Sorry for the delay on the trip report.
I managed to get a few pics. The rest i need to get off my buddy.
We had planned for 12 of us to go in 3 vehicles but at the last minute we had 3 people cancel.
This turned out to be a BIG blessing.
Reason I say that is, we were supposed to travel with:
- My 4x4 D4d
- AWD Rav4
- 4x2 Isuzu Frontier
We ended up going with the D4D and Rav4.
There is No WAY the 4x2 would have made it through those roads! Didnt get pics of it though coz i was too busy driving :)
Day1:We travelled from Durbs all along the N2 to Pongola side and entered into Swaziland. (cant remember the name of the border post)
The roads in SA were excellent and I was REALLY impressed with the border post. It was not very busy and there were people to
direct you to the correct queue and make sure that you have the correct documentation etc. They were also very friendly
Crossed over into Swaziland and the border post was just a little run-down building. (they are however constructing big new facilities)
Again the people were friendly. No1 to point you to the correct queue etc this time.
Got out the border office premises and immediately there was virtually no road. This was actually coz of the construction going on.
It however did get better.
The roads are "ok" but nowhere close to ours. We realised that we take our roads for granted!
Swaziland was irritating in that for most places the speed limit was 80. We kept to it as we wanted to avoid any probs.
The Rav4 did hit a big pothole but after a quick stop and check we were on our way again.
Leaving Swazi into Moz we stopped at the duty free and grabbed a few beverages. Ohlssons beer! wish they still sold it here
The border post didnt offer any probs. We got the insurance from the hollard guy as someone on the forum had suggested.
However, be careful for those guys hanging around who dont work there that offer to help. They want to be reimbursed.
On the way back through this border post one guy said he is an undercover border dude and wanted a bribe or he will get the
guards to search us etc. We just ignored him and went on our way.
The roads in moz were about the same as in Swaziland.
When we got to Maputo, traffic was standing still. We switched off and waited.
Was funny to see guys walking through traffic selling whiskey and brandy
We decided to put our faith into the GPS and follow an alternate route. (not so clever)
I dont know how the GPS recognised those roads coz they basically weren't roads!
It started off ok.
Ended up adding HOURS to our travel time.
As we approached the ferry point where we would load the bakkies on and go across to the 'island' the guy from the lodge called
and asked if anyone told us the ferry was not around.
I was like WTH??????
We had 2 options.
1 - leave the vehicles on this side and he would send a boat for us
2 - drive around.
I obviously chose option 2 and asked him for directions to "go around". His reply was that he couldnt give directions as that
way wasn't really a road. He would send someone across to jump in with us and direct us around.
What should have been 4km going thru the ferry ended up being 65KM going around.
Yoh that road was F#$@#d.
The road was Soo narrow that my rear-view mirrors hit the trees on both sides as i drove.
On the "road" of beach sand, just after dark the Rav got stuck on its belly. We tried digging it out to no avail.
(unfortunately we were all too high on adrenalin to think about taking pics)
Fortunately there was an opening where the Rav got stuck.
Time for the Lux to step in!
I tried pulling it out forward but that didnt work as it was an incline and all 4 wheels just spun.
I had to drive thru the trees on the side to get behind the Rav and pull it out from behind.
By now we had been travelling for around 15 hours and were exhausted.
Got to the lodge about 40 minutes later.
Well that was Day 1....
Day 2
we got to check out the place.
Found a guy selling huge river crabs and got the local restaurant to cook them up for us.
Oh wait, before that, we tried to buy bread. But there isn't any normal bread.
Bought 6 loaves from a lady standing on the road with a sack of bread. It was hard and you could use it to defend yourself.
However is tasted Great!
We did some fishing but the water was like chocolate milkshake. Only caught some sort of bream.
That night we had a braai at the estuary. On the way back i asked someone to take over and opted to walk back to the lodge.
Well then everyone else wanted in and we couldnt get a driver to take the vehicles back!
It was SOO beautiful. SO many stars! So quiet!
The vehicles didnt go far before they stopped on the middle of the road and got out some beverages.
We ended up sitting there for a few hours talking shyte (in the middle of the road).
there wasnt a single vehicle anywhere
Day 3Since the ferry was back we decided to visit Maputo and the fish market. It was 42 degrees outside!!!!
The 2 vehicles got seperate in traffic and the Rav stopped to wait for us.
On a straight road with a verge the size of another lane, they stopped under a mango tree.
2 cops with AK47s fined them saying that they were stopped on a dangerous bend and had not put their hazards on.
After paying a "fine" (R200)we were off again but ot for long. Everyone's mood was spoilt after that + with the extreme heat the
we were suffering
So we made a turn back to the lodge. This time i got stopped.
Me being the hero i am had left the vehicle papers at the lodge coz its safer. The cop then "fined" me (R100) for not having those on me.
So we just visited a local market close to us.
Also visited some beaches:
Day 4 We left for home. There was a queue about 300m long for the ferry!
Stopped at a place in Maputo called "Costa Do Sol" for lunch. Food was not too good.
We found the fish market but didnt buy anything coz it was working out to the same price as we would pay back in SA.
R100/Kg prawns!! Think prices went up coz it was holiday season.
All in all it was an EXCELLENT trip! Real bonding time with the sons and dads.
The ballies still cant stop talking about it!!
The local resident Lux: