After a 31hour bus ride...
27 februari 2017 - Nampula, Mozambique
I survived a cyclone and a 31 hour bus ride. I honestly don't know witch one was tougher...
In Vilankulos I did a beautiful snorkling trip. And had lovely days! Got my phone fixed for a second time. And with a German girl I went to a tailor and got a small dance lesson on the street.
After that beautiful day i decided to go to the north of the country, Nampula. Just a long bus ride...
Without knowing any times, schedules or anything we went to the road where the buses stop. At 10.20 we arrived and we we're very lucky to catch a bus within an hour. Straight to Nampula. It was quite a bus ride!
After one hour we had a "toilet" break. The guys in front of the bus and female behind the bus. With my white ass turned to the bus. Luckely enough there were no cars coming. When entering a bus a guy passed by and showed me his selfie he made, he made sure I was on the selfie too, or at least my back was on it... I preffered a proper selfie though. Just glad he at least waited in front of the bus and didn't took a selfie while i was peeing!!
The lady next to me could talk good English so I had a nice conversations troughout the bus ride. She was just a little bit bigger, so I had to give up on some space. But only for 31 hours.
The middle of Mozambique is a part where there is was some political tension. The roads aren't good at all in Mozambique, but this part.... wow! The bus prefered to ride trough the bushes next to the road instead of on the road. People who are walking next to the road just have to jump a bit furter into the bushes when a bus/car is passing by. The amount of potholes was incredible!! Just impossible!! All cars and busses seemed to be dancing on the road from left to right to avoid the potholes. And still you coudn't avoid them all so some rough bumps along the way.
From 11.00 until 23.00 in the bus, sometimes a break of maximum 10 minutes. All done by one driver. At 23.00 the bus pulled over and we had a 4 hour break, so the driver could sleep. I don't understand how these people got any sleep. People were talking, using flash lights and going in and out of the bus. So I got of the bus as well and I heared some music. I followed the music and there was a bar, it was sathurday so people go out and have some fun.
The local guys were drinking a lot and dancing a bit. When I entered I inmediatly was surrounded with 17/18 year old drunk boys trying to hold a conversation. I became someone's sister I guess (never we excanged our namea). When walking back to the bus I was glad one guy from the bus gave me an escort. Since some guys wanted to walk me to the bus (400meter pitch dark). And didn't (want to) understand that i preffered to walk alone.
This guy and I had a long conversation me in my best Spanish and little Portugese I picked up and he in his slowest Portugese. One girl walked by, a prostitute. Prostitutes there cost 100 meticais (€1,20) for 30 minutes, without condom if you prefer. A couple hours earlier I bought cashews for 100 meticais. That's apperently the same value in this country. That's insane!! And so, so sad!
We discussed a bit more and he was amazed to hear the Dutch rules and regulations of prostitusion.
He turned the conversation to Marihuana... and he didn't know how we deal with that in the Netherlands either.
Somewhere during the conversation more guys joined and untill 2.00 we were standing outside. The last hour of the break I closed my eyes, don't think I was sleeping for a second. Bus most importantly the driver had his sleep (he was snoring a bit)
At 3.30 we went further. Watching the driver manouver around the potholes was more exciting then many movies I've seen. Wow we really didn't go much faster then 15km/ for more then 2 hours. But at least we were going somewhere. To realize the people living in this erea is crazy. Depending on this road... In any emergency you can't rely on anything, then you're just lost. Only two months ago you could only go trough this erea with a milatary escort since there are political tensions. And walking trough the bushes is not recommended since every now and then they find a landmine.
At 8.00 we had a 20 minute break for breakfast people we're having fried food. Chicken and chips for breakfast, awesome. Supplemented with a coffee, what more do you want? ;-)
We were supposed to arrive after lunch, around 14.00. But time is a flexibel thing around here, so we arrived at 18.00 in Nampula. It was crazy and intense bus ride! But I was so glad to have done this! The views were amazing!! And never have I seen so many music video clips in 2 days, I'm all updated on the Mozambiquan music now, and practicing the dance moves. ;-)
Now 2 night in Nampula and then 3 nights on Mozambique Island. That is supposed to be beautiful!
All other travels will be a bit less long I hope!
Ciao! Sabine
In Vilankulos I did a beautiful snorkling trip. And had lovely days! Got my phone fixed for a second time. And with a German girl I went to a tailor and got a small dance lesson on the street.
