|
http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0671.jpg
http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0679.jpg This Is Soweto Possibly the most infamous place in SAR and Joburg is Soweto, and most of the struggle against apartheid was fought in and from here. The name Soweto is an acronym, made up - in apartheid days - from the first letters of the words 'south western township'. Its history started in the 30s, when the first people were relocated in Olando township, in an attempt to remove 'black spots' from downtown Joburg. In 1976 this was the birth place of the student uprising that later spread across South Africa. The sprawling cluster of townships is today home to over 2 million detribalized and largely streetwise people - the biggest black urban settlement in Africa. Luckily the Jones are cool with that - they have actually moved from Durban to Joburg and like it here, so they were the best guides into the contemporary Soweto. So we hoped on, David, Sam, little Layla and us two, on the family 'bus', and took a long Saturday drive through Soweto. No guns, no paranoia, no expectations. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0686.jpg If one expects decrepit misery and menacing gangs, Soweto will disappoint. Homes are ranging from makeshift shacks to extravagant mansions, and a local lingo - tsotsitaal - an eclectic mix of several local languages, Afrikaans and street slang - has been developed and is used mainly by the young. We have seen far worse looking African capitals, not to mention certain East European towns. We parked in the guarded (!!!!) parking lot in front of the famous Wandie's. Inside a bus-load of tourist were enjoying the excellent buffet with live music. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0685.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0683.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0684.jpg The food was a fusion of south-african and tribal cuisine. Even ice cream and fruit for pudding. Not threatening at all. We loved the atchar, a spicy pickled carrot relish. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0680.jpg The Mandela House looked even less scary. It true that it's been rebuilt and re-opened as a world-class museum in 2009. Located at 8115 Orlando West, the first township of Soweto, where few authentic shebeens (bush bars) still exist. The house was originally built in 1945 on the corner of Vilakazi and Ngakane Streets and Nelson Mandela moved here in 1976, but spent little time living in the house in the ensuing years as his political agenda became all-consuming. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0691.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0692.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0737.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0717.jpg Born in 1918 at Mvezo, near Qunu, son of a chief councilor to the paramount chief of the Tembe, Mandela spent early childhood in the Transkei, being groomed to become a chief. Later, he become founding member of the youth League of ANC, invigorated in the 40s the present SA ruling party and became a key figure in the uprising and subsequent fight for freedom and reconciliation during his imprisonment on Robben Island and after his february 1990 release, when he returned for a brief 11 days to 8115. In 1994 Nelson Mandela became SAR's first president voted in democratic multi-racial elections, uniting both the country's racial groupings and a fragmented public service. Today the 1993 Nobel Prize winner (award shared with former SA president F. W. de Klerk, a key figure in ending apartheid) symbolizes the struggle of oppressed people around the world, and is universally considered a quintessential peacemaker & negotiator. In 'The Long Walk to Freedom' Nelson Mandela said about this house: 'It was the opposite of grand, but it was my first true home of my own and I was mightily proud. A man is not a man until he has a house of its own.' http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0700.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0701.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0702.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0707.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0713.jpg There are not one, but two shopping malls in Soweto. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0690.jpg And the scariest fact about Soweto might possibly be the bungee hung between the two graffitti-ed water towers http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0752.jpg |
Time To Go OK, we were well trotted, rested, fed and with at least one new visa sorted out. Our next task was to patch the tent, that has been leaking for months. So we bought some waterproof material from Oriental Plaza and glued it on the damaged seams. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0581.jpg Nobody was happy to say good-bye http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0582.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0783.jpg A last finger-licking lamb potje - traditional South-African hot pot slowly cooked for many hours http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0812.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0788.jpg Sunset over Joburg� We'll miss this skyline. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0805.jpg Thank You to Our South African Sponsors Almost two months in the South African cosmopolitan jungle has taken a toll on our wallets and moods. I guess we felt encouraged by Gui and we thought the corporate world would fall on its ass learning how we had arrived here with no sponsor, but it was not like that at all. Fundraising and scouting for sponsors eats into the good spirit, we even started to despise ourselves. Then, when least expected, we met some wonderful, generous, positive people. Thank you Linex Yamaha - the leading Johannesburg Yamaha dealership - for providing complimentary service for our bike. Thank you Danny, Roger, mechanic Jacques and the whole team! And thank you Yamaha South Africa for offering free genuine parts (clutch kit, brake pads, front brake discs, hub rubbers) http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0844.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0830.jpg Thank you Arai South Africa for offering complimentary service for my Tour X3 helmet and a new visor. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0820.jpg Thank you Bike Gear, Porth Elizabeth for new ROK straps and an Air Hawk for my sore arse. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0018.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_1811.jpg Also thank you: Wayne (for the waterproof HB bag), Dirt & Trail Magazine for the interview ( www.dirtandtrail.co.za), Gear Up Durban (for fitting our tyre and friendly advice), cheers to the whole motorbiking community that helped us along: Charl, Bernard, Terry & Doryanne; and thanks to our super hosts: Iulia, Carla & Charl, JJ, Eric, Bernard, Martin & Camy and the fantastic Jones. Love u all. |
Between Heaven and Earth
http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/ruta_botswana.jpg
Crossing the border into the country where we would go back to our free camping routine was a bit of a hassle. No sign of the infamously laid-back Batswana. First, the VAT office in SAR had been shut down, so to claim the beefy 60 euros we were directed back to Pretoria. Then I had to drive back and forth between the two borders to be repeatedly refused exit or entry stamp in our new temp passports. Then we learnt that Botswana - for which we luckily didn't need a visa - demanded 240 Pula to allow us driving through (1 year road tax, driving permit and insurance). Tried to talk our way out of this, in vain. Only after we were way out of the customs premises I realized that the border bureau de change had paid our fees by mistake, giving us double the amount due for the dollars I wanted to exchange. Serendipity or poetic justice, anyway it was too late and we moved on. Gas is 8,9 Pula/l. BTW, even if in the local lingo (setswana) it means 'life giving rain' (key survival parameter for this land 80% covered by the Kalahari), the name of the Botswana currency will make any Romanian giggle. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_0874.jpg Riding Botswana is like that say: flat, horizonless, boring, straight but decent tar cutting through sketchy villages lost in a largely dusty, deserted mass of land. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_0869.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_0906.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_1059.jpg Except for curious meerkats standing by the road and for the surreal natural salt pans - world's largest - that stretch for 12,000 sq km. The life auspicious conditions will prevail on Earth for less than ten percent of the planet's overall lifespan. Our habitat is narrow, excluded by the deep ocean from two thirds, yet imagine that million years ago water was even more prevalent. These pans were once part of a massive inland lake that the San people (the original inhabitants of Botswana) have seen in their time. You could wander for weeks in the Makgadikgadi without encountering another human being, let alone the swarms of safari vehicles that make some of Africa's game parks seem like vehicular feeding frenzies. In rain season herds of wildebeests, springboks and one of Africa's last great zebra migrations turn the Makgadikgadi into a movable feast for predators such as lions, cheetahs, jackals and the rare brown hyena. This harsh wasteland becomes a lush green carpet of savanna grass. Shallow lakes also form then, providing nesting grounds for Africa's second-largest gathering of pink flamingoes. The pans remain - like many other natural wonders in Africa - largely off limits for motorcyclists. In the Mopipi pan, just a fraction of the Makgadikgadi system, we could hear ourselves self think. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_0908.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_0881.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_0885.jpg Clouds of gray clay dust in this epic emptiness Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...#ixzz1w8gjlnbI http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_0895.jpg Since the 1966 independence Botswana has been enjoying a peaceful democracy, a happy accident in sub-saharan Africa. Barely 2 million people inhabit over 580,000 sq km, you bet it feels lonely. That also meant you could stop and camp at will and nobody would be appalled that we are shopping for groceries at the street side stalls and take water from pumps. This had been our last snack in South Africa: http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0862.jpg We hit the 50K on the clock as well http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0859.jpg After starting the day at 10 degrees Celsius� and barely able to venture outside our tent around 7.30 a.m. � http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_0863.jpg � we ended it one sweating copiously in the tourist hub and entry gate to the Okavango Delta, Maun. The town was too civilized for us to sleep like bums on its outskirts, so we would camp for the night at the Old Bridge Backpackers. The 'backpackers' attribute - we had learnt since Namibia - has nothing to do with actual backpacking, not in the southern-african subcontinent. It may well be the case for the entire East coast as well. It just means that camping in allowed on the premises and that sometimes accommodation in dorms is also offered, besides other sleeping arrangements. This place was laid back and friendly, but slightly run down and poorly maintained. Built a while back with less money than the very similar Ngepi in Caprivi, but just as expensive, clearly not targeting the budget travelers. As always when we slept in tourist hubs, we had a hard time falling asleep with all the partying and drinking going on at the campsite's bar. In the afternoon we had toured the airline offices at the airport to inquire about scenic flights over the delta, as the alternative to visit the Okavango by mokoro would take too long. Luckily by late evening we had met two travelers from Munich, who would made an old dream possible - so in the next morning our party of four (us two, plus Dominic and Stefan) was reporting for a ridiculously scrupulous security search in the diminutive Maun airport. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_0916.jpg Airplanes being given a hand wash http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_0925.jpg Some fun data about our aircraft: also known as the �StationAir�, the sport-utility Cessna 206 is capable of taking up to five passengers. Fuel consumption 1l kerosene/ minute; range 5 hours. During our 45' flight we traveled for 228,82 km, covering 109,707 ha with a maximum speed of 300 km/h. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_0919.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_0926.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_0932.jpg Andras, our US born pilot ( www.majorblueair.com) < link http://www.majorblueair.com/index.html > , heard that that was our maiden flight with a light aircraft and offered to entertain us with the 'adventurous' version. A frisky take off and a couple of funky maneuvers and we were hooked. The whole gang was trepidating with adrenaline. Eventually all the Gs made my head turn, so Andras suggested piloting the 4 seater would make me feel better! http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_0934.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_0928.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_1020.jpg |
