Very excited and eager we left to get to Mozambique, we soon discovered this was not going to be a fun and easy passage! Because of our budgeting we decided not to take first class but second(you also had third but this is still Africa, so we didnt want to get stuck in some dark room in the bottom of the ship).
But to our surprise the ship didnt look that bad for African standards! For a long time we could illegally stay on the top deck(first class) but after a few hours we were send down! Instead of that we went to the restaurant and order dinner, I think we never ate that slow. After we slept in the corridor next to the restaurant not at the least a bit comfortable, but it was better than sleeping between vomiting people and chickens! The next morning our paradise was over and we were send down to our level. Then we almost forgot the stamp out of Malawi at the one of the too many stops the ferry made!
And then after a 24 hour of hell we finally arrived at Mozambique, we got into a small boat and of to our next country we thought! We soon discovered that it wasnt going to be that easy! Because we didnt have a visa(in Malawi they told us we could get it in the village next to this one and it wouldnt be a problem) they didnt allowed us in the country! We tried to explain our situation, which wasnt easy because they only spoke African or Portuguese but we couldnt reason with these policemen! The only thing they could do was yell at us and they gave us 2 option: return to the ferry or go to jail! It wasnt a difficult decision and so it was back to the lovely ferry. Because we didnt have a lot of money anymore we had to sit in third class between to many people, animals and a thousand bags of smelly fish! After 8 more hours we arrived back on Malawian soil and we were once again legal travelers!
After a night sleeping on the floor of a dining room of a hotel we continued our journey to Mozambique over land this time! After a night stop in Magochi were the ants took over my tent(your probably laughing right now, but I can assure you it wasnt funny at al). The next day at noon we once again arrived at the border of Mozambique! At first the man looked surprised that we didnt have a visa yet, but then after paying to much we obtained our important stamp! Finally we were in Mozambique at an as good as deserted immigration office, with only some weird looking people hanging around! And then out of the blue some mini-van appeared who could take us to Cuamba, after riding around for some time to get the mini-van full we headed towards Cuamba. But after a few 100 meters they stopped to get buy gasoline and told us that we had to pay in advance so they could pay for the gas! We refused and said we only pay at our destination(the best way to be sure you arrive there and they dont kick you out faster), after whole argument they gave up! I noticed a guy standing on the side of the mini-van(our bags where on the roof) with one arm on the roof, but Casper said it was probably nothing. After we got the gas we left only to see the guy jump of the van and throw my carabiners on the road! I went crazy and the next stop, only a km further I jumped out of the car and checked the bags! Luckily the bags were still closed and not cut open or damaged, I yelled at the driver but he only laughed at me! I wanted to hit in the face, but I calmed down and just got back in the car! After a hell of a ride on the most uncomfortable road thus far(imagine speed bumps, but smaller and every 30 centimeters) we arrived late at night in Cuamba. Casper and I shrunk at least 5 centimeters, because of constantly bumping our heads against the roof. Happy to be there WITH our bags, so far not a nice meeting with Mozambique!
After a few hours of trying to sleep(there was a party going on), we had to get up at 4 to catch our train to Napula. A 12 hour train ride we didnt look forward to! But actually wasnt that bad, it was a fairly new train so there was some form of comfort. The train didnt go very fast, thats why it took 12 hours but the upside of that was you could enjoy the beautiful landscape. We arrived in the early evening in Napula, were we found a very nice place to stay hostel Ruby. We stayed there for a few days and then we were going to Mozambique island! We also met some nice people at the hostel! The day before we left I wanted to withdraw money from an atm, only to have my card taken by the damn thing the bank was closed so we had to return the next day! Convinced that I had lost my card I returned to the bank, only to have my card back after 5 min.
