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A pleasant two-week cycle through Southern Mozambique taking in Maputo, Praia do Bilene and the long straight road to the Zimbabwe border.
Namaacha (Eswatini border) – Maputo – Marracuene … Playa di Bilene – Chokwe – Macia – Mabalane – Chicualacuala (Zimbabwe border)
576km cycled
27th Dec 2022 – 13th Jan 2023
Visa requirements for Mozambique
We were hanging out for a beach holiday, and with 2,500km of coastline Mozambique would certainly deliver. A google search confirmed that we would just need a valid passport and 50USD for a visa on arrival, as everything had been simplified in September 2022 to encourage more tourism. Well, this information hadn’t trickled down to the Namaacha border post, and the border officials flicked frantically through our passports puzzled as to why we didn’t have visas!
That’s when the fun started. OK we need a copy of your passport and printed proof of accommodation in Mozambique. Of course, we didn’t have either. After a lot of sighing, the exasperated border official went off to do the photocopying and sent a colleague to the first hotel across the border to get a booking slip for us! With both boxes ticked, we thought we were sorted and handed over our 100 USD in 20 dollar bills.
Oh! But we only accept 50 US dollar bills and no bill older than 2017. Great! But we will accept South African Rand or local currency. That didn’t help. But being as resourceful as he was, the official got permission for Darina to cycle 3km to the first ATM across the border to withdraw 100 dollars in local currency. Off she went and withdrew the largest amount possible: 5,000 Meticals, not yet au fait with the currency conversion.
On her return, Kurt could have cried. 5,000 Meticals was equivalent to about 78 USD! Now what? We did have enough South African Rand to make up the difference. But, visas must be paid in one currency. Not a problem. Our friendly border officer skipped outside to the money changers and did a deal for us! Service with a smile, and after three hours we emerged with a 30-day Mozambique visa!
Maputo - here we come!
From the Eswatini border, it was a gentle downhill to sea level on a road that could have been in the Free State, South Africa with all the potholes it had. This is probably one reason why that border crossing is so quiet. We enjoyed the ride, but traffic did increase considerably about 30km before Maputo, and we had to have our wits about us! Matola, with a population of 1.8 million was a much busier experience than the entry to the capital, Maputo with 1.1 million residents.
Maputo has a pleasant feel to it with tree-lined streets and friendly folk. The busy central market spills out into the neighbouring streets and the whole centre seemed like one huge market selling everything from second-hand shoes and clothes to electrical goods and fruit/vegetables. On New Year’s Eve it was manic!
Among the sights to visit is Maputo’s colonial train station building with trains leaving in three directions on certain days of the week. It has actually been listed by Time Out as one of the fifteen most spectacular stations in the world!
Gustave Eiffel (of Eifel Tower fame) is responsible for designing the Casa de Ferro (Iron House) as a residence for the Governor of the Portuguese East Africa Colony in 1892. Constructed entirely of metal, it was not the most comfortable place to be with Maputo’s steamy hot climate and the governor never actually lived in it! Presently, it’s used for art exhibitions and craft stalls.
Portugal’s colonisation of Mozambique started with Mozambique Island in the 16th Century and extended gradually to include what we now know as Mozambique. Ivory and slaves were the main attraction. The Fortress of Maputo showcases a bronze equestrian statue of Joaquim Augusto Mouzinho de Albuquerque, the Governor General of Mozambique who defeated Ngungunyane, the last local king.
The Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO), which was founded in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in 1962 led Mozambique to independence in 1975. Samora Machel became the country’s first president and adopted a socialist policy in the tradition of Marxism–Leninism. He died in a plane crash in 1986 while still in office.
Leaving Maputo on New Year’s Day was good timing, as the streets were quiet and we had a nice tailwind blowing us north. It was just us … and the remnants of a night of festivities in the form of broken glass.
Hospitality at its best!
The South African hospitality we have experienced so often even extended into Mozambique! Tracy and Mike in Eswatini put us in touch with Warwick and Colleen, who had emigrated some thirty years ago to Mozambique in search of adventure. And boy did they get that! Now based on a farm north of Maputo, they live in a fantastic house that they built themselves from scratch. What a place! They certainly have a story or two to tell and we thoroughly enjoyed their company and hospitality. Thanks a million for a fab time!
A long-awaited beach holiday!
Concerned about our safety on the roads during the New Year season, they kindly drove us to Praia do Bilene so we could finally have our beach holiday. Based on the lagoon a short walk from the ocean, we had the best of both worlds… with fresh mangos dropping all around us. We even have bruises to prove it!
And when the thunderstorms arrived, it was the perfect excuse to extend for another few days. Kurt took advantage of the extra time to acquaint himself with the local brews, one of which sports a great Irish name: Mac Mahon
The road to Zimbabwe
Once back on the busy N1, we took the remote N102 & N222 roads leading to the Zimbabwe border. It was a gentle climb of 1m/km along the train line with tail wind most of the way. What more could you ask for?
Alas, fixing punctures became a daily routine thanks to the plethora of broken beer bottles on the road. Let’s hope this is festive season related! We should start a campaign to promote cans over bottles… the carbon footprint would even be considerably less.
The villages always had a shady spot for a cold drink and at times even offered a simple meal like goat stew and rice for about 100 Meticals (1.50 Euro).
Witchcraft is alive and well in this part of the country and dead owls hung by the roadside to ward off evil spirits.
We arrived in Manjangue to discover a huge commotion centred around a formal event encouraging locals to complete the military census. Dignitaries arrived, speeches ensued and the local children and teens performed very colourful dance routines to rhythmic drumming.
Roadside stalls selling mangoes, watermelons, passion fruit, palm wine and charcoal gave way to cashew nut plantations as the population density decreased.
And when traffic was reduced to a car an hour, a brave chameleon plucked up the courage to cross the road, and we were able to turn our attention to birdwatching!
After all the torrential rain we had had, in some areas the marshy roadside ground had turned into a proper swamp, so we took a room when there was one.
Ready to pitch our tent under a baobab tree one evening, Joseph, a friendly local, arrived on the scene, exclaimed that the cobras would kill us and insisted that we set up camp at his place.
After a very quiet 300km stretch, to our astonishment we arrived at the beautiful colonial Chicualacuala train station on the Zimbabwe border to find the place mobbed with passengers bound for Maputo on the weekly overnight train! And what’s more, they had a beautiful room for rent upstairs in the station building and a restaurant downstairs. What a lovely finale to a fantastic few weeks in Mozambique.
The verdict!
Mozambique will go down in our records for being the worst country for punctures and the best country for tailwind! We will certainly be back to explore more of this amazing place and enjoy the laid-back chilled manner of the friendly locals. Um brinde a todos!
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