http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_1014.jpg
Have I mentioned that all this awesomeness was happening a few hundred meters above the Okavango Delta, one of the Earth's most magical places? http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_0936.jpg The 16,000 sq km Okavango Delta is one of the world's few deltas that do not end into a river or the sea. First the Gumare rift changes the incline of the Okavango riverbed, thus the Delta is born. The river splits into three main channels, which later further split into dozens of others. The Thamalakane rift is where the inner delta ends, so the Okavango never reaches the ocean, partly evaporated, partly absorbed into the Kalahari. The Delta is a complex mosaic. Innumerable lagoons and water channels are cut perpendicularly by a radial network of trails (made by animals). Around them there are circular escarpments populated by water lilies and papyruses, the 'islands' of the Delta. Finally, there are the peripheral dry patches that never get fully flooded and that are mainly covered in grasses. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_0940.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_0944.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_0952.jpg We had already had a glimpse of the delta's fringes back in February, when it was in full flood. Now we were Yann Artus Bertrand wannabes, attempting to gain perspective of the ensemble. During the 45 minutes we witnessed many intimate scenes of this unique biome: elephants and giraffes making their way across marshes, some lonely bull hanging out by a stream, hippos grazing or chilling while fully submerged in the many pools, zebras scattering, a rhino family, a huge crocodile basking in the sun, herds of antelopes and flocks of birds enjoying an unspoiled paradise. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_0964.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_0946.jpg The colors of water, sky and earth, the many shades and textures of grasses, the dry patches bearing the scabs of later summer's burnt trees - simply stunning. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_0965.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_0977.jpg The Delta was not at the peak of the flood, but the changing of the season was revealing new aspects of life in this vast, complex ecosystem. As we are short for words, please enjoy some humble photos of an only a corner of the amazing place we call home. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_0955.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_0963.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_0984.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_1016.jpg This small poem appropriately describes our experience " High Flight" by John Gillespie Mage Jr. Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered winds; Sunward I've climbed and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hovering there I've chased the shouting wing along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air. Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue, I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace Where never lark, or even eagle flew - And while with silent, lifting mind I've trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space Put out my hand and touched the face of God. After such an exhilarating morning, we needed a moment to clear our heads. Our German buddies bought us a couple of iced lattes in a s****y cafe across the airport, a nice place to chat a bit with our cool pilot. As it turned out, the job is good for hours, but it doesn't pay well enough for his ambitions that should see him landing a commercial airline job somewhere in Europe. What followed was a quite appropriate monotonous drive across Botswana. We were all adrenalined out, and anyway motorbikes are probated to enter inside the arguably wonderlands of Nxai or Makgadikgadi Pans or on the Kubu island. This in turn offered the space to digest the memories of the Delta as seen from the sky. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_1022.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_1028.jpg We knew the road to Zambia would cross Chobe National park and incidentally the migration corridor of many wild animals. So we pitched camp within reasonable distance from the known cut-off, and warn the critters of our presence with a safety fire. One of those perfect spots it was. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_1039.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_1034.jpg Charged by another mesmerizing sunrise, we rolled - impatient to see lots of wildlife - into a large operation to enlarge the road, which has disrupted the migration path of the animals crossing from Zim to Chobe. But we did spot some big game though, many many miles further north, besides duikas, warthogs, elands and many species of birds. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_1054.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_1048.jpg |
http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_1046.jpg
http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_1056.jpg It's mind boggling how these giants have adapted to man's presence and ever increasing appetite for territories. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_1060.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_1073.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_1061.jpg At the border we met with a large group of super equipped South African holiday makers. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_1086.jpg Together we hoped on the 15 minutes ride across the Zambezi by a 30 Pula ferry. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_1094.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_1098.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_1114.jpg A group of mokoros zoomed before our eyes across the channel, the fishermen looking as smooth and athletic as their Durban kaiak rowers counterparts. Just that these people are not exactly doing it for fun. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/botswana/IMG_1102.jpg Back in Zambia we were jolted back to the realization that we were back in the Black Africa as well: chaotic border control and hoards of middle men trying to extort newcomers. As the police had the South-Africans by the balls, we managed to slide under their radar and make our way out of the mess without paying a dime. But faith was awaiting in Livingstone: while negotiating the exchange rate of our last 160 Pula for the local Kwachas, an opportunistic money changer seized the moment and simply grabbed my moneys. Before I could step off the bike or alert anyone he was gone. The Spar supermarket that had been under construction in February was now open for business, so we wiped off the bitterness with chicken and rice, then loaded with fresh veggies from the market we were off to Rapid 14. |
http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/ruta_zambia.jpg
In Livingstone the turquoise cabs were desperate for customers. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/...ivingstone.jpg Riding the steep track to Nsogwe, we could smell the falls, see the wave of mist now a shadow of its February might. We had butterflies in our stomachs. It felt like coming home: returning somewhere for the first time in over 10 months. There we knew people's names and every single corner. There we had a past, and we had come back to recover that link. Surprisingly, wifi is hard to find in Joburg and even more a precious commodity in Botswana, so we hadn't warned of our imminent arrival. But we found everybody in good health and received some very happy news for the end of the year. Laura's parents were ending their visit with a vow to return in a couple of years. Some things were different though: http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1133.jpg The colors had faded away into shades of rust and gold, after simmering all summer. The camp looked older, as we were as well, wiser, as we hoped to had grown. More drama was filling up the gorge, the Zambezi wider and now flooding the rocky beaches under its swarming rapids. But the roar of the river and those awesome sunsets that only happen at Rapid 14 were just as we remembered them. Unfortunately this time we would stay for three nights only, to spend time with the gang, clean and organize our stuff. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/...ia_rapid14.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1116.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1120.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1134.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1141.jpg The base was now fully operational: teams being shipped into the field, dozen of staff working around a very busy schedule. That would go on for months. The night of our arrival also the founder of Overland arrived. Phil told us that after serving in the South African military, he had traveled independently for six years throughout more than 40 countries, then worked as international instructor for Camel Trophy. In 1999 he founded Overland with his wife Sharon, committing to bring the Gospel, humanitarian care and economic opportunities to communities that remain isolated by geography. The couple had been rated one of the top 30 emerging voices in the USA for their work in developing nations. A few years ago, Pete had taken part in an Overland expedition in the Amazon. Then we went briefly to Zambia. Next year he stayed at the base for 3 months, next year for 7. In 2012 he decided to live permanently at rapid 14. 'If you need something done, I am happy to help', he offered. We could squeeze some bike work, I thought. Together we fabricated the bash plate bracket, a 2.0 version, sturdier than the original already broken twice (Lumbumbashi & Namibia). We also welded some holes in the exhaust to temper a tad its scream. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1125.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1124.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1126.jpg Way too soon, it was time to leave. Laura could not have put it any better: saying good bye twice was not going to cut it. Next time we needed to make a plan and stay. Verba volant, scripta manent: there will be this next time. As we were preparing to go, Pete was summoned in the field. It was one of the expeditions' trucks. Stuck somewhere deep in the bush in the Nyhawa chiefdom, the field team having to push-start it for days. 'It's a one day job', Pete said: 'go in, replace the part, go out'. 'You should come along', he suggested, 'spend the night in the village with the expedition, then continue to Lusaka the next day'. Brilliant, let's do it. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1150.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1155.jpg 90 kays north of Livingstone, in Zima, we went off the tarred road down to Nyhawa central. Lucky that the pastor's wife correctly suspected that we should track down our people in the Siamundele village. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1229.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/...mbia_nyawa.jpg We got to see some field action. The young US missionaries have been living in the chiefdom for a week: walking for hours to visit the huts, helping the villagers with house chores, offering counseling and spiritual guidance, organizing school activities and even a football match. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1162.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1182.jpg As we have seen across Africa, the church offers a common ground for artistic expression, personal and spiritual engagement and much more. African would always incorporate dancing, choral music and even theatrical performances (as we had seen in DRC in Mission Kalonda) in the worship. And of course there are a lot of animist beliefs still shaping every day life. In this particular cluster of villages, like in many other in the unseen and little known Zambia, there is a quite influential 'witch doctor'. People would employ this dude for protection, only to become dependent on his expensive manipulations. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1167.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1177.jpg |