Of to the island were we are going to stay for a few days. The first thing weve noticed is that the people were a lot nicer then in Nampula, because there they just stared at you like you were some kind of deadly disease or looking what to steal! After 2 days of exploring we took an ocean safari to spot whales, it was a little bit of a disappointment we did see a lot of them, but it was from up far! The captain of our little motorboat told us it was because the sea was to wild, it was still a nice experience though! Before we returned, we stopped for an hour at an idyllic little island. Then we returned back to Nampula, were we stayed at the same hostel. And tomorrow we are back on the road, heading south to Vilanculos!
Until next time!!!
After we left the Gwabi Lodge with our free ride, we arrived in Lusaka! We put up our tents at the Eureka Camping for one night! Nice place, the zebra's, antilopes and giraffes were running around the camp site (unfortunatly we didn't see any giraffe)! The next morning we had to get up early to catch our bus to Chipata and there we took a taxi to the border. There we walked 100m in no mans land to reach Malawi! Extra stamp in my pasport! Than we jumped into a taxi to Lilongwe, where we stayed for a few days at the Mabuya camp (a place Max and Cas stayed the last time they were in Malawi). There we went to the best Italian restaurant in Lilongwe (according to Max that is and I must admit she was right) for two nights in a row! We also went to a craftsmarket, where I bought a few things! On thursday we were leaving at noon to Nkhata bay! But first I went to the DHL office so I could quickly send my souvenirs home! But as I should have known by now, there is no quick in Africa! At the DHL office they told me I had to get a certificate that the wood was desinfected! Luckily there was a place that does these things only 5km away, but there they told me it took an entire day... I was beginning to regret that I bought the souvenirs! I told them I didn't have that much time... and after a little extra cash, I got the right forms! I went back to the DHL office only to hear they didn't accept Mastercard... at this time I was going crazy! I jumped back into the taxi to find a Bank only to bump into another problem! The maximum daylimit is 80000 kwatcha(180€) and I needed more! I went back to the DHL office and tried to ship only one thing (the biggest thing) back home, but even then I didn't have enough money! Thank god for the nice lady at the desk! She willing to ship it on her own name (she has a company discount), so I didn't have to carry that big thing around the world with me! I got back just in time to catch the bus! Max and Cas were a little bit stressed! That evening we arrived at Nkhata bay where we would stay for 5 days, because I was going to do my diving course here! The next moring I went to Aqua Africa to start my diving lessons! I got lucky, there was no one else doing the course. Private lessons!! I had to watch some videos and had to do some studying, but we also did a lot of tests in the water. And of course we did some diving as well! The underwater world is a relaxing and a beautifull world!! Yesterday I had my exams and of course I passed!! All this time Max and Cas where hanging on the beach! Off to Mozambique today, we're going with a ferry! So if you don't hear from us again...we're at the bottom of Lake Malawi!
On friday evening we arrived at the Gwabi Lodge in Chirundu, ready for our canoe trip!! But when we explained the owner what our plans were, he looked at us like we were crazy!! He’d never done such a huge trip!! He would look into it and let us know the next day. Full expectations we went to the owner the next morning, to hear about our trip!! It was possible, but it came with a big prize tag… 3500€ we kindly told him that was a little bit above our budget! He gave us 2 other options: the standard canoe trip of 2 days or we could leave that day with a boat that was going to pick up a group of canoers who just finished their 2 day trip. We took the last option… the cheapest! We took our stuff and left on the boat! The trip was about 70km, cheapest safari ever!!! We saw lots of wildlife (hippo’s, elephants and crocodiles)!! Unbelievable!!! We sailed to a small island in the Zambezi river, were we met with the group of canoers! To our surprise we saw there were a lot of elephants and hippo’s on the island!! After dinner and a nice evening/night at the campfire, we went to bed. Only to see that there were standing elephants at 5 meters of my tent… I didn’t sleep that well! Back at the Gwabi Lodge the next day, we had to discuss how we were going to go from there to Mozambique! Because our planned canoe trip went down the drain, we had to find another way to travel! Finally we decided to go through Malawi to get to Mozambique! Maxime and Casper went there 2 years ago and visited the southern part… so now we were going to do the northern part. Extra country on my list!!! The owner of the Gwabi lodge was so kind, that he fixed a free ride for the first part our journey!! And of we go again!!!
