breakfast and got the maps out to plan our last few days in Malawi.

By midday the skies had brightened and we headed down to the main lodge to find a guide. We were in luck as White, a very knowledgeable guide, was available. He drove us to some old patches of forest and we set off to find the Bar Tailed Trogon. The forests are quite impressive and have that very old look and feel to them. Over the next two hours we heard and saw some rare forest birds, but alas did not even hear the Bar Tailed Trogon. For anyone who is wondering what all the fuss is about, Google it and take a look. The downside of roaming around these old forests was the number of ticks that latched onto you as you brushed against the bushes and grasses. We had a great time looking and on arrival back to the jeep enjoyed a cup of tea and some home-made biscuits. We took a roundabout route back to the lodge and saw many antelope along the way. The landscape here is different from anything else I have seen in Africa and it would be a great place to return to in the future, maybe on another trip. We had a cold beer with White and he drove us back to the campsite where we cooked dinner and made a large camp fire out of the stack of logs that had been left for us by the campsite attendant. A large Spotted Eagle Owl landed in the campsite and started to hunt for food. Later a herd of Zebra roamed in and grazed on the lush grass. We had no rain during the night so thankfully would be able to pack up dry the following morning.

After a quick breakfast we bade farewell to the staff and headed back down the plateau towards the park entrance gate. It was a glorious morning and after a couple of hours we reached the gate and picked up a jar of Nyika honey. We drove back to Rumphi along a rough road which thankfully was not water logged. When we reached Rumphi we stopped at the BP Station to enquire about diesel and were surprised to hear they had some. There were a couple of large lorries filing up so we enquired whether there was diesel now in Karonga, the main town near to the Tanzanian border. We were assured there was plenty of diesel at Karonga so we drove to the lake road and headed northwards along the scenic lake side. We had toyed on going to Livingstonia for a night but when we approached the turn off decided to give it a miss. The road looked in bad shape and a black storm was gathering in the hills around Livingstonia. A couple of hours later we arrived at Karonga and, surprise surprise, found all the stations were empty of diesel. Anyway, I estimate that we have more than enough fuel to get us over the border with Tanzania and to the first fuel station. So we could get a quick getaway the following morning, we decided to stay at the Safari Lodge Annex which was rated quite highly in the Lonely Planet. In reality it is quite basic but would do for a night. It is strange how things work out; we had today realised that we had lost our East Africa Lonely Planet book. Sitting at the bar later that afternoon, we saw a copy of the same book and, upon enquiry, found out it had been left by another over-lander. It seemed like fate, so a quick chat with the manager, 1000 Kwacha (UK£4) and we had a new book.

The following morning we arose early, ate breakfast and drove the 45km to the border. The border crossing was efficient and we were through in an hour. Next task to head to Mbeya, fill up with diesel and buy new SIM cards for phones and computer dongles.

MOZAMBIQUE

Raging Storms and Eerie Quietness

I arrived back to South Africa following a few weeks break in Cornwall over Christmas and New Year. Whilst in the UK I picked up and tested my replacement navigational equipment, got a new passport, got the problematic 6 month Ethiopia visa from the embassy in London and found a replacement travelling companion as Sam had decided half of Africa was enough. My new travelling companion is John Higgins from Perranporth, Cornwall, and he is an experienced global traveller whom I have known for many years.

I arranged to stay for a few days in Nelspruit with my friends John and Karen Barker. I had a few things to get done on Proper Job before John’s arrival a few days later from the UK. When I got to Nelspruit we went to pick up Proper Job, only to find that the engine would not turn over. Not a good start and I had it towed to 4x4 MegaWorld where the guys detected a problem with the starter motor. A day later after a refurbish it started first time. Over the next couple of days I re-organised everything in Proper Job back to its original place and bought vehicle insurance for Mozambique and the COMESA for eastern Africa from the AA in Nelspruit. This insurance would cover me all the way to Egypt. During the next day or so I noticed that the auxiliary battery was not holding its charge so had it tested and then replaced. Nelspruit is a great place to prepare for overland travel as it is geared up for 4x4 vehicles and the outdoors.