http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1170.jpg
http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1192.jpg Watching the kids taking part in the activities made us think of the DRC. Zambia looked so different now than back in February. On the main road and in the towns the globalization was striking, but here, deep in the rural Zambia, not so much. Sure, Zambians are tamer and shyer than the Congolese, but they share a helluva lot of common features. It was exciting to experience simple life, even if mass consumerism is slowly taking over the country. But people suffer from lack of proper education: severe migraines caused by dehydration, diet poor in nutrients, sketchy agriculture, the same story. Overland projects focus on education and teaching: how to feed better (introduce cheap proteins like beans in children's diet), how to grow food better. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1189.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1203.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1207.jpg Tonga, the dominant ethnic group in south Zambia, have an end of day ritual: dancing by the fire with the 'shetenge' (African skirt). We had seen something similar in a Gabonese orphanage. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1215.jpg After a full day of riding, dancing and story telling by the camp fire and after having our first ever SMORE ( an American 'give me some more' camping desert: roasted marshmallow sandwiched with a piece of chocolate between two rye cookies) we were knackered. Since leaving Cape Town weather has been warming up, but days have also become shorter and shorter. It was now getting dark around 6.30 p.m. and the mornings were at times very chilly indeed. This time we woke up more frisky than usual, as Pete had come up with a new plan. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1224.jpg 10 years ago Jako left his home in South Africa behind, and Amber left the States, for a lost corner of Zambia. 6 years ago these pals of Pete founded an orphanage and a preschool, out of the government radar. To learn more about Jako's project visit Mission Of Love Community Orphanage Zambia - Home. The plan was to ride across the bushveld to visit Jako, Amber and their sons, Jacob and Jeremiah. To reach Jako all we had was a hand drawn sketch by the Nihawa pastor and our navigation skills. We knew the locals would guide us thru. It was a 70 kays task. A maze of trails. In Southern Africa we learnt that this kind of terrain is called cotton soil. A deep layer of a powdery unstable mix of dirt and sand, tricky in dry season (and we were lucky to be in that benevolent time of the year), but deadly in the wet. When it is drenched, its sticky, swampy, but solidifies like concrete between downpours. Ironically, cotton plantations doubled the cotton road. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1232.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1236.jpg That must be how the Kinshasa - Lubumbashi road would unfold in the dry. I'd do it again, 2up even. Crossing in the rainy season was slightly insane. In Zambia we found that confusing pattern of deviations and footpaths, but no anonymous heroes to work the road. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/...ia_drclike.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1234.jpg The most crucial aspects separating Zambia from the DRC are that the tonga villagers will eventual hit tar, thus a vital network of motorized food and medical supplies; many Zambian villages have beet fitted with water pumps, rendering people less vulnerable to drought. The rainy season is also more forgiving in this part of Africa, the government less corrupt, allowing some cash to flow into the infrastructure and some humanitarian projects to develop. End of rant, back to the road. Pete has some problems with the tyre pressure. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1241.jpg At Jacko's we had had some time to see the project and had lunch. 40 km of 'cotton' later, in Kalomo, we parted ways with Pete. We scrambled for a bush camp in the tall grasses, another reminder of the DRC. In the morning the tent was drenched in dew. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1249.jpg Before noon we were out of Lusaka: Bomoko oats and roasted chicken from Pick&pay - check, Motul oil from Ali Boats Yamaha - check. East Zambia had a more tropical feel and as the nights continued to become longer, they also became warmer. Crossing the rolling valley of Luangwa we could imagine that the northern and southern national parks must be beautiful. Here the parks were unfenced, bordered by GMAs (Game Management Areas), populated by both game and humans. But we were determined not to cross borders on sundays, so we a bit in a hurry to be in Mozambique the next day. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1252.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1255.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1256.jpg Sunset had been at 5.10 p.m., sunrise was scheduled for 5.56 a.m. At 5.15 a.m. the horizon was already blushing. Tent wet again, little puddles have formed where the poles reach the ground. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1271.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1268.jpg We had devised a system to warn critters we were there: poke the grass with a long stick, as there are snakes around here and last night we had some rodent foraging about. We had also capped the exhausts with the beer bottles we had for dinner. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/zambia2/IMG_1269.jpg |
Tudo Bem?
Mozambique 19-23/05/2012 http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambiq...mozambique.jpg With the exception of the Tete and Niassa provinces - where we would enter it - Mozambique lies within 300 km of its 2500 km coastline. Two thirds the size of South Africa, it lured us not only with its legendary tiger prawns that were supposed to be jumping straight into the pan along the beaches, but also with the unique blend of Latino and African cultures. Besides vernacular Bantu, some Arabic, Makonde and Swahili in the north, the official language of the world's best sailors' colony is Portuguese. Romanian is closest to Portuguese. Hence, we were very keen to practice. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1272.jpg We had our first attempt at Portuguese right at the border. Our successful conversation - as sketchy as it was - beefed up our enthusiasm for this 17th country we were visiting in Africa. In less than 30 minutes, chit chat with the lovely chaps on both sides included, we were stamped in Mozambique, no muss, no fuss. We had payed 27 Meticais - not even 1 Euro! - for the 14 days Temp Import Permit. We asked which side of the road were we supposed to drive, and off we went. Brilliant. We already loved the place. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1275.jpg Let's talk about how much fun is riding on a dirt road suffocated in a cloud of dust. How about a lot? Now, don't get us wrong. We play the game, too. Saving time and rubber, not breaking every bone in our bodies and arriving at embassies in decent shape are all good. The unpredictability of the African infrastructure though is that temporary escape from the Tar Prison we live in. We might look like a mess when we apply for our next visa and inspire a few odd stares with our frizzy hair and shredded soiled gear, but, yeah, baby, nothing beats the open - literally road. We knew well of the over-developed southern half of Mozambique, so we had planned a less traveled route: across the Zambezia province, thru Tete. The idea being to ride off road along the mighty Zambezi, then cross it - if the ferry was operational - somewhere before Caia, after which we would finally get a taste of the Mozambican tarmac. Our plan worked pretty well. Day two, 2.00 p.m. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1339.jpg Day four, 12.45 http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1683.jpg Rewinding to day one, we spent the better part of the day riding through a very poor, but quite picturesque rural region, dirt huts, most people on foot. Maybe once every two hours a shiny 4x4 would UFO through. In Tete we got some bad news: petrol was the most expensive so far in Africa, about 15 Rand/l (6,5 Ron) and the roads we wanted to take after the Moatize were now private because of coal mining. Our target for the next day, a bumpy dirt track, was behind the baobab forest. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambiq...gravelroad.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1292.jpg Dawn at 5.22 p.m., we had a bush camp with a view of Malawi. We fetched supper - potato samosas(1 Metical a pop), avocado, tomatoes, bananas and the famous Mozambican bread rolls. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1282.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1279.jpg We almost went full retard on day two. The sunrise kick started us, so by 7.30 a.m. we had an awesome off road swagger. The road has everything you could ask for. Demanding, if not a bit technical, alternating gravel, dirt, deep sand, rocky plateaus, even dry river beds and huge rocks. This must be a ***** in the wet. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1299.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1305.jpg While trying to find the best passage thru this temperamental road profile, we almost collided with a scooter taxi coming from the opposite direction. I had to stop in the high dirt bank. Right mirror broken (again!), some scratches on the fairings, new dents in the pannier, and 15 km later I noticed the right light also missing. So for the next 60 kays we cooled it down to about 40 kays per hour. Sunday, we noticed, was a regular weekday around there: women do laundry, harvest crops, fetch water from pumps or boreholes, carry fire wood, sieve maizena; men go about their business, kids play in the dirt or help with household chores. Our lunch time snack of canned tuna, avocado and bread stirred some interest from the villagers, but nobody bothered us. These people are different. Chilled, shy even. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1291.jpg At the odd junction with the rail road I got a 'boa tarde' from a cyclist. I was glad I knew how to greet him back. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1301.jpg We had been out of water for hours, when finally spotted a pump. Thanks EU! http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1312.jpg After 279 km of powder and sun we were spent. We had hit the Dona Ana Bridge, at its time the longest railway bridge in Africa, spanning for 3,67 km the Lower Zambezi. The bridge cost more than �1,400,000 in 1935 and is even today an example of engineering achievement. link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dona_Ana_Bridge sau http://mikes.railhistory.railfan.net/r150.html http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambiq...railbridge.jpg As we were waiting for the train to pass, we spotted pedestrians and cyclists coming from the bridge. Could we cross it as well, instead of searching for a ferry ahead that might be working on not, especially on a Sunday? That required some investigation. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1324.jpg The villagers helped us navigate the maze of paths leading to the bridge, where we discovered we needed to climb a 45 degrees flight of stairs in order to access the pedestrian way. With the panniers off and the strength of me plus other 4 men combined, the bike was up. I generally don't give money to people, but I figured it was the decent thing to buy them some beer. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1334.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1337.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1344.jpg Seen from up, white and purple water lilies populated islets on the Zambezi, making the river look like an immense delta. You would never suspect somewhere on this calm flow of water the untamed Victoria. Midway across, there was a couple of concrete slabs missing. The crowd cheered when we lifted the bike across the gap. That's what the end of the bridge looked like on the other side, next to a small market: http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1346.jpg |
You're on African off road if it's covered in man. Most are walking, some cycling, some even napping, completely zoned out on a bag of maize. The African road is a place of awe and companionship. We often get to see man's most ingenious attempt to carry a ****load of stuff, be greeted by passer-byes and get waived-through by policemen with a boner at the sight of our bike.
