(Trip B reports relate to the splintergroup of the Burgers and Van der Veers post Nampula)
We awoke with a heavy heart this morning, as we knew we had to say goodbye to Carl-Hein and Marie-Louise today. They were heading west, back to Malawi, then on to Zambia and eventually Namibia. The rest of us revised our trip to travel south through Mozambique to avoid crossing any borders with Zimbabwe, due to our previous problems.
When everyone was up we shared our stocks of available fruit and veggies, with the Burgers trying to convince Marie-Louise they would love canned fruit and chicken korma source, all in an attempt to lighten the Fortuner.
In order to delay the inevitable, and since everyone would be travelling through Nampula, we decided to delay the good-byes for our stop there to re-fuel. Marie-Louise offered our “guide” of the previous day a lift to Nampula, some 140km away. He was suffering from Malaria and wanted to go to the hospital to get medication. However, she estimated we will leave our “normal” time, and indicated that he must wait in the road around nine o’clock. Thus he was not there when we left for a change at 08h00 in the morning. They decided to wait about 5 minutes, whilst someone will go and find him whilst the rest of us continued on to Nampula.
Unfortunately for us, it did not work out that way. We never managed to catch up with them, as Nampula was decidedly bigger than anyone of us estimated. Also, we were let down by the cell phone network, as we could not reach Carl-Hein.
Adri also realised that the Doka was starting to use oil, and had to top up with oil in Nampula. With heavy hearts we left Nampula behind.
The road was quite bad getting out of Nampula, but soon improved. As soon as we crossed the border into the new province, the road got wider, had road markings and even a bit of a shoulder! Heaven! We made good progress and started to think we may even make Quelimane that evening!
Unfortunately our luck did not hold. The road got progressively worse, and about 100km north of Mocuba the road disappeared. And we though the road from Marrupa to Montepuez was bad. This was even worse. To add to this, the Doka was bellowing more and more smoke the further we travelled. We stopped for a comfort break, and Adri added some more oil. We were very down hearted and despondent, because it was getting dark, and we were still approximately 30km north of Mocuba.
A car stopped to ask if we need assistance, and we told them we are fine, but if they could tell us how much further to Mocuba, and if the road is that bad all the way. Our spirits were lifted when the man informed us that the road will improve in approximately 5km, and is good to Mocuba all they way through to Quelimane, and even Gorongoza. That is just what we needed, as we were all quite despondent at that stage. True to the driver’s word, the road improved in exactly 5 km and we decided to push through to Quelimane, even if that meant driving in the dark. I do not have enough fingers on my hands to count how many times we promised ourselves that we will not drive in the dark again!
Just after Nicuadala the road deteriorated again, and it was already after 19h00 in the evening and completely dark outside. We had no idea where we were going to sleep that night, as it has been raining throughout the day and we were not very keen on pitching a tent in the mud. We decided to first get something to eat, and our trusted GPS directed us to a “good restaurant, with fresh pizza”. But we nearly did not get there, as, and I know this does not sound possible; the road got the worst yet! Lots of people talk about potholes that cars can fit in, but these were big enough to fit a bus, filled with water. At some stage we contemplated driving onto the sidewalk, as we were not sure how deep the pool was we were about to enter. And the part of town we were entering looked decidedly shady. However, we eventually reached the restaurant, and it looked good. We just had to avoid a tree stump that we put into a very deep pothole to prevent a car from disappearing into a black hole.
At the restaurant we heard American accents, and we accosted them to ask if they know about possible camping sites or reasonable accommodation. Richard, an American working on Agro-projects, promptly took out his cell phone and called a missionary called Mark. Can Mark please put us up for the night? Even if we can just put up our tents in his back yard? Mark obliged and said we are welcome.
We decided all to have pizza, as we knew how much Carl-Hein craved pizza to whole trip, and we wanted to be reminded of them. We were given directions to Marks place, which was basically back to Nicuadala, over the same potholes.
Mark is Canadian, and has been doing missionary work for the past 7 years in Mozambique. He is also the general saving saint, and knows all about car repairs. If anything goes wrong to any visitor in about a 200km radius, Mark is called upon to come to the rescue. We were very relieved to arrive to his friendly greetings. He had a small guesthouse at the back of the house that sleeps four. However, after being informed about the snorers in our midst, he offered that Hennie and I could sleep in his daughters’ bedroom in the house with him! And he does not know us from Adam. He wife and kids have departed for Canada already, and he was leaving in approximately 10 days time. He was returning to Canada for 2 years, so that his kids can complete high school there, then he plans to return.