John arrived on the Saturday and I decided that a couple of days in the Kruger Park to give him some practice driving and getting used to all the equipment on Proper Job. The Kruger Park was much hotter than in October and the rivers were swollen to levels not seen since 2000. We saw quite a bit of game around Pretoriuskop and Lower Sabie camps where we enjoyed Kudu fillets and tasty boerevors in the evenings. The temperature was very hot and humid and without the tent fan it would have been impossible to sleep. The last time I had needed the tent fan was in the jungle in Gabon. Whilst in the Kruger we noticed a problem with the refrigerator so decided to head back to Nelspruit to get it fixed before heading into Mozambique. As a general rule get everything that needs done in South Africa before heading into neighbourng countries.

Arriving in Nelspruit we drove to our friends at 4x4 MegaWorld, where we found a break in one of the cooling vents. It could be repaired but I didn’t want to take the risk of it failing later on so decided to put a new Engel fridge in. Later that afternoon we said our farewells to John and Karen, who have been most kind in putting me up for a few days. I really enjoyed my few days with them and hope we meet up again in the not too distant future.

We drove back towards the border and decided to stay the final night in South Africa at the Crocodile Bridge camp in the Kruger Park, which is fairly close to the Mozambique border. We entered at the Melane gate and drove along the river where we say lots of game and had some close encounters with some elephants. When we got back onto the tar road there were a pride of lions lazing on the road. We set up camp and enjoyed our final night in easy South Africa. I know I would miss the ease of travelling and camping in South Africa and knew what was lying ahead. However, it would be good to get on the road again and explore the east coast of Africa.

The following morning we drove the 20km to the border and crossed with ease. This border is hectic at certain times but we were lucky with our timing and there was hardly another vehicle in sight. We filled up with fuel on the South African side and swapped our remaining Rands for Meticals. We drove about 100km along the main route towards the capital city of Maputo and the highway was excellent. We took the ring road around Maputo as we were heading up the coast to Xai Xai, which lay about 200km north of Maputo. I had heard stories from other travellers of the hassles from the Mozambique police, but we did not encounter any. We drove through many police checks along the way and they showed no interest. Maybe they had been told to leave the tourist aloe as it brings a lot of money into the country. Actually, we were pulled over once when one noticed John was not wearing his seat belt. After a quick chat and a ‘small fine’ we were on our way. Further along the ring road we hit some bad traffic caused by construction road works, but eventually we hit the coastal road and reached our destination in good time. As we were driving along it hit me how quiet Mozambique is. By quiet I mean very few people, very few birds and very few animals. Most of the people live in the major cities of which there are two; Maputo and Beira.

We reached the Xai Xai Beach Camp and set up camp for the night. Later that afternoon we went for a swim in the warm Indian ocean. There is not a lot to do in Xai Xai but it is a good stopping point for the trip 300km further north to the charming town of Inhambane and the tourist village of Tofu. There are a lot of mosquitoes during the rainy season and that evening, after forgetting to properly close the tent flaps, I paid the price.

The following morning we packed up and headed northwards towards Inhambane and the tourist village of Tofu, where we planned to stay a couple of days and gather some info from other travellers about northern Mozambique. The drive took us through a sparsely populated green bushy landscape and the coastline and azure and turquoise ocean is quite stunning. I can understand why this country is so popular with South Africans. It won’t be long until the European tourist market catches on to this beautiful country of friendly people and hard-to-beat sea food, scuba diving and fishing. When we arrived at the much written about Tofu we were immediately disappointed. The camp site was poor and so we decided to drive to Barra which lies a few kilometres away. There also didn’t appear to be much going on in Barra, but we met a Kiwi driving along who told us he had got a very good deal at the South African run Palm Grove Resort. We checked it out and decided to stay for a night as it was quite late and R100 (£10) per person seemed very reasonable for a self contained chalet on the beach front. That evening we ate in the restaurant and I had the seafood platter (prawns, calamari and fish) whilst John had the chicken. Later that morning I felt pretty rotten and awoke the following day feeling quite unwell and unable to eat breakfast at the restaurant. Later that day John also went down with what we now suspected was food poisoning. The nights were unbearably hot and sticky and even with the roof fan full on it must have been in the high 30’s at 2am. It was way too hot to sleep. Besides this there were large numbers of mosquitoes which had an uncanny knack of finding their way through the mosquito nets. The following afternoon we drove the 10km into the neat town of Inhambane and surprisingly found that the Millenium BIM bank ATM accepted most cards, including Mastercard and Maestro. I purchased a Vodacom SIM card for my dongle and after some time setting it up with the helpful assistant I got hooked up to the internet within Mozambique. We later drove out to Coconut Bay which lay 25km along dirt roads to check out the much recommended campsite. Indeed it is a very nice place, isolated and set next to a stunning beach. Two weeks previously there were 300 campers here, but now in the off season there were only two. We later returned to Barra and went for a swim in the warm sea. The beach is extremely attractive and we were told they had 3,000 people (mainly South Africans) partying on the beach at New Years. We had an early night and, whilst I had a relatively good rest, even though been bitten again by a swarm of mossies, John did not fare so well. Luckily he has a great sense of humour so made the most of it. The following day we decided recovering in the heat and humidity of Barra was not working so we decided to move northwards. Our intended destination was the popular destination of Vilankulo which lay about 300km northwards. The drive was pleasant and the road again, was almost deserted of traffic.

We reached the laid back Vilankulo by 3pm intending to check out a few places to stay. We firstly went to the Baobab Beach Camp and immediately liked this funky place set right on the ocean. The camp reminded me of the Zebrabar in Senegal, the Green Turtle and Maranatha camps in Ghana, the Ngepi camp in the Caprivi, Namibia, and Bucaneers Backpackers in South Africa. We opted for a sea front cabin which cost less than £15 each per night. There was a healthy sea breeze blowing and we were confident that we would get the sleep we needed to recover from the food poisoning and heat of Barra. Later that evening we headed to the bar area and met a few travellers, including a Brit called Eddie who had travelled from North Africa on a motor bike. Eddie gave us some good info on the roads and places to stay and I was delighted to hear that the rumours of a ferry boat to Europe from Alexandria in Egypt were actually true. Even better, the ferry docks at Venice, and we may be there at the same time as the Perranporth Surf Club boat team.

That evening I enjoyed more delicious sea food, although John was still too sick to eat. We still had a fun evening with a cooling sea breeze and no mossie bites. Baobab Beach Camp is a great place to meet travellers and even though the rest of Vilanculo seemed devoid of travellers, there were a steady stream coming through the camp. The camp also arranges boat trips and diving, although the diving conditions when we were there had only 2 to 3 metres of visibility on the reefs. That afternoon we took a drive through the town and picked up some delicious mangos and pineapple. We had our first taste of petty crime when a young boy deftly took our maps from the passenger’s door pocket as John was getting back into Proper Job. A few minutes later as we were driving back along the same road they ran out holding the maps. We had not realised they had been taken at that point. Anyway, they made some claims that we had dropped them so we paid a few coins and got them back. Later that day we went for a swim and we both agreed that we had never been in such warm seas anywhere in the world. I can see why Vilanculo is so popular and we enjoyed the laid back atmosphere and cooling sea breeze. We were told that a large oil discovery had been made off the coast of Vilanculo so I guess that this place will undergo a major change in the coming years. Hopefully it won’t lose its charm. Reluctantly it was again time to move on to our next destination, the Gorongoza National Park which lies 400 km north.
The drive to Gorongoza was along a mainly deserted highway through a luxuriant landscape. We drove through a couple of heavy storms which disappeared as quickly as they came. Nearing Gorongoza the landscape changed to a hilly vista, some looking remarkably volcanic in shape. The drive took us longer than expected and when we arrived at the Gorongoza turn off the sign said the park road was closed. The storm clouds were gathering again and I was keen to get the camp set up before the down pour. Lightning and thunder were rumbling over the national park and we drove the last 30km along a dirt road that led to the park entrance. Upon arrival we were met by a couple of guys who informed us the park was closed, and was open again in April. We were a bit miffed by this as we had not seen any reference to this in our guide books. However, upon later inspection, in a non obvious bracket the Lonely Planet showed a clock sign with May to December. They should have spelt it out clearly in the text.

By now it was approaching 5.30pm and there was no way we could retrace our steps to find other location. I chatted amiably with the park workers for a while explaining our predicament. Although they could not speak English they clearly got the gist of our problem and agreed that we could camp just inside the park gates for a small fee of course. We found a sheltered spot beneath some trees and went into overdrive to set the camp up and get dinner cooked and devoured. The lightening was so bright in the night sky that it temporary blinded you if you looked directly into it. There was steady downpour of rain and the constant rumble of thunder during the night. I guess sometime in the early morning the storm moved on and we awoke to a bright day in a multitude of bird song. We planned to move on around 10am so had a leisurely couple of hours having breakfast and chatting with the friendly park rangers that stopped by. We were told that the park was rich with wild life and that the park was closed during the rainy season because it gets flooded.