http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1350.jpg In Caia we crossed Zambezi for a second time. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambiq...caiabridge.jpg We found gas and in the next village tomatoes, avocado, bananas and a crumbly cookie of crystallized sugar, honey and ground nuts. People kept surprising us with their laid back attitude, minus the occasional snap. We had a feeling they could become a highlight for our African travels. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1379.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1394.jpg By now a habit of serious landscaping for every bush camp had been established. To pitch a tent in the 1,5 m tall grass meant we had to work for 20 minutes, using our boots for shovels and our hands to clean up the spot, while various species of bugs would feast on our sweaty bodies. That's what the campsite looked like after packing up: http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1416.jpg Morning fog http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1409.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambiq...ique_fog02.jpg Midmorning we had reached sleepy Quelimane, now only a shadow of its former glory, when it was an important port for the gold, ivory and slaves trade. David Livingstone was appointed the British Honorary Consul to Quelimane in 1858, and later started his crucial exploration from the Zambezi from here. Splendid but crumbling down colonial ghosts lie next to moldy Corbusier-era architecture. Housing complex, residential villas, public buildings, this place would deserve a future. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1420.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1423.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1427.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1428.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1433.jpg The internet was painfully slow in the only shop we could find, but while searching for a cyber cafe, we stumbled upon a Mozambican tradition: the pastelaria. If we had arrived in this country for the rumored seafood, we were to stay for the bakery. A moist desiccated coconut cookie and an aerated sponge cake with a hint of dulche de leche introduced us to local pastelarias. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1435.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1418.jpg Coconut-palm plantations stretch as far as the eye can see, but go largely unharvested along the 33-kilometre run down to the Zalala beach. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1449.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1447.jpg The fishing village was nothing like the palm fringed beaches we have heard about; we were the only non-fishermen, so finding a place to camp generated some commotion in the village. We settled on the lawn of some deserted guest house, whose owner proved to be the chief of police. The office was actually right across the sandy road, so at least we were safe. Within 10 minutes we were off to the beech to find fish and fishermen. Less than 24 hours later we were packing up after one of our most efficient pit stops. We had managed to: buy and grill seafood, make the unpardonable mistake to buy fish that was a bit off (the guardian took it), do all our laundry and shower (with a bucket and cold rainwater of course). We were back roughening it up, baby. Ana had given me a fresh haircut using the frontal Petzl as only light (which in the morning we unanimously decided it's a good tradition to start). http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1437.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1438.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1439.jpg |
http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1440.jpg
The venue for our next breakfast, back in Quelimane, turned out to be the best pastelaria in town (owned by friendly Arabs). Very good cup of coffee, but the pastries! The caramel danish, the mille feuilles with a fragrant vanilla filling, the house special almond muffin. As we sank our teeth into the crispy outside layer of the last pastry on the plate and felt the moist coconut concoction inside, oozing with flavor, we were in love. We knew the only way to put an end to that delicious delirium was to pay our bill and just go. Running away from guilty pleasures that was. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1452.jpg The Mozambican bakers also produce some of the best bread rolls and an astonishing variety of doughnuts (eaten for breakfast in a maizena congee), cookies and biscotti, prices ranging from 2 to 5 Meticais. Savoury street food is limited to samosas and hard boiled eggs, the rest are a proof of the Mozambican sweet tooth. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1467.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1468.jpg The uneventful tar to Nampula soon collapsed in the purest African spirit, swallowed by gravel and dirt, decorated with all the potholes in the whole of South Africa and Namibia combined. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambiq...mbique_tar.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1456.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1458.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1461.jpg We had no choice that night but to camp in a field of cassava. Chance to test the people of Mozambique for friendly attitude towards squatters. A villager spotted us after a few minutes, and later came back accompanied by 3 other men. They waved shyly and asked permission to approach, then we had a basic chat, just said we are sleeping there for one night, and that was it. Nobody else came, not that night, not in the morning. If these are not the most peaceful Africans we don't know who is. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambiq...savacamp01.jpg Nampula may be Mozambique's third largest city, but it felt less alive than Quelimane. Slightly run down, a handful of notable buildings, and this interesting mural. If you will be going to Maputo you'll spot plenty of these. Mural art emerged in Mozambique in the 1970s in the context of the revolutionary struggle and then the transition to a postcolonial society. The renewal of the physical urban environment and, more broadly, of the social, economic and political fabric of the entire country, spawned a national identity, even arguably a national style. The artists used Makonde mapico (mapiko) masquerade or machinamu ancestor figures, slogans and symbols of European domination to investigate the mystical power attributed to colonists and to interrogate the political future of the nation. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1475.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1487.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambiq...ue_nampula.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1486.jpg We wanted to try the local pastelarias, but what a disappointment. The only one where we could sit down and eat was this communist establishment where the pastries (even pastilla de nata) were boring and the clientele looked like the local mother ****ers' convention. Totally reminding us of our parents stories from the communist Romania, when the restaurants were empty, menus were pretentious and ample and nobody could afford them. We have see plenty of similar places across this part of Mozambique: ancient restaurants and tourist spots where a chicken dish would fare 400 Meticais, in a country where a big bread roll is 5 and a regular one is 2. So 200 of these babies would just buy you a questionable plate of stew and corn meal. Pretty damn sad. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1476.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1478.jpg The ground nut and honey cookies were smashing. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1488.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1490.jpg Fresh produce is local, just like in Morocco: pineapple, papaya, tomatoes, salad, cucumber, avocado and pumpkin can be found only in certain areas; oranges are available countrywide, as are bananas. Vendors tend to quote fair prices (except some dude who wanted to seel for LOL price of 700 a 50 Meticais machete). Moving further north we finally hit cashew nut country, wich you buy by the 150 Meticais basinet. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1503.jpg Another chameleon moved from the busy road to the safety of the bush. We love these guys! http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1494.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1498.jpg |
Ilha de Mo�ambique
Mozambique 23-24/05/2012 As the baobabs made way for the palm again, we reached the mesmerizing Ilha de Mo�ambique (pro*nounced ilea de musa�biki), the country's original island capital and World Heritage Site since 1991. This is the unpolished gem of the African east coast: grand colonial architecture stands monument to a past, from the entrance to the old dockyard to the urban residencies in the cidade de pedra (Stone Town) and the once impenetrable Fort of Sāo Sebastiāo. The name Mozambique is derived from Muss Mbiki, the Sultan of the Ilha when the Portuguese arrived there in the 15th century. The Ilha is linked to the mainland by a 3,5 km causeway. The southern end of the island is the poorer neighborhood called cidade de makuti (palm frond town). The huts are where the locals actually live and contrast sharply with the faded architecture of the rest of the former hub to the entire sea route between Portugal and the far East. The Makuti slum was built in the quarries that had provided the stone for the 400 colonial buildings; a parede social (wall) separates the two residential areas. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1515.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1505.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1516.jpg On the northern end of the Ilha, narrow streets wind between the double-storeyed coral stone buildings of the old Stone Town. This was the aristocrats' territory, an eclectic mix of Portuguese and East African architecture. Few houses have been restored, due to conflicting ownership and governmental stammer. Many are only shells, held together by roots and vines of wild fid trees. Some streetscape: http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1548.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1560.jpg The paint peels off facades in layers of it-will-never-the-same-again http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1504.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1509.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1562.jpg But life goes on http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1564.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1552.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1545.jpg When Vasco da Gama landed here in 1498, Ilha de Mo�ambique was already a well established trading port, linked to Zanzibar, Madagascar, Oman and Persia. It is the island that gave the nation of Mozambique its name, not the other way around. By the 16th century it had become a permanent Portuguese station for their ships and crews sailing to the eastern bases in Macau and Goa. Various early 20th century events (discovery of gold in the Transvaal, the Suez Canal inauguration, the rise of the port of Maputo) led to the decay of the island's economy. Population shrunk, buildings collapsed and sadly many irreplaceable carvings, shutters and furniture had been used as firewood by civil war refugees. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1534.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1547.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1551.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1518.jpg School http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1523.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1521.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1525.jpg In the small fishing harbor of Santo Antonio families gathered on the praia (beach) to sort the day's catch and chillax. Check out the traditional boats, called dhow. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambiq...que_isla02.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1542.jpg |
http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1558.jpg