Ready, Set, Go!!!! The crazy journey/story starts now, confident as we were… after our last goodbyes at the airport, there was that moment of doubt!!! But that moment didn’t last long!!! Once on the plane we greeted our adventure with the biggest smile there was! After 2 hours we arrived at Heathrow and from there we left for our 10 hour flight to Lusaka! Our first adventure was the flight to Lusaka, we couldn’t sit together! Not really a big problem, hadn’t it been for our great neighbors! Maxime had no problem because her neighbor had the same routine as her... eyes closed and sleeping!!! Casper and I were less fortunate…. I was sitting between 2 Big Italians, as big as in they needed 2 seats each to sit!!! Nightmare!!! Casper was sitting next to a woman who was preaching the word of God!! Apparently he didn’t look very religious, because she kept on preaching to him the entire flight….if the flight took any longer she might have tried an excorsime on him!!! Casper was so nice to repeat everything she said to us!!! Finally arriving in Lusaka and the first setback was already there, Casper’s backpack was left behind in Heathrow!! Punishment of God…..he should’ve listened to the lady next to him! So we were stuck for 2 days in Lusaka….normally his bag should arrive on Saturday! Not much to see here, one state of the art shopping mall between all the poverty! A lot of trash on the side of the roads, not a pretty sight!! On Saturday we headed to the airport, where we hopefully could retrieve Casper’s backpack!! Fortunately Casper got his backpack, we jumped on the first bus to Livingstone to see the Victoria Falls!! A bus drives the African way!! We left 2 hours later than planned, with more people then seats and then for an unknown reason the driver left the bus after 30min…..we never saw him again! About 30min later there was a new driver and of we went!!! After a 9 hour drive in an overcrowded bus we arrived in Livingstone, where we eventually ended up in the Zambezi Waterfront Lodge! There we put up our little tents between big and fancy tents, there was also a nice hotel! Small detail, it was next to the Zambezi River….waking up and having breakfast with a great view!! On Sunday we went to see de Victoria Falls, on our way there we had to stop because there was an elephant and her young crossing the road!!! For the Zambian people nothing special, but for us it was crazy!!! We spotted our first elephant!!! The Falls where amazing!!!! The enormous power of the water falling, the sound…..great view! Pictures will speak for them self’s!! We got a tip to have a drink in the bar of a fancy hotel at the start of the Falls because of its crazy view! Those hotels were located in a National Park, which we didn’t know. And so we were wandering around and suddenly a zebra passed by. We didn’t know what happened. Our first stop was a success!!! Of to the next one: Lake Kariba!! We have been at Lake Kariba for a few days now! The way to get there was again an experience! The first bus to Batoka was “normal” , but then we got into a mini-van filled with chickens en other weird stuff to get to Sinazesze! The last part of the trip to Lake Kariba we got in the back of a pickup! So far it was the best way to travel! Then we had to find a place to stay! The first place refused us, but at the second we could set our tents up! We got a cheap deal to stay there! It’s really nice here, our tents are just 6 meters away from the Lake! (Waking up with a great view) They told us there were crocodiles and hippo’s at the Lake, but we didn’t spot them…. But we did hear a hippo one night! We ran out to the water with our lights and searched for it…. but nowhere to be seen! I bet we looked like idiots with our lights!!! I think we’re going stay here for one more day, before we continue our trip!!! We hope to do a canoe trip down the Zambezi River all the way to Mozambique!!! Next blog coming soon, I hope!
Whoa this is weird. Weve been planning for so long, and today its finally there......departure day!!!! No more counting down .buying
things .meeting up with Casper and Maxime ( my 2 fellow travelers) to make
plans! I ve said my goodbyes
to friends and family ..Im sure gonna miss them all!!! Well not really all of them .. Hahahahaha!!!!
First stop is Lusaka (Zambia)!
Ill try to keep you up-to-date
as many times I can!!!