After that beautiful day i decided to go to the north of the country, Nampula. Just a long bus ride...
Without knowing any times, schedules or anything we went to the road where the buses stop. At 10.20 we arrived and we we're very lucky to catch a bus within an hour. Straight to Nampula. It was quite a bus ride!
After one hour we had a "toilet" break. The guys in front of the bus and female behind the bus. With my white ass turned to the bus. Luckely enough there were no cars coming. When entering a bus a guy passed by and showed me his selfie he made, he made sure I was on the selfie too, or at least my back was on it... I preffered a proper selfie though. Just glad he at least waited in front of the bus and didn't took a selfie while i was peeing!!
The lady next to me could talk good English so I had a nice conversations troughout the bus ride. She was just a little bit bigger, so I had to give up on some space. But only for 31 hours.
The middle of Mozambique is a part where there is was some political tension. The roads aren't good at all in Mozambique, but this part.... wow! The bus prefered to ride trough the bushes next to the road instead of on the road. People who are walking next to the road just have to jump a bit furter into the bushes when a bus/car is passing by. The amount of potholes was incredible!! Just impossible!! All cars and busses seemed to be dancing on the road from left to right to avoid the potholes. And still you coudn't avoid them all so some rough bumps along the way.
From 11.00 until 23.00 in the bus, sometimes a break of maximum 10 minutes. All done by one driver. At 23.00 the bus pulled over and we had a 4 hour break, so the driver could sleep. I don't understand how these people got any sleep. People were talking, using flash lights and going in and out of the bus. So I got of the bus as well and I heared some music. I followed the music and there was a bar, it was sathurday so people go out and have some fun.
The local guys were drinking a lot and dancing a bit. When I entered I inmediatly was surrounded with 17/18 year old drunk boys trying to hold a conversation. I became someone's sister I guess (never we excanged our namea). When walking back to the bus I was glad one guy from the bus gave me an escort. Since some guys wanted to walk me to the bus (400meter pitch dark). And didn't (want to) understand that i preffered to walk alone.
This guy and I had a long conversation me in my best Spanish and little Portugese I picked up and he in his slowest Portugese. One girl walked by, a prostitute. Prostitutes there cost 100 meticais (€1,20) for 30 minutes, without condom if you prefer. A couple hours earlier I bought cashews for 100 meticais. That's apperently the same value in this country. That's insane!! And so, so sad!
We discussed a bit more and he was amazed to hear the Dutch rules and regulations of prostitusion.
He turned the conversation to Marihuana... and he didn't know how we deal with that in the Netherlands either.
Somewhere during the conversation more guys joined and untill 2.00 we were standing outside. The last hour of the break I closed my eyes, don't think I was sleeping for a second. Bus most importantly the driver had his sleep (he was snoring a bit)
At 3.30 we went further. Watching the driver manouver around the potholes was more exciting then many movies I've seen. Wow we really didn't go much faster then 15km/ for more then 2 hours. But at least we were going somewhere. To realize the people living in this erea is crazy. Depending on this road... In any emergency you can't rely on anything, then you're just lost. Only two months ago you could only go trough this erea with a milatary escort since there are political tensions. And walking trough the bushes is not recommended since every now and then they find a landmine.
At 8.00 we had a 20 minute break for breakfast people we're having fried food. Chicken and chips for breakfast, awesome. Supplemented with a coffee, what more do you want? ;-)
We were supposed to arrive after lunch, around 14.00. But time is a flexibel thing around here, so we arrived at 18.00 in Nampula. It was crazy and intense bus ride! But I was so glad to have done this! The views were amazing!! And never have I seen so many music video clips in 2 days, I'm all updated on the Mozambiquan music now, and practicing the dance moves. ;-)
Now 2 night in Nampula and then 3 nights on Mozambique Island. That is supposed to be beautiful!
All other travels will be a bit less long I hope!
Ciao! Sabine
Ik vind het heerlijk om zo een beetje met je op reis te zijn.
Hier gaat nog steeds alles goed. Vrijdt de 20 wkn echo.
Geniet van alles, liefs van ons allemaal
Ben benieuwd naar je volgende verslag. Ik mis een beetje de fot's, of kijk ik niet goed op je pagina.
Veel plezier en blijf scherp en safe!
Geniet nu lekker van je wel verdiende rust