Not even these Muslim fishermen were daring enough to demand being photographed, but once one would be so cheeky to ask us, a photo frenzy would ensue. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1601.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1594.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1602.jpg Look at the fabulous catch! Mollusks, sea urchin, octopus and all sort of exotic species, hunted with spears and small fishing nets. Must be sold to fancy restaurants? http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1598.jpg Chatty locals kids have captivating bright eyes http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1580.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1582.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1591.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1626.jpg Mina and some play buddies http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1643.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1627.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1528.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1532.jpg Me and my pal, Saidi http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1647.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1649.jpg We wanted to sleep on the island, and we were too shy to squat on the beach. But the dorms were too expensive, so we were looking at another night in the cassava bush. Only in the morning we would realize how risky had been our pick. Too tired and unable to navigate in the dark, we had pitched our camp right between a village road and a neighborhood path. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambiq...savacamp02.jpg A little after 5 a.m. we had already made acquaintance with Amina, Anija, Ajira and Antonio. Sweet people (even the Portuguese had called this place Terra da Boa Gente - 'Country of the Good People'). They were genuinely happy to see us, and we printed some photos for them. Ajira was quite elegant with her basket. Amina was the only one who mentioned briefly a money gift and her nephew inquired if we could employ him. That is another reminder of DRC: frequently foreigners who build the roads squat in tents and say they are 'in transit', so it makes sense that when there's word of white people sleeping nearby, villagers would gather and look for temporary jobs. That became a hassle in DRC, when it proves eagerness to work. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1668.jpg |
Hi there! I hope your trips going well! I've had a great read from page 1 today! Looking forward to your next post! I'm planning a trip to Australia at the moment.
|
Quote:
|
Mozambeech, Tsetse Flies And A Scorpion In My Pants
Mozambique 24-31/05/2012 http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambiq...mozambique.jpg African dust for breakfast? Heck to the yes! Test our Anakee tyre on some dirt? We got what we were in for. The rugged, kind of lonely road boasted fantastic scenery tho': rocky outcrops, koppies and pinnacles rising up sheer from the flat countryside. We had arrived at the southern end of the longest rift system on earth, that stretches for 6400 km, up to the Horn of Africa and Jordan. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1680.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1684.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1690.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1715.jpg Nice bridges even on these dirt roads. Old folks sitting on their palm frond benches flashed their gums as we rode by. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1693.jpg I was rocking the dirt, rocking the gravel, rocking the deep sand and the boulders. It seemed like nothing could stop me, I was Bikatron, carrying our sorry asses from village to village, stopping only to replenish our water supply in the cheer of the kids. The gear lever was my Achilles tendon, hanging loose for some time now, like an overworn pair of undies. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1720.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambiq...irttopemba.jpg It happened all of a sudden. The gear lever was kaputt. Wouldn't downshift. I rode a good 30 km stretch in the 4th, but all this involuntary bunny hopping on that trenchy terrain couldn't possibly have any favorable outcome. We stopped to do something about it in the middle of a village, knowing this would be the friendliest crowd. It's hard to stomach the fact that more than one in ten people we see in these photos will be dead in five years because of AIDS. Most children get infected while being nursed by HIV positive mothers, receiving at the same time the precious gift of life, and a death sentence. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambiq...ue_crowd02.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1697.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1701.jpg The bush was steaming. All that could be done was adjust the lever to a somewhat grippier position, which under those riding conditions would mean squat. So until we reached tarmac I kept stopping to hand-gear, then kick it off again. And again. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1728.jpg When camping, the first couple of days without showering have an i-am-one-with-nature feel to them. After the trip in the HippyLand is over, it's just an itch and bad smell affair all over. In Pemba, we desperately needed a place to shower and rest for a bit. And where were those famous Mozambique beaches anyway? The industrial town lies in the deepest natural bay in Africa and has been recently blessed/ cursed with the discovery of the world's second largest (if not the number one) gas pocket. There's offshore drilling and corporate brunching, prices are high and food is scarce. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambiq...e_pembabay.jpg After checking out the other popular backpackers, we settled for Pemba Bush Camp. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1893.jpg Rudi was born in East London, but he spent his teenage years in Mozambique, where his father had been appointed General Consul. Found a nice piece of land populated by mangroves and baobabs, in a quiet bay in Pemba and started building. A few years ago, he opened a lodge on that piece of land. Lots of freebies to keep one busy there: welcome drink (homemade baobab juice); braai, chairs & lockable chest @ campsite; shared kitchen; wifi (when generator is on, 12 a.m. - 12 p.m.), kayak, archery, nature walks with Rudi's son, and mud bath. If you can afford it, Rudi cooks great dinners and buffet brunch on sundays. We couldn't, but, for some reason, Rudi liked us, so he invited us for dinner anyway. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1901.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1896.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1905.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1913.jpg The down-to-earth, chilled staff were our kind of people, so we decided to linger for a few days. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambiq...mbasunrise.jpg |
http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1906.jpg
http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1910.jpg We started our fish hunt in the village of Paquetequete. Every species was there, rotting on ice in wooden trunks. Nothing was fresh. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambiq...embamarket.jpg It was 7.00 in the morning and the sun was already high in the sky. We took the kayak and rowed to a bay where fishermen were pulling their nets. Small-scale artizan fishing communities in Mozambique struggle to eke out a living in remote areas with depleting resources. The fishermen called us to join the group effort. It took over 2 hours and 13 people to pull that out, while two ladies were sieving the shallows for any escapee. After laying the nets, the fishermen divide in two groups that start pulling from the sides. Each person wraps around the hips a cord, that is later attached to a knot on the net cord. Unfortunately these waters have been overfished, and our work in the sun barely yielded a couple of fish. It’s a hard, mostly subsistence existence for these people. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1903.jpg After one day we had our lebanese vendor where we would buy eggs and bread, and even managed to find stalls with fresh fish on Wimbe beach. Then we spotted a boy with a basket covered in shrubs (actually selling prawns). We could finally have our feast. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1794.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1809.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1804.jpg Manica and 2M are competing for the national beer title. I am not the man to discriminate. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1812.jpg Ana didn't drink Manica, but got hooked on masanica, a wild berry she would pick from around the campsite. It tastes of wild apple, each unique flavor depending on the color, and the tree the berry fell from. Cause you don't pick these babies from the tree, but off the floor. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1816.jpg We walked among the baobabs and mangroves with Kai-Uwe and Thomas, a backpacking DJ from Vienna http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1850.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1856.jpg View from inside this 1800 years old giant http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1864.jpg Tsetse flies fed on Ana, who took one for the team, and saved my groin, as the scorpio hidden in my riding pants stung her, and not me. Note to self, never leave any gear outdoor again. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1834.jpg To make Ana feel better, Kai-Uwe took us to a sort of natural spa. The main ingredient of the mud is crab poop, rich in sulphur and minerals that exfoliate and soothe skin and hair. It was greet fun. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1783.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1787.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1792.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1793.jpg The corridor between Mozambique and Tanzania is now open, and the expensive ferry can be avoided passing the newly inaugurated Unity Bridge. Immigration & Customs are in Negomano. The morning we were set to take this route, Pemba was hit with the last rain until December. We left at noon, only to find rain on the way, so rode back another 40 km to camp in the dry. Antonio, a farmer who had moved from Nampula to raise cattle, arrived a couple of minutes later to let us know we were about to squat on his land. Wouldn't we prefer to come to his house, instead? (he offered) We would hang out and get to meet his old lady, he said. Now, who can argue with that? http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1932.jpg Our home was pitched in 10 minutes. We learnt that it had taken Antonio 2 days to build theirs. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambiq...ampantonio.jpg |
http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1916.jpg
http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1940.jpg The hut has two rooms: a kitchen and a bedroom, but Antonio wanted to keep us company, so he pulled out the bed for a night under the stars. Ana laid eggs, tea and biscuits. Francisca cooked rice and fava beans. Faseli, their shepherd, went to the village, to get their best friends, se�or Pumbolo and wife, to join us. What a great night! http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1949.jpg In the morning we had promised to swing by se�or Pumbolo's house to say bye. Our visit drew a seizable crowd, instantly catapulting Pumbolo as favourite for the next village chief elections. We spent the rest of the day riding across the stunning Forestry & Hunting Reserve that lines the Niassa National Park. The dirt road has very thick powder dust and heavy trucks had left behind many potholes after the rainy season. It was damp, and wild. We munched on whatever we had find in the last village before the reserve. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1953.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1951.jpg We spotted baboons, macaques, birds, blue-assed duiker. It was time to get some rest. There were plenty dead trees lying around. Our machete had cracked in two in Namibia months back. But MacGyver was in the house: I tossed the wood and set it on fire to give a neighborly hint to the lions. Could that be the best bushcamp ever? In our tent we closed our eyes, and enjoyed the kaleidoscopes behind the eyelids. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/mozambique/IMG_1960.jpg |
nice piccies mate, love the mud bath ones:smile[2]:
|
Cracking images, great reading, and the best thing about it is you look like you're really enjoying yourself! May the force be with you...
|
What an epic journey!! Thanks so much for posting your pictures and stories. Love it!! :038:
|
Eat. Pay. Love
Thanks!
Tanzania 31/05 - 03/06/2012 http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/ruta_tanzania.jpg Save your money. Tanzania wants your blood, sweat and tears. It wants you cash-drained and on the next plane to wherever you came from. This vast country boasts stellar safari destinations, a tropical archipelago with some of the best diving on the planet and the highest peak in Africa. We craned our imagination at Ngorongoro, explored Serengeti behind eyelids wide shut and climbed Kilimajaro in our dreams. But to enjoy all that, and afford to travel around the world, you'd better own the Internet. Now, we decided we would not be bitter about that, 'cause you know, best things in life are free. The plan was to ride some dirt, see some lake, sail some sea and have a ball while not thinking about the fact that we had arrived at the peak of wildebeest migration across the Serengeti. We exited Mozambique and crossed into Tanzania the same way we had entered, o a bridge. This time, a proper one. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_1963.jpg And encountered another cutie. I think we'll start a Chameleon Hall Of Fame http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_1991.jpg Arriving at African borders with the visa regulations for your particular nationality well researched: always a good idea. This officers were super friendly, but their border documents stated that we needed to purchase a visa. It helped a lot that I was sure we didn't, so even if it took 2 hours, we sorted out our documents money free. And there was even wifi on the premises! http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_1971.jpg Straight off the bat, we knew we had hit a foodie jackpot with new country. While in Mozambique the options were minimal, in Tanzania on the other hand, good time appeared to be all about food: selecting it, frying it, eating it, even paying for it. Swahili time meant the day had just begun, so there was indian spiced tea (chai) with milk and chapati for breakfast in this local joint. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_1973.jpg Plus our first taste of a national favorite that was to become an unavoidable, but filling staple for us. Ana hates chips, but for the next 20 days she would learn to enjoy them as Tanzanians do: chipsi mayai (omlette with chips inside). We had a feeling we would not make much use of our stove here, with all the cheap street-side bonanza. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_1993.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_1997.jpg Spicy pilau, mishkaki (kebab), sweet potato, fried cassava… http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2000.jpg Octopus, squid, curried potato dumplings… http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2008.jpg And passion fruit sold in 10 liter paint buckets for less than 2 euros (to briefly mention what is on offer in markets and with hawkers) http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_1999.jpg After sleeping in a field, next day we drove to Dar Es Salaam. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania...z_bushcamp.jpg As we found the campsites in Kitumbue to be noisy and pricey, and the city, well, a city, we camped 70 km north, in Bagamoyo. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_1991.jpg This was the place where all those 19th Century pioneers - Stanley, Grant, Burton, Speke - set off to explore the interior of the continent. For David Livingstone, it would be the start of his African journey and the last stop in life: he returned there only dead, his body carried 1500 miles by his porters from Lake Bangweulu in Zambia. Already famous for centuries, the town had been known as ‘Bwagamoyo’ ('crush the heart’), the place where thousands of slaves who had marched eastwards out of Central Africa awaited to be shipped to nearby Zanzibar, and then towards their final destination somewhere in the Gulf, across the Arabian Sea. To preserve what remains of the former German administrative centre isn’t a priority at all: most crumbling coral-brick buildings are used to dump rubbish or to empty ones bowels. Even if the architecture and details are just as interesting as in the famous Stone Town of Zanzibar island. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania..._bmoyofort.jpg At night we went out for a beer http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2406.jpg Some days one just got to live and maybe venture out of their league. Zanzibar, we knew too well, was not a destination for budget travelers. But we wanted to go there anyway, at least to meet the family of our Zanzibari friend from Lubumbashi. We needed a plan. Air travel was out of the question, so sea travel it was. In september 2011, a ferry carrying 800 passengers from Uguja (the main island in the Zanzibar archipelago) to Pemba capsized, and over 200 people died. And dhows had long been forbidden to take foreigners on board. That ought to give anybody considering a sea voyage across the Zanzibar channel some food for thought. Then we met Daudi, captain on a traditional Omani dhow, who, for 15,000 shillings (7,5 Euro, but already three times the price a local would pay) would take us to the archipelago (call him at +255713334674 to arrange your journey, minimal swahili recommended). Later we would be appalled to learn that a ferry ticket would have costed US 35 for one way. Was our decision to take a wind-powered, medieval style wooden dhow potentially dangerous? http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania...oyoharbour.jpg In some respects, it was: there were no life jackets on board, we didn’t know the captain, all we could do to was leave our Romanian mobile no. with the campsite where we had parked the motorbike. Taking our Tenere across would have been possible, but we wanted to avoid any customs entanglement in the semiautonomous Zanzibar. We figured Chams' folks would fetch us a donkey or something to ride about. While the tide was still low, we carried our stuff (including our tent) onboard. Camping is supposedly illegal on Zanzibar, but this is in Africa, nobody cares. On the beach men actioned the catch of the day and women cooked it. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2024.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2022.jpg The tanzanian version of chai-wallas sold bite-size groundnut cookies with black coffee at 50 shillings a pop. We thought about how even the poorest of the poor can, and does afford to enjoy a sweet moment. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_1998.jpg For Daudi, this trip was all about cargo. Besides the jovial 4 men crew and the two of us, there was just one more passenger squeezed on top of tomatoes, bell peppers and mattresses. We watched Daudi steering the age-old vessel. The unfurling of the sail gave us a full body buzz of excitement - we knew were embarking on one of those journeys one doesn’t easily forget. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2030.jpg Over 30 years ago my mum was determined have her New Year's bash. She was about to pop her second child, but she made it through another 3 days of fun and dance, eventually giving birth on the steps of the maternity, basically on the backseat of my grandfather's Ford Taunus. Being born in a vehicle sealed my faith. I spent my childhood near motorized machines, creeping around my grandfather (who was a mechanic), begging to be allowed to temper with the tools and steal some secrets of the trade. Rocking it on the sea though, was a whole other ball game. Halfway through, if we squinted really hard, we could see both the mainland and Zanzibar. That's about when I became so seasick, that I was 'come on, stomach, don't fail me now'. Nothing left to do but lay on top of those tomatoes and try to snooze. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2032.jpg 4 hours later we arrived in the harbor near Stone Town, where Nassur picked us up. We would stay at his sisters's place, Neyfuu. We were lucky again to spend time with local people and this time our karma had brought us to another happy home, filled with Zanzibari beauties and kids. |
Everything Is Better In Zanzibar
Zanzibar 03 - 07/06/2012 The Arab spring was bubbling and the architecture industry was tumbling into a new ice age. Meanwhile, 20 nautical miles offshore mainland Tanzania, in a tiny gulf in the Zanzibar archipelago, 36 years old Fatuma had woken up before 5 a.m. to work on her seaweed plantation. She had until noon to take advantage of the low tide, but she was in no rush. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania...r_pongwe06.jpg We had arrived 2 days ago on her beautiful, but touristy home-island. Until the 1964 Revolution, Zanzibar was ruled by a sultan, overthrown in favor of an experimental union with the (then) republic of Tanganika. That abruptly ended the Omani influence and the archipelago's heyday. Zanzibar had long been the centre of East Africa's slave, ivory and spice trade, enjoyed economic prosperity and became the birthplace of swahili culture, a unique blend of African and Arab heritage. The largely conservative Muslim society is proudly distinctive from the rest of Tanzania, and Pemba island still dominates the world's clove trade. This is a foodie paradise. For our first night out, Neyfuu took us to Forodhani (Jamituri) Gardens, for zanzibari pizza (a chapati stuffed with minced meat) and mishkaki (kebabs) http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2035.jpg Many tourists mingled abut in skimpy clothing; it was the largest concentration of whites we had seen since leaving SA http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2034.jpg For breakfast, Neyfuu and cooked Omani bread (resembles a French crepe) with clove honey from Pemba and ginger tea� http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2400.jpg Everything tastes better in Zanzibar. We did don't sample what proper restaurants - you the kind of places your order tilapia and they bring you embellishments of fruit and flower - have to offer. This is all street-side food. Locals start their day with a dose of carbs: usually Zanzibari bread (bolo), Pemba bread (like a double toasted bolo), maandazi (you may see it spelled andazi, and is a small doughnut which in Zanzibar is perfumed with whole cardamom), chapati or another variety (and there are dozens). Bread goes with spiced masala or ginger tea (chai rangi - simple, or chai maziwa - with milk). Sure, if you need to move some tons of charcoal and sugarcane with your bare hands, you might go for a hardier breakfast, like soup. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2240.jpg Top shelf: bolo. This is a typical village breakfast stall, unmarked, camouflaged behind a curtain. Hungry? See a curtain? Pull it, and there's your food, man. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2243.jpg We've got one word for you: Darajani. This is the central market in Stone Town, where all vendors, flavors and temptations collide. We walked through, taking bits of everything. As usual in African rural communities or muslim countries, hospitality is key. Vendors were happy to refill our tea cup over capacity and street-side mamas frying fish to see us returning for seconds. Something caught my eye with this one mama. 'It's tuna', she said. 'Do you eat this?' We did. Tuna is arguably an unsustainable fish, but it's so good, raw or grilled, but fried? The perfectly crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside chunk of tuna swung a magic broom in our gustative memory, clearing an instant space, where sushi used to be. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2350.jpg Octopus soup http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2352.jpg Beef liver in mango sweet and sour marinade http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2353.jpg Oversized boflo http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2359.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2361.jpg But there's more: skewered scallop, squid, mussels; beef soup; potato dumplings� Even chinese noodles rolled by the chinese, drying on outdoor platforms. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2347.jpg To refreshen the palate between bites, there is a mind boggling variety of juices: sugar cane, passion fruit & avocado, tamarind http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2358.jpg We pondered the time and effort needed to produce a 200 Tsh (10 Euro cents) glass of perfectly chilled sugarcane juice: the cane needs farming, harvesting and transporting to the juice stall; where a man would work for hours to clean it and cut it, then when the thirsty crowds gather, he will roll the cane through manually operated machine to squeeze the sweet liquid, which is mixed with crushed ice, and we haven't even started about where does that come from. Now, we are not Gargantua and Pantagruel. To make space for more of the good stuff, we took a walk around Stone Town, the pulsating heart of the island. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania..._stonetown.jpg Narrow alleys, double storied houses with diminutive spice & handcraft shops @ ground level and veiled women reminded us of the Moroccan medinas. Ana was toting the empty eco package from some fruit she had bough a few hours ago in a village, which kept instigating touts to ask if we were from the 'spice tour'. It turned out that on these 'spice tours' tourists receive the most ridiculous woven hats that resembled Ana's basket. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2389.jpg Zanzibar has around one million of predominantly Muslim inhabitants. Mosques, madrases and caravanserais blend harmoniously with churches and hindu temples into the townscape, with their simple white facades decorated with suras from the Quran and pavilions so typical of early Arab architecture. Since 2000, the capital of the small archipelago has been a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2376.jpg After looking like a miniature Djema El Fna last night, now Forodhani was quiet and sunny http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2392.jpg In the heart of Forodhani lies the jewel of the late Sultan Bargash, the 'Harun ar-Rashid' of the Busaidi family. The monumental building with elements of Victorian and Indian colonial architecture was dubbed the 'House of Wonders', because at the time it was the only house on Zanzibar that had electricity and even an elevator. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2393.jpg Imposing gates, portals and shutters are a characteristic of the old quarter of Stone Town. Decorated with symbols of status and prosperity (lotus, water lilly, the sun), wood inlays and calligraphy (Quran verses), they are indicative of the diverse of Arab, Indian and Swahili heritage, providing information about the owner of the building, his origin and even his trade. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2366.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2367.jpg |
http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2370.jpg
Even the newer doors bear an important significance, and make mandatory wedding gifts for newlyweds http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2375.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2396.jpg Gujarati style doors at the main entrance of the Ismaili jamatkhana (mosque) http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2398.jpg 'I'm ready' I said, after a while, 'let's hit the fruit stalls'. Everything seamed to be miraculously in season: passion fruit, star fruit, banana, daf (young coconut), embe (mango), parachici (avocado), pawpaw (papaya), durian, bread fruit and anything you could possibly desire. But we knew what we were looking for, something we have seen before in Asia but had yet to try. The oversized testicle of the fruit world. 'Nataka fenesi', we asked left and right, and soon enough we had found our dealer. He quietly cracked it open. “Check this out,” he almost whispered. Inside, pearly yellow clusters of perfectly ripe jackfruit. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2394.jpg Isn't it awesome to feel like a kid again, and eat something that tastes like banana custard with your hands? Sure, there will be some of that sticky stuff oozing from the center all over yourself, but dang, baby. Jackfruits, they is fine. Now, it was time to see some island. One option was the inexpensive dalla-dallas, but I had to have an engine between my legs. Nassur called a chap who would give us a Honda for 2/3 of our daily budget. 'Local price', he said. After a moment of self doubt, we shrugged and said: hey, its' okay. We could indulge in great food for under 3 euros for both per day and we would sleep al-fresco anyway. And this bike was light enough for Ana to also have a go. First, we headed to the northernmost point of the island, Nungwi. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2081.jpg Free feet, at last. We kicked off our suffocating shoes, peeled off our stinky riding socks and let a bazzilion molecules of mother earth massage and tickle our soul and our soles. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania...r_ngunwi02.jpg From Nungwi we rode south along the east coast to Matemwe, where direct weekly flights between Italy and Zanzibar had resulted in a eclectic scene: fishermen greeted us with a 'ciao, come stai?', Italian-speaking Maasai tribesmen (or people wearing a costume, who knows) stand guard by resort entrances, while local men and veiled women mended their nets. Some kids wanted to skanderbeg. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2089.jpg The more south we went, the more touristy it became. As a longtime cyclist quoted in his excellent blog, 'there are certain places, surrounded by a halo of romance, to which the inevitable disillusionment which you must experience on seeing them gives a singular spice'(Somerset Maugham). Hectares of trees had been long wiped out, there is little, if any, wildlife left in the now 'privately owned' Joziani forest and there is a hectic display of real-estate bubble waiting to pop. Unfortunately many contend to enjoy their white beaches and turquoise sea, while whole communities are being disenfranchised and dispersed to make place for more and more buildings. (A note to fellow Romanians: we recently learnt that Vama Veche beaches have became so trendy that some streches have now names!). In Jambiani, we couldn't enjoy our passion fruit snack, without constantly being offered 'cheap' accommodation, collectables and henna tattoos. Riding through coral stone settlements we found peace again. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania...jambiani01.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2119.jpg We had spotted an empty compound where we could camp, but then we found an empty resort near Uroa, where they would allow us to pitch the tent and indulge in decent wifi. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2093.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania...esortnight.jpg We slept well, the roar of the waves splattering the reef carried ashore by the south east monsoon wind. In the morning, the dhows floated enigmatic on the rising tide. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2132.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2134.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2232.jpg Halfway between the southern and northern tip of Uguja island, the surf retreats every six hours many kilometers away. Great for beach riding. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania...r_pongwe01.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2253.jpg At low tide, the wet mass of sand stretches naked. Small pools of water were busy with sea urchins and starfish. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2284.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2343.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2282.jpg |
This guy had a psychedelic glow
