The pull of the road

Working on the road

We left Vilanculos with no clear plan for our trip to Nampula, except that we would not like to drive in the dark. The kilometers up to Inchope seemed to stretch as we approached, and it is known that things expand in the midday heat. The Inchope filling station told of an excellent hostelry just a few kilometers down the road to Zimbabwe, but we thought that this would take us off our track, and Nampula was still far, far away. Gorongosa sounded much more interesting. There is always the hope of something better, just over the next hill!

Travellers share a feast

At the entrance to the Gorongosa park an expensive-looking signboard announced luxury lodgings, but also camping, but that was twenty kilometers and more out of our way. We tried phoning to get prices, but received no reply. Gorongosa town, only another thirty klicks down our road, promised hotels, and there they were. The best we could find had no windows, and a party was brewing up next door, but the price was fixed at 2 000 Mts.

Our map promised lodging and camping at the Mountain inn, and we even had GPS references! But references come and go, and truck drivers bargaining for a few goats had never heard of an inn in that area. The best thing, they advised, was to press on another two hours, but the road was bad.

Night set in, and we grasped at every light we saw, while dodging most of the potholes. At eight we had decided that we would find the next small road turning off, and sleep in the car, because we would have more than six hundred kilometers to do the next day.

Forestry accommodation

And then we saw it: A sign advertising a sawmill with a restaurant and accommodation! Life out of colonial Africa, simple and tasteful.

And we wondered: Do we not always get drawn on and on by hopes of a better future over the next horizon? And, sometimes, that better future is there!

Vilanculos shipbuilding

This remote part of Mozambique has its signs of neglect: potholed roads, small, poor villages next to the road. But there are many smiling, happy people here, people who welcome strangers with no diffidence, just a wide, welcoming smile, an effort to understand our halting Portuguese, and a willingness to help. Even the soldiers stopping us seem embarrassed to ask if we had brought them something.

The people here hope that the discovery of gas will bring them a better future. Maybe the young boy who helped his even younger sister to sell us roasted cashew nuts, and then shyly asked if we had sweets for them, will wear a suit, and be an oil industry accountant. We wish that their hopes will also be answered by more than they expect.

Vilanculos airport: one of us had to go back to slavery!

Two weeks to go, and lots still to do!

I once did some rafting on the Nile, and one gets this feeling, as the raft goes over the top of a rapid, and begins to dip down to the white water below, that maybe this was not a good idea. Well, I am getting the same feeling. By 15 May the cars go into the container, and there is still a lot of work to do. On Tuesday my car goes in for a major check, air helper springs, and so on, I must still buy a solar panel, we will fit it in Morocco. I still must buy a radio, and may have it fitted if there is time, otherwise, we will fit it in Morocco....

Interesting how things get simplified. From a R 10 000 drawer system we moved to ammo boxes in slides, to ammo boxes in a frame, to ammo boxes under a plywood panel, held with ratchet straps. My simple rear bumper with swing arms for the second spare wheel is in and welded, thanks Marnus! It is not completely mounted yet, as the wheel obscures the number plate, so I need a second number plate, and will mount that and extra rear lights on the roof rack. (May mount that in Morocco....)

I still need a Police Clearance, will do that first priority when she comes back from the Cruiser Whisperer. In the meantime our passports are with the Moroccans, Hans and Stephanus are on tenterhooks (anyone ever seen these?) because as soon as they have the Moroccan visas they must apply for Schengen visas, as they want to leave for Spain on 20 May!!! That is going to take some fancy footwork.

We tried out the Cobb stove today, did some rather nice lamb chops, with even a smoke flourish! Slower than the Weber, but with much less charcoal. From tomorrow the packing starts: 12 ammo boxes and two metal ammo boxes for tools. I have a spare alternator, water pump, must fit the new coil and pack the old. Still looking for a spare distributor. Also need an overflow bottle for the radiator, the old one finished in the exhaust manifold. Need poles for the awnings, need .... OK, enough.

We are reading up on the route, and writing to people, just got very helpful comment from a guy in Ghana, and waiting to hear about the Congo and Gabon parks. Merlinda Lotter gave me her whole planning file, with waypoints and maps, thanks!!

Once the cars are gone, we wait, catch up on all outstanding paperwork, get as many visas as we can, and on 15 June we leave for Doha and then Casablanca!

First ideas

This blog is about our plans for a mega-Safari starting in Casablanca in middle June 2011, and driving down to South Africa along the West coast of Africa.

At present we are three couples, three vehicles, and we are submerged in preparations, purchases of equipment, and paperwork. Can you imagine, the guys who have bank loans on their vehicles may take them anywhere in Africa, but not in to Europe! The first piece of crazy burocracy, but probably not the last!!!

Route: At present there are many variables, but in broad terms we may visit the following countries: Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Gabon, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, and home.