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THE ROUTE
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The hard way north through Mozambique
Sunrise at Inhassoro
Not much to report about these long days going up Mozambique. The 1,600 miles (2,500 km) coastline takes a lot of time and endurance to go through. Basically, I have been following the coast along the main road, and every night, I get to the beach where there are campgrounds.
Passing the Tropic of Capricorn line.
The landscape sometimes reminds me of Nicaragua, with its always present palm trees. The roads are getting harder the deeper in the country I enter. After stopping in Xai-Xai, I spend one night in Zavora, then two nights in Tofo. 280-miles later (450 km), I am in Inhassoro, after a difficult day.
Roads are so bad people rather drive on the side of it.
After a 100-km stretch of very bad road with huge potholes and seeing a lot of people on the side with diverse problems, I myself stop to check if the truck is still in one piece. Sure enough, I have a puncture on the front right tire.
Fixing a tire.
That would not be a big deal usually, and after plugging the hole, I am getting ready to continue my drive. But the badly shook car now has another problem. For some reason, the alarm system got damaged. With the siren blasting and the truck refusing to start, I have no choice but unplug the battery and un-mount the dashboard to hot-wire the truck. It takes me an hour and an half to find a fix to the problem, after which I am on my way.
Every night, I reach the beach via dirt roads to find a campsite.
I make it to Inhassoro around 5 p.m. and un-mount again the dashboard to fix properly the system, which takes me two more hours. Exhausted, and after a shower I am lucky enough to find a very nice restaurant in the dilapidated resort where I camp
The tourism infrastructure has hard time getting back to normal after what the country went through.
There, I am happy to have grilled fish and well-deserved Heinekens, listening to the sound of the waves crashing on the beach. It definitely gives you a good feeling when the day was full of problem and you were able to overcome them and put some miles behind.
Sunrise on the Indian Ocean.
I wake up early the following day, knowing I have again a very long stretch to come. I get a full tank of gas in the beach town as by now it became extremely difficult to know what will be the next fuel stops.
Not much details on the type of fuel you fill up with.
There are no other choices in stations than one type of petrol and diesel, and no one knows what the octane of the petrol. Station attendants operate pumps with generators, as electricity is not available, or can’t be depended on.
The landscape becomes greener, and palm trees less dense as I progress toward the north.
The same night, I reach the Gorongosa National Park. I was very curious about this stop. Before the war, it was known as one of the best parks in Africa. The wildlife was decimated in the fighting and it will take a while for the park to recover its former glory. I was looking forward to see a park that would be less touristy than Kruger, even if it meant fewer animals. Unfortunately, as I get there, I learn that there has been too much rain, and the government closed the roads of the park… Just my luck after such a long drive.
Rio Pungue
Rain already prevented me to visit the Machu Picchu, got in my way on the Bolivian salt pan, and now I can’t see my friends the monkeys because of it.
Regardless, I can use the campground there, so I am just happy to crash for the night. Today, I am still there, as I have to take care of such prosaic tasks as laundry. I am also recovering from a bad blister on the neck caused by the blazing sun, and some insect bites in a place that makes it hard for me to walk. The following days will be even harder, as I am just half done with the country, and still have the north part ahead of me, the harder one to cross. Up there, there will be long days of driving, and less accommodations and fuel stop to be found. I am afraid also of the internet availability, so don’t be worry if there are no postings for longer than usual. Wish me good luck.
32 Responses to “The hard way north through Mozambique”
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Good luck Nicolas! I’ll keep my fingers crossed that your sun burn/bug bites heal quickly. Hope the next leg of your drive is smoother and you get to see some more monkeys 🙂
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I found the blog of your journey before you started and have been watching ever since. I am fascinated by it and enjoy it very much. Good luck to you on this next part of your journey. Stay safe.
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i wish you goog luck too! 🙂
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Having read your entries, it makes me believe that one needs to be incredibly ‘car savvy’ (i.e., knowing how to address car trouble) in order to partake such a journey 🙂
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Keep plugging along Nicolas! Hope your “owies” heal and travel gets better! You sure had some beautiful photos!
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Good luck Nick on the next leg of your journey. Be safe and godspeed.
Judy
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Good Luck Nick! I’ve been following you since you left New York, although this is the first time I have posted a comment for you. I enjoy reading about your adventures and how you overcome obsticals put in your path (this speaks the most about your ability to persevere and your character). I am a pretty adventureous person myself and would love to do what you are doing if I had the time. As you have mentioned before, you are at a great point in your life when you can allow yourself this amazing adventure. Truth is I am a little jealous!!! : ) I am heading off to Turkey myelf later this week. Too bad we won’t be in that same region at the same time. My husband is Turkish so we are off on a two week holiday. Speaking of which, when you get to Turkey (especially East Turkey), like many other places you have visited, be prepared to pay bribes. When you are back in the US, I hope you will be putting together speaking engagements to talk about your trip. I can guarantee I will be on of those sitting in the audience. I wish you safe travels and godspeed.
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Lesley May 16th, 2010 at 4:19 pm
Safe travels!
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Dr. JoyMaria May 16th, 2010 at 5:49 pm
Hello Nick. Your blog pictures and posts keep us going too, but thanks for the reminder that your internet availability could be hampered for a bit. Like your follower Ruth, I also hope that you soon overcome the discomfort of the bug bites. Thanks for the posts. Our prayers and best to you, Joy and Paul.
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Our Swim with Wild Dolphins in Mozambique packages can be added on to a South Africa tour. Fuel Pumps
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Juliette May 16th, 2010 at 11:45 pm
I see your pictures and read your blog, and they do not match.
There’s such beauty in front of you and the bumps in the road are distracting you from what surrounds you.