http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2344.jpg It is the ideal environment for aquaculture of red algae ( Euchema spinosum and E. cottoni), used in the food & cosmetic industry. Seaweed farming is exceptional, because it is an environmentally responsible trade and because women famers can earn up to three times than what men earn in commercial fishing. In the village of Pongwe, a handful of locals had come out to work. Fatuma was among them, and soon enough she invited Ana to give a hand. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2306.jpg For a while, Ana fantasized about staying in this corner of paradise and work on the plantations for a few months. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2308.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2335.jpg Once harvested, the seaweed is sundried. The government has provided women with access to coastal waters, ownership of seaweed plots and negotiated on behalf of farmers a fairer harvest price with export-import companies. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2257.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania...r_pongwe02.jpg An interesting fact is that algae could be an environmentally friendly source of bio-fuel, one that, unlike alternatives, does not compete for arable land. But transition to a bio-fuel revolution could be far from happening, because of the recent emergence of women as primary bread-winners in the conservative Zanzibari society. And maybe it would be better to stay this way, because venturing into the global market always has its negative perks. Anyway, after spending a few days in Zanzibar, it was time to go. Say good bye to the surreal seaweed fields and the romantic dhows. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania...r_pongwe03.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2297.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2299.jpg Tenga, a woven fishing basket http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2270.jpg We left Zanzibar with mixed feelings. We guess it could still be viewed as a relatively unspoiled paradise, but the tourism industry is striving to change that. Ordinary people born on Zanzibar or Pemba hardly reap any benefits and remain largely uneducated and poor, and younger generation is favoring a return to autonomy of the archipelago. But the culture, landscape, food and especially people of Zanzibar made us fall in love with this place, dreaming to ever return, and maybe stay. |
Natron Schmatron
Tanzania 08 - 10/06/2012 We had returned to pick up our motorbike to the crumbling old customs in Bagamoyo http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania..._bmoyofort.jpg Our mood - even if we were returning from the stunning Zanzibar - was crumbling as well. To top the list of gear that has been slowly decaying to bits (tent, mattresses, clothing etc), in Bagamoyo we had new wounds to lick. Our MacBook and 24 mm Canon lens had been damaged, after an unfortunate incident that involved a concrete slab. Camera appears to be ok. We duct taped the lens, but there even hand held it will focus one out of maybe fifteen attempts. A small disaster we have yet to come to terms with, now that vagabonding has tempered with our attachment to material things. But these things were tough to get. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2065.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2059.jpg Blogging, documenting and taking photos have been all integral to our journey across Africa. If we are to continue doing so, we must find a replacement laptop and lens. Besides shopping for sponsors (so hard to come by), we never planned that other people somehow fund our travels. We left thinking that we'd find temporary jobs while traveling or scramble. But after 1 year on the road things are getting a bit desperate. We are now looking for the cheapest way to replace these two essential tools. Maybe you know retailers or dealers who might be interested in offering a hefty discount or even sponsorship to us? Maybe you�ve enjoyed reading this blog and even if you've been saving all year for summer holiday you might still consider contributing, if you can, something towards covering the cost of the broken bits. � If so, please get in touch, any information/support is very, very much appreciated indeed. It is also why for a while there will be less photos in this report and why you can now see the dreaded paypal 'donate' following link. Hopefully you will not see it for long, but if you decide to click it, your support will not remain unrewarded. We have selected 5 photos representing 5 special moments in our round Africa trip. For any donation of min. 20 Euro, we will post from Bucharest the photo of your choice, printed on B5 format and signed. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/selection.jpg Africa never forgives a mistake, but we were still in the game. One of the reasons we went west, on the border of Kenya and Tanzania, was to see a soda lake with water nearly as basic as ammonia, that breeds 2.5 million of endangered Lesser Flamingos: Lake Natron. This salty red hell of algae and cyanobacteria is one of Rift Valley�s most environmentally extreme spots. Natron is close to the more famous Ngorongoro crater, which could provide us with the opportunity to ride along another amazing place. It took us a day and a half to arrive there, actually in Moshi, after sleeping a night in a sisal plantation. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania...bushcamp02.jpg Sisal farming is experiencing a revival in Tanzania, once world's largest grower, now a distant, albeit promising second after Brazil. In the late 19th century, in what was then Tanganyika, seeds were smuggled from the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. Today over 2 million Tanzanian smallholders are growing sisal, but in the meantime even the economic significance of the plant has changed. Traditionally used to make ropes and twines, the sisal lint is now used to reinforce plastics in car interiors, in roofing materials, piping, and fiberboard. The low grade fibre is even employed in the paper recycling process. Sisal is a promising source for biofuel. Not to mention that the plantations make a nice background for camping. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania...z_aloecamp.jpg Road to Arusha http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania...arusharoad.jpg At 5895 m, Kilimanjaro, Africa�s highest mountain and arguably its most iconic landmark was right in front of us. An impressive sight. At least it would have been if it wasn�t completely hidden behind the thick dark cloudscapes. We took some dirt tracks among lush coffee fields, hoping to find a spot where, if we squinted really well, we could see a shadow in the fog. There's your Mt. Kilimanjaro, better luck next time. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2485.jpg This guy confirmed that what we could not see was indeed the famous mountain http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2484.jpg Mount Meru was a bit more visible. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2490.jpg And later these long extinct volcanos were a nice backdrop for our freedom http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania...bushcamp03.jpg To reach Natron, you need join the good tar leading into the crater. These few miles of 5 star road are populated by innumerable safari jeeps, that stop here and there, so that the tourists can step out and snap Maasai tribesmen and women. If until recent times the nomadic people of Tanzania and Kenya have been discouraged to modernize their way of life, things are now changing. On the way to Ngorongoro one can see dozens if not hundreds of Maasai (or are they?) lining the road, masquerading the traditional attire, waiting or even begging to be photographed for money. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania...rongorotar.jpg Then we turned right. There's always something therapeutic about leaving the long straight lines of tarmac and zig zagging among mountains and valleys, helmet flooded in sweat, until you and your bike can finally breathe again. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2529.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2532.jpg It was scalding hot, kooky cacti forests sprayed across the vast expanse of mattress-puncturing acacia where few Maasai compounds scattered. These are called Boma, and are inhabited by man and domestic cattle alike. A hut takes 3 days to build: a timber framework is fixed directly into the ground, then a web of branches is interwoven with it, and finally plastered with a mix of mud, sticks, grass, cow dung and urine, and ash. The traditional Massai society is patriarchal and polygamist, centered around cattle, the primary source of food. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania...ngorongoro.jpg The occasional Maasai stared vacantly at us as we stopped to contemplate asking permission to take a photo. They were wrapped up in Sh�k�s (traditional red and purple plaid blankets) and wore bike tyre flip flops. The Maasai believe that a camera can steal their soul, but since mass tourism has conquered this land, things changed. We already are too shy to shove the amera in someone's face, most times we prefer to spend some time with the people, interact, introduce ourselves etc. Now there was also the photo-for-money paradigm to negotiate. Nuyara gave us a minute. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2563.jpg The site of world's largest volcanic caldera stirred our souls. Somewhere beyond it we could guess the Great Open Place of Africa, Serengeti. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania/IMG_2537.jpg We stopped at the edge of this horizonless, dramatic natural arena and gaze not at one, not two, but at three volcanos http://intotheworld.eu/blog/tanzania...orongoro02.jpg We had researched our destination: some travelers had reported Natron to be infested with hasslers, blocked by illegal toll gates. People had been forced to pay hundreds of dollars at gunpoint, escorted from their bushcamp etc. We hoped those reports had been accidental. In Arusha we confirmed with the police and several travel agents that Natron is not a national park, that there should be no fees (except for a 1 Euro community fee in the village), no problems. Then, we arrived at a barrier. Someone had painted '15 USD' at the bottom of a wood board, obviously after it'd been mounted. That was the first 'toll gate', so the reports were accurate. We argued in vain, and soon the first dude with AK47 showed up. They told us that there was a second 'toll gate', where we should pay 10 USD. So 50 dollars to see the lake. As we were turning back, a bus crammed with locals arrived in front of the barrier, and suddenly a white arm sprung out waving and someone shouted 'great country!'. Almost instantly the barrier was lowered and more vigilantes and AK47 appeared. The unfortunate man who couldn't contain his enthusiasm and had to salute us, proved to be a tourist accompanied by a Tanzanian lady. He had a letter from some NGO, that should exempt him from paying the 'fees'. If he had kept his mouth shut, the bus would have passed through. Everybody started to shout and argue, and it became clear that we will not be allowed thru. It was time to concede that Natron was not meant to happen this time. Retracing our tracks back to the main road, we still felt good, tripping on hot baked-in chemicals, released off the ground. Nothing in the tranquil and warm landscape that sheltered our last night in Tanzania let us suspect that we were about to pay for all the good times we had had. |
| All times are GMT +1. The time now is 04:35. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2019, vBulletin Solutions Inc.