Up to Malawi-A Finnish perspective

When we were chilled enough we decided to head up to Malawi.  We were mentally ready for few days bus journey.  The idea is to take it as an experience and so it was.  Alarm clock rang at 02.30. The bus was leaving at 04.00 We had a lift for the bus station and found easily the right bus as it was the only one.  After push starting it we were ready to leave and we did for few minutes until there was a cop patrol a kilometer in front of us and in Mozambique it’s illegal to drive at the night time at least with a bus. We had to wait in front of the patrol about an hour until it was getting a  bit brighter and so we went. The bus was as normal really shit and completely full as always. For the next 10 hours we spend in the bus until we arrived to Inchope where we had to change to a chapas. Easy done and only 1 hour till  our overnight resting place. Finally in Chimoio which was like