We drove back to the main road and headed in a clockwise loop around the outskirts of the park and towards the mighty Zambezi river where we planned to visit the grave of famous explorer David Livingstone’s wife, Mary Moffet Livingstone. When we arrived at the Zambezi we took a dirt track for about 60km through a landscape that had recently been in flood. The waters had now subsided and we managed to drive through the remaining sections of flooded road without any problems. It was a good opportunity for John to practice some narrow road off road bush driving.

When we arrived at the small deserted village of Chipungo we parked and walked to the grave yard. We didn’t see any people and it was a bit eerie. We also realised how much time we had taken coming down the dirt road so we had a quick cup of coffee and a sandwich on the banks of the Zambezi and then drove back to the main road and crossed the Zambezi river. At this rate we estimated we would arrive in Quelimane at around 5.30pm which is not an ideal time to arrive at your destination, especially a city destination. Once across the impressive Zambezi we noticed a sign for a camp site on the river bank which, in hindsight, we should have pulled into. However, with this type of travel you get into a mind-set and ours was to get to Quelimane. At 4pm the sky blackened as another storm raged and it was so dark it appeared it was evening. We drove out of the storm into bright sunlight and looking behind us witnessed an impressive contrast between black and blue.

After a further 150km or so we drove into Quelimane through a scenic paddy-field landscape. There are a large number of bicycles in Quelimane so the rule is drive slowly and don’t be afraid to use your horn....reminded me of Nigeria. When we arrived at our intended accommodation we were told it was full. After a further three hotels said they were full I started to get concerned as it was now approaching 6pm. One of my golden rules is don’t drive at night in Africa, especially where there are people. We finally found a place that had availability called Residencial Palmeiras and it also had a secure courtyard for vehicles. We were pleased to find the manager was very helpful and had a very good command of English. In addition he knew much about northern Mozambique and the border crossings into Malawi.

That evening we went to a local restaurant next to Hotel Chado which was recommended by the manager and we found it to be good quality and value for money. It rained non-stop during the night and I was relieved we had found accommodation before the onslaught began. We heard on the news that there was some serious flooding in southern and central Mozambique so we are keeping a close eye on the situation. It was only eleven years ago that Mozambique had a serious flood that left many people dead and became a national disaster which was reported around the globe. However, we were told that the north does not tend to suffer from flooding and our next destination is around 700km north, the Ilha Mozambique.

The following day the rain had disappeared and was replaced by hot humid conditions. We drove into the compact sleepy centre of town, had lunch and got some photocopying done for John. We filled Proper Job up with diesel and generally prepared for our 750km drive to Ilha Mozambique. We would need to leave early in the morning and the kind manager arranged an early breakfast for us so we could get away by 7am. Along the way we would keep an eye open for accommodation for the return journey as well as stop at Mocuba to make inquiries with lorry or bus drivers about the state of the 200km dirt road to the Masinga border crossing. If we could not use the Masinga crossing then we would have to drive for an extra 1200km to the major crossing via Tete on the western side of Malawi.

The road to Ilha Mozambique was very good except for a 40 km section just north of Mocuba. At around 4pm we arrived at the very narrow 3km bridge that leads over to the island. There is quite a lot of work being done on the bridge and we patiently made our way across. When we got to the island we headed for the Eldorohdinho Hotel as there is no camping on the island, We drove along narrow streets through a run down but charming town that is steeped in history. Vasco Da Gama landed here in 1497 And this was the capital of Portuguese East Africa before it was moved to the present day Maputo. The rates at the hotel were quite reasonable and it was just a few minutes walk from the historical Stone Town and the San Sebastian fort. John’s foot was playing up again so we had a quiet evening.

The following morning, after a leisurely breakfast, we walked through the narrow streets of the island and observed the fishermen bringing in their catch, repairing nets and the laid back life style that the inhabitants appear to have. The architecture is very nice and we both felt that, being a UNESCO Heritage site that it would not be very long until things changed here. Already there are cruise ships that stop by and I wonder what this place would be like in 10 years time. The people are very friendly, although the guys selling trips to the outer islands were pushier than we had previously encountered in other coastal places in Mozambique. That evening we ate at a nearby roof top restaurant and got chatting to a group of Portuguese girls that were teaching local girls in a Catholic Church school that needs extra lessons. Life on the island is very relaxing and it has a real charm to it. Unfortunately, one suspects that with development this will slowly disappear.

