Our Blue Safari – Heading South

Our Quartermaster would tell me that the title is incorrect because I use “track up” on the Garmin, and that the heading is actually South West – any way, it’s southish.

Same roads, different direction. Down to Morongula about 15 km’s on a good dirt road. Check in worked well and looked good enough, with the reception having a beautiful view over the ocean.

 It was still really warm, and the weather remained awesome. I’m not sure what contacts Di has with the weather makers, but they sure are handy to have. Down a really steep hill to beach level, find our campsite and “discuss” for a while to – you guessed it – decide who would camp where. We used the available space again and grabbed more than one campsite. One of the things that Mocambique campsites really have got right is the baraccas at nearly every campsite. They make such a good base for a kitchen and gathering area. This was no exception.

The campsite was a 10m walk from the beach – which stretched for miles in either direction. This stretch was apparently 60 km of uninterrupted beach and we had to spend four nights here – bugger!!

Much of the 3 full days there are in my mind as a blur of lying on the beach, long walks in either direction and hours on end in the water. Those of you that know me know that hours of swimming aren’t my favourite pastime, but here it most definitely was. The days were hot and the water really warm. This was our first real beach opportunity since Pomene, and we made the most of it. The guys even made use of the somewhat weird frisbee that we had bought to while away the idle hours just floating in the water. It really was quite awesome just to float around, doing pretty much nothing.

We found some roadside shopping just outside of the campsite and bought a whole lot of things – T-shirts mainly and some really fresh paus. These were to be our brunch or lunch on most days, depending on how the mood took us. Afternoons were normally spent relaxing in the shade after lunch and a few beers.

On the second day our Quartermaster went to work again. A bit of bargaining and negotiating and we were the proud owners of 8 kg of Crayfish at a very reasonable price (seriously – about R400). These things were HUGE. Much activity and organisation centred on preparing these. Again, I stood back and let the seafood chefs, Pete and Derek, have their space. An hour or two and a few drinks later these monsters found their way onto our plates and, with much ceremony, the feast began. Oh my word!! I opted for the smallest, and couldn’t finish all of it – I have no idea how the others managed.

The next day was similar to the one before – and just as relaxing – followed by a tasty seafood paella, courtesy of Margie and the fish from Vilancoulos – the freezers worked as well as ever. Always food, cold beer and always ice – what else is there?

By this time I was starting to suffer from a seafood overload and didn’t think I could manage anymore. Nes was encouraging me like a tired, nearly defeated boxer, quietly whispering “you can do it”. The next night we were saved - Portuguese chicken in the restaurant, and I was not the only person that opted for that. Yet another good evening was had as our holiday slowly drew to a close. The next move and night was to be our last before departing for home.

That night was so incredibly warm that we left the nets open on the tents, after a cold water shower in the open. It didn’t help.

As an aside, I really enjoyed Morongula. The campsites were large, mostly grassed and shaded. Good baracca, power supplied and fair ablutions. The surroundings and beach were wonderful. If I were running the place, I would definitely move the pub, shop and restaurant closer to where the people are. It was a bit out of the way and a schlep to get there and back.

Given that we had to go past Xa-Xai again, and we had about 450 km’s to go, it was a relatively early start. The road was as slow and lumpy as we remembered. So much so that we had a late lunch in Biline before heading on down to the Palmeiras campsite. This was the area where the original Portuguese inhabitants of Maputo used to stay for long weekends and holidays. The weather was starting to close in and look ominous for the first time on our trip. We parked (quite quickly this time) and did the minimum of unpacking for this stay – pretty much just opening the tent – and then a quick turn for some shopping at the market nearby. Certainly not the best that we had been to, so we didn’t waste much time there and made our way to the campsite pub on the lagoon. It’s a pity the weather wasn’t great as I would like to have seen a little more of it (the lagoon). That night we had our final holiday dinner at the restaurant and most of us (including me) were back on seafood, and sad to be winding up, but it never stopped the enjoyment.

We were woken quite early in the morning by the rain, so we leapt up and packed and were gone in no time. Given that none of us relished the drive via Maputo on a weekday we leapt at the chance to take the road less travelled, as described to us by a fellow traveller that we had met on the way.

It was pee’ing pretty steadily by this time, with occasional heavy rain, as we took the detour. It started off well enough, on tar, until we hit the end of our Garmins. (1st time ever) and Pete saved us with a piddling Tom Tom which had this track on it. By the time we hit the track much of it was like a river, with thick, slippery mud everywhere. At one stage we met a truck coming the other way that was not budging out of the middle. Derek and I thought we’d made it by when the trailers just developed minds of their own and slid, gently, off the centre into deep mud on the side. There was a moment’s consternation when I thought that I might need to be pulled out by a Land Rover. Thank God it never happened!! Pete and Derek seemed okay in their vehicles, but we struggled. I prefer to think that this was the tyres rather than the driver – I’ll stick with that until I get new tyres. Mine became like racing slicks, and the only time I was halfway sure of the direction that I was going in was if I was in someone else’s tracks. I think Pete and Derek had a ball. I must confess that I only really enjoyed this stretch when I think back on it. Given the chance, we would definitely (even me) do this route again, especially on a good day. The surroundings were picturesque and an infinitely better way than the arse end of Maputo. It’s now on our Gamins as well.

Carrying probably 30 kg’s of mud we were again helped through the Mozambique border by another set of helpful locals that we encountered, with only a few rands changing hands, and the SA side was pretty painless.

After a breakfast in Komatipoort, our holidays were over and took our leave at Nelspruit. Holiday pretty much over – only the driving and unpacking ahead, with the Britz’s or Pike’s secretly thankful that we didn’t have Pete and Margie’s distance to go.

In the final analysis, Mozambique is still a great place to visit and there are enough places to go to that are of good quality and price. Pomene, Morungala and Billfish Lodge are definite recommendations. Only Billfish doesn’t have a camping option and the other two have chalet options. The people are more friendly and open, and less poverty stricken, than on our last visit. You are able to, quite comfortably, stop in some local pubs and restaurants along the way. Moz is opening up, roads are improving and fuel is easy to find – don’t waste too much time before you go there. You’re going to have to go further and further north to enjoy the unspoiled environments.

It was an incredibly restful holiday where Nes and I had a ball and just want to say “Pete and Margie for the 1st time, and Derek and Di for the umpteenth, it was a wonderful trip that you helped make great”. We’re getting really good at this, taking a few more spur of the moment decisions that add different options and nuances to the trips. And, as I always say, we gotta do this again. Not necessarily the same trip, but certainly giving the trailers / tents / vehicles a run in the wild again.

T100, over and out – for this trip.