We had a very good night’s sleep, very happy not to be pitching our tents in the rain, and having hot showers!
When everyone was up we shared our stocks of available fruit and veggies, with the Burgers trying to convince Marie-Louise they would love canned fruit and chicken korma source, all in an attempt to lighten the Fortuner.
In order to delay the inevitable, and since everyone would be travelling through Nampula, we decided to delay the good-byes for our stop there to re-fuel. Marie-Louise offered our “guide” of the previous day a lift to Nampula, some 140km away. He was suffering from Malaria and wanted to go to the hospital to get medication. However, she estimated we will leave our “normal” time, and indicated that he must wait in the road around nine o’clock. Thus he was not there when we left for a change at 08h00 in the morning. They decided to wait about 5 minutes, whilst someone will go and find him whilst the rest of us continued on to Nampula.
Unfortunately for us, it did not work out that way. We never managed to catch up with them, as Nampula was decidedly bigger than anyone of us estimated. Also, we were let down by the cell phone network, as we could not reach Carl-Hein.
Adri also realised that the Doka was starting to use oil, and had to top up with oil in Nampula. With heavy hearts we left Nampula behind.
The road was quite bad getting out of Nampula, but soon improved. As soon as we crossed the border into the new province, the road got wider, had road markings and even a bit of a shoulder! Heaven! We made good progress and started to think we may even make Quelimane that evening!
Unfortunately our luck did not hold. The road got progressively worse, and about 100km north of Mocuba the road disappeared. And we though the road from Marrupa to Montepuez was bad. This was even worse. To add to this, the Doka was bellowing more and more smoke the further we travelled. We stopped for a comfort break, and Adri added some more oil. We were very down hearted and despondent, because it was getting dark, and we were still approximately 30km north of Mocuba.
A car stopped to ask if we need assistance, and we told them we are fine, but if they could tell us how much further to Mocuba, and if the road is that bad all the way. Our spirits were lifted when the man informed us that the road will improve in approximately 5km, and is good to Mocuba all they way through to Quelimane, and even Gorongoza. That is just what we needed, as we were all quite despondent at that stage. True to the driver’s word, the road improved in exactly 5 km and we decided to push through to Quelimane, even if that meant driving in the dark. I do not have enough fingers on my hands to count how many times we promised ourselves that we will not drive in the dark again!
Just after Nicuadala the road deteriorated again, and it was already after 19h00 in the evening and completely dark outside. We had no idea where we were going to sleep that night, as it has been raining throughout the day and we were not very keen on pitching a tent in the mud. We decided to first get something to eat, and our trusted GPS directed us to a “good restaurant, with fresh pizza”. But we nearly did not get there, as, and I know this does not sound possible; the road got the worst yet! Lots of people talk about potholes that cars can fit in, but these were big enough to fit a bus, filled with water. At some stage we contemplated driving onto the sidewalk, as we were not sure how deep the pool was we were about to enter. And the part of town we were entering looked decidedly shady. However, we eventually reached the restaurant, and it looked good. We just had to avoid a tree stump that we put into a very deep pothole to prevent a car from disappearing into a black hole.
At the restaurant we heard American accents, and we accosted them to ask if they know about possible camping sites or reasonable accommodation. Richard, an American working on Agro-projects, promptly took out his cell phone and called a missionary called Mark. Can Mark please put us up for the night? Even if we can just put up our tents in his back yard? Mark obliged and said we are welcome.
We decided all to have pizza, as we knew how much Carl-Hein craved pizza to whole trip, and we wanted to be reminded of them. We were given directions to Marks place, which was basically back to Nicuadala, over the same potholes.
Mark is Canadian, and has been doing missionary work for the past 7 years in Mozambique. He is also the general saving saint, and knows all about car repairs. If anything goes wrong to any visitor in about a 200km radius, Mark is called upon to come to the rescue. We were very relieved to arrive to his friendly greetings. He had a small guesthouse at the back of the house that sleeps four. However, after being informed about the snorers in our midst, he offered that Hennie and I could sleep in his daughters’ bedroom in the house with him! And he does not know us from Adam. He wife and kids have departed for Canada already, and he was leaving in approximately 10 days time. He was returning to Canada for 2 years, so that his kids can complete high school there, then he plans to return.
We had a very good night’s sleep, very happy not to be pitching our tents in the rain, and having hot showers!
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