The following morning we drove to the bridge that leads back to the mainland. At the entrance to the bridge we were stopped by an official who issued us a bridge toll for 10,000 Meticals. That is equivalent to £200 and we suspected something was amiss. A good trick when translation is a problem is get out the calculator, which we did and the official promptly plugged in 10. I guess his toll tickets must have been the old ones before a major devaluation. We drove back along the road to the turn off to Pemba which is our next destination. We had made a few enquiries about the road to Pemba but had normally been met with “never been that far north”. Once we turned off the main road from that leads to Ilha Mozambique the road became narrower but was in pretty good condition and we met only the odd pothole. We passed through a landscape of many granite Inselbergs and people became scarcer and scarcer. This part of Mozambique is remote and parts of it are renowned for being bandit country. Surprisingly the good road remained the same all the way to Pemba and a few hours later we arrived at the Pemba Dive Camp which is located a few kilometres from town down a dirt track. The camp is owned by a South African family so is well laid out with good quality camp sites and facilities. In addition they have sea kayaks, mask & snorkels, archery and other things which are free of charge. The camp is right on a beach in a large bay which has some mangrove areas. Swimming was pleasant at high tide but at all other times at this time of the year was thick with jelly fish. There is a lot of bird life in the area and was the most I had seen on my travels through Mozambique.

We ate dinner at the camp outdoors restaurant and met up with a group of South Africans who have been working in Mozambique laying power lines for the past 10 years. During the evening as the stories went on, it became quite alarming listening to the number of staff they had lost from malaria in this part of Africa. One of their colleagues was currently in a local hospital in a critical state waiting for an aeroplane to come in and evacuate him to South Africa. A stark reminder to keep taking malaria tablets. That evening a terrific lightening storm hit and spectacularly lit up the whole bay area. The rain lasted for most of the night and the next morning the dirt road lading out of the camp was in quite a bad state. Luckily the soil around this area is quite sandy so by midday the road was in much better shape so we drove down to the peninsular and checked out Pemba. There is another good camping place in Pemba called Russels Place so we drove down and had a look. It is a chilled out place and we decided to stay here for a couple of nights here when we had finished at Pemba Dive Camp.

When we got back to camp we took the kayaks out for a paddle and with the storm still lingering the waters were quite choppy. We paddled through huge schools of jelly fish and stopped at a couple of deserted beaches along the way. During the evening we met up with the South Africans and had a fun night. They advised us of a better route to the Malawi border than we had planned so will take that one. It will mean less travel on the rough dirt roads to the eastern side of Malawi. The new route will take us through Nampula and then to Gurue, before heading along a 120km dirt road to the Masinga border crossing. The total distance is about 730km and will take us a couple of days to traverse.

The following morning I greased the prop shaft and the steering swivels and gave Proper Job a general check over. I called the Toyota garage in Lilongwe to arrange for a service and believe it has been pencilled in for 7.30am on the 8th February, which is the day that my sister Jane lands in Lilongwe. She will be with us for 6 weeks through Malawi and Tanzania and I am looking forward to some more fun times ahead. Around midday we packed up camp and drove to Russels Place where we found a perfect shady camping spot.

That afternoon we swam in the warm sea and realised the shelf was only about 200m from shore. The scuba diving here is highly rated but the waters again appeared to be quite churned up. This is probably due to the big storm we had the other night. The next couple of days we relaxed around camp. John’s foot is still causing some concerns and it has now been bad for a week. He has limited mobility and so I am hoping that the next couple of days here will allow it to improve before our long drive into Malawi.

We departed from Russels Place and drove southwards towards Nampula and then eastwards towards the Malawi border. We have around 500km to drive from Nampula to the border and the drive could take us a couple of days as we are not too sure of the conditions of the roads. Once again, we have found that in Africa one hears many conflicting opinions on the roads and best routes to take. We will see what occurs. We have had a nice time in Mozambique.

It has been a pleasant surprise to me with its lush bush, beautiful beaches, warm sea, brilliant sea food and super fruit. Above all the people are friendly and speak pretty good English.