Durban, 6th September

Civilization at last!

When I last wrote I was hapily bumbling around Malawi, possibly the most chilled out country in the world, since when I have covered vast distances to make it to the intense seedy metropolis that is Durban. So here's how the last week went.

Leaving Lilongwe, I headed across country to Malawi's second city Blantyre where much revelry was had at Doogles Backpackers. Blantyre itself was nothing to write home about, but Doogles is a very nice hostel (with a great bar!) and I got some good advice from other travellers about Mozambique and even picked up a Belgian couple as companions for the long Journey South to Tofo.

We got up early the next morning and headed to the border by crowded minibus. For the first time on my travels I managed to secure the "death seat" next to the driver, and honour wasted on me as I slept all the way to the border. On arrival at the border my Belgian companions were shocked to discover my lack of visa and following a brief discussion it was decided that they should cross first in case I was denied entry or it took too long. As it is it was a painless 15 minute process and cost me less than half an advance visa.

The Border crossing safely negotiated we jumped in a passing truck and bombed along yet more disgraceful roads towards Tete on the banks of the Zambezi. Tete has this reputation as hell on Earth on account of the ridiculous heat (it was a cool 38 degrees centigrade when we arrived) and so a decision was taken to try and escape town as rapidly as humanly possible. LUckily the first truck we found was heading South and thanks to my bargaining skills in mongrel Portuguese/Spanish (basically Spanish but you say s as shhh, girls love it) we were given a ride by our new Mozamiquinho friend JJ. Luckier he had one of these massive trucks with Beds in the back! So we travelled in style for the rest of the day.

In the evening we stopped in the town of Chimoio for chorizo and chips washed down with Dois M lager, before heading back to the truck for some well deserved sleep. the Belgians shared the bottom bunk while it was down to me and JJ to share the top bunk.

The next morning he woke us up far to early as we arrived in Inchope, as far South as his deliveries took him and we jumped onto the first bus heading South and promptly fell asleep again. From what I remember it was a very long day and Mozambique is far too hot! That night we still had not made it to Tofo and once more found ourselves attempting to sleep on a cramped bus jus 90 kilometres from Inhambane, the turn-off for Tofo.

Arriving the next morning we clamboured aboard a Dhow, getting thuroughly soaked in the process and headed to Tofo. Tofo is amazing. Beautiful beaches with the sun shining all day long, even though it was winter, and best of all you can see Humpback whales jumping from that great viewpoint of the beach. I stayed at Fatimas and after attempting to surf in waves far to large for someone of my abilities gave up went to sunbathe and arranged some diving for the next day instead.

Diving Tofo was immense. It started amazingly with a mad boat dash out over the huge waves past 3 pods of dolphins, 4 humback whales and while we didn't see any Whale sharks (The biggest thing in the ocean), the actual diving was sublime, with huge manta rays, moray eels, reef sharks, devil rays, green turtles and an array of other (some very large) colourful fish flying around us throughout the two dives. It was so good that I decided to go again the next day, also in the vague hope of seeing the elusive whale shark!

That evening however I was corrupted by my fellow dorm mates and in spite of my numerous protestations found myself drinking an unhealthy amount of local rum which when mixed with coca-cola tasted weirdly like vanilla coke. In fairness i'm pretty sure my dorm mates were all CIA agents as they had the most ludicrous back stories I have ever heard; There was an English couple who lived on Cromwell road (does anyone even live in Bishopston any more?) and them asides it was a strange crew; there was Kelly a 6 foot 3 brunette former model for Revlon in Paris, with an Ivy-league degree in Psycology, who had decided modeling was too shallow and had joined the peace corps instead. Adel from Israel who was on Holiday from his new business bringing solar power to the people of Botswana. Ian from America who had Drama degress from universities in London, New York, Berlin and Paris and who was working as an advisor to the Mozambique government as well as doing some teaching and who had performed at the Scoop London in 2003 just like my little sister. (He was also the campest guy I have ever met and the funniest momment of the evening was when he announced that he had learnt the word for fairy in Portugeuse).

After being kicked awake on the beach by one of the dive instructors I left my companions watching the whales from our "bed" and headed to the dive centre. For once it was overcast and this minimised our chances of seeing Whale sharks or as a South African divemaster put it: "we're going to have to run the bastard over." Anyway the disappointment was short lived as I encountered yet another phenomenal dive spot on Manta reef (lots of giant fish, rock lobsters but no mantas though so why the name?) and came up afterwards in glorious sunshine no longer feeling the effects of my hangover and on the drive back we saw it, the magical whale shark shadow! We all dived in with snorkels and while it was only for a few minutes being in the water with an 8metre whale shark was amazing! The dive school does summer interships where I can get my divemaster qualification for free, in exchange for working for them, so next summer is looking good!

That evening I managed to drag myself out of bed and head to the local bar, Casa Barro, where two marine Biologists did a great talk and slideshow on the Manta Rays found in the area. they too run summer interships and so Tofo is looking like the place to be!

Another day on a bus took me to Manzini, Swaziland (apparently Base Maputo wasn't worth staying at) and after a night in a hot tiny room with no fan or mosquito net I was ready to hit South Africa! Yesterday was a pretty easy ride into Durban, but then I discovered the effects of a spiralling crime rate. I tried to get to our hostel in Warner Beach, outside Durban, by train, but was phsically stopped by some South Africans who informed me that I would definately be robbed. I then grabbed Bunny Chow for lunch, a durban specialty of a hollowed out loaf of bread filled with curry, and while I ate the woman hid my bags so once more I wouldn't get robbed! Madness. Eventually I found a bus heading out to Warner Beach, and, despite driving through huge gated communities with signs advertising their armed security, there were still Monkeys in the trees and the woman next to me still had a chicken on her lap. TIA for sure.

Walking up the steep hill to the hostel I thought I recognised the small blonde girl sitting outside drinking Castle and I was delighted to discover I had found Jordan! She was even nice enough to pretend to be happy to see me and we have spent the day in Durban itself waiting for Nico to arrive at 2.30. Let the adventures begin!!

LOL

Jx