Thank you for sharing the journey, even the details about hot wiring your car… Much luck on the difficult roads ahead of you… even if there is rain, there will be magnificent things for you to see along the way.
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Hey, I merely wanted to start by nevertheless the contribution right here is simply amazing. I believe everyone does an excellent job here and i would like to make that known. Perhaps you have contemplated blogging for money?
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Hi Nick. I have read your blog since day one when you were in New York. I wish you safe travel and good luck. From Mike in Sacramento, California
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Wan_VA May 17th, 2010 at 9:14 am
Hi Nick, I found the article about you on the local newspaper and I’ve been followed along your journey since. It’s incredible and I enjoyed reading your blog very much!!! Please keep going, you’re owsome!!!
Pls travel safe and I’m waiting for more picture and story!
Wan
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Linda Rhoades May 17th, 2010 at 9:42 am
Good Luck and stay safe Nick. I always look forward to your next blog. I especially enjoy the pics.
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Good luck with this next leg of your journey. The pictures are amazing. Stay safe.
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Amazing, Nick. Keep going, inshallah — this part of the world and it’s monkeys needs you and your photos (and your soap dishes). Stay safe!
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Marlon Trivino May 17th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
Make sure to treat your blisters. I am not a doctor but I was reading up on them. I got this info from eHow.com. It’s the following below.
Tips/Warnings
1) If your sunburn causes blisters, it means that it was relatively severe. Consult a dermatologist to make sure the damage wasn’t too severe and avoid prolonged sun exposure in the future or take measures to keep from getting burned so seriously.2) If the sunburn blisters seem severe or involve a great deal of pain, seek medical attention.
The following below are the steps to treat sunburn blisters
1) Leave the blisters intact. Do not lance or pierce the blisters or scratch them off. Instead, leave them intact to rupture and open on their own.2) Apply medicated first aid spray frequently. Apply a spray such as Solarcaine or one of its competitors, to the sunburn blisters at least twice a day. This will help treat the pain and itching that accompany such blisters, while also sanitizing the area.
3) Apply antibacterial ointment to the blisters once they begin to rupture and display the new skin beneath. This will help keep infection from developing.
4) Wash the area daily and dry it with clean towels
5) Treat any pain with over-the-counter painkillers such as ibuprofen, naproxen sodium or acetaminophen.
6) Avoid the urge to scratch the affected area. Doing so may cause an infection to develop
Hope you have a first aid kit in your Landcruiser. Those painkillers might get you drowsy so don’t take ’em when driving. Get some sunblock cause it won’t get any cooler while you’re going north.
Good Luck and God bless.
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Mr. Nomad May 17th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
Good Luck Nick!
Take it easy, there is no reason to haul ass and become careless with the road.
Be a confident calm.
God Bless.Dan
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Gerry Dallas Texas May 17th, 2010 at 2:55 pm
Hello Nick! I have been enjoying your journey day by day! A dream for many of us! Our thoughts are with you, enjoy it every minute of it the good and the no so good, just keep going, the world is ahead of you, and we wish you the best of luck! Thanks for the posting of all those wonderful views, people, flora and fauna! Thanks for giving us a vivid image of our world as we live today! Go Get The World and continue sharing it with us!
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abe salinas May 17th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
Nick, the adventures get better and better as you continue your travels.
I have been following your blog since before you left New York and I wish I was in your shoes. Remember we are all following your trip through your eyes and words.
Be safe……..
abe
laredo, texas -
Marlene May 17th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Hi Nick,
Just wanted to wish you all the best in your travels. This is my first post, but I have been enjoying your blogs for a few months now. Thanks for all the updates and photos, and I look forward to many more!
Keep safe! -
Good luck on your travels to the northern parts of Africa!
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Hi Nick! I’m awed with your courage and will to accomplish your expedition. Hope you can drop by Singapore.
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Mate
We will be tackling the north of Mozambique in a couple of months (we set out from Cape Town next week) so will be eagerly following along. We are hoping to get to Niassa Reserve etc, then cross the river into Tanzania. I’m hopeful some info on that might pop up here…
Anyway, if you want to get in touch or check out our plans you can find us at http://www.findingemo.org
Cheers
Steve -
This section of the blog has added suspense to the mix…..can’t wait to hear about you moving forward safe and sound.
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Hey Nico,
Looking at your route, I noticed that you will be avoiding the Nepal area. I would want to go through Shangri-la just for the history and how it relates to your travels. Something to think about.
Also, I wanted to mention that I run a Security Surviellance company out of Kentucky that specializes in monitoring loacations throughout the world. eagleeye.viviti.com If you have a laptop with a cam I could capture the images live and broadcast them off of my website, just another thought.
And how do I get a picture on my profile???Safe travels,
Manolo-Corvette City
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Thanks for the blog loaded with so many information. Stopping by your blog helped me to get what I was looking for.| bed frames cheap
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Dr. JoyMaria May 19th, 2010 at 6:19 pm
On the watch.. Stay safe, have fun and enjoy!
JoyMaria and Paul
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hi it is my first comment on this blog and firstly I would like to thank for the great quality information, which I were able to find in this and all previous topics , it really helped me very much. I will definitely add this blog on my google reader 🙂 Also, I would like to ask – don’t you mind if I will quate some information from your website because I am writing articles for the Bukisa, Ezine and other articles directories (this is my part time job)? It would really help me with some of mine articles. Of course, I will mention your blog title or URL (not all articles directories allows URL’s , so I can’t 100% promise that you will get a direct backlink to your website).
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Karey Gene May 27th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
Good to see ya posting again. sorry about the bug bites -sure they are healed by now.
