Journey

The mechanics just finished fixing the last bits on the landy. We picked it up, raced home and packed it to above the roof with groceries, surf boards, and various other bits of necessary paraphernalia. We fuelled up, and left in a roaring hurry (50km/hour!) to try and make the Kosi Bay border in time (before 5 pm), hoping all the way that we won’t break down.

We eventually reach Kosi Bay… At ten minutes past five. Turn round, hunt for accommodation. We stayed the night at a tented camp sans electricity, all ready to get to Kosi Bay border at opening time (8am).

All went well, we got through the border and started the long journey across sand roads, where we had no idea of direction other than following the following words of instruction: “keep sight of the power lines”. After a couple of wrong turns, we bumped into a local vehicle stacked three stories high, complete with bicycles swaying on the top, and followed it, staying well back in fear of falling items.

About half way through, we finally hit a gravel road, nice…. Until eventually it became so badly corrugated we had to travel the last 60 kms at 20km per hour!!! Finally reached Catembe, and the ferry crossing to Maputo. After a brief interlude of a R300 traffic fine, we were allocated a tiny (about VW Beetle-sized) space to reverse the landy (huge and no power steering) into, on a crowded, swaying, rusted boat. We finally made it, and climbed out much to our relief, onto the top deck to watch the crossing.

15 minutes later, CRASH. Maputo. From Maputo, 390 Kms to Zavora, 80 Kms of supreme potholes, huge lorries without brakes tearing behind us and shoving us off the road, finally, at midnight, we reached Zavora, still all alive, Landy still in one piece, Bali Dog most excited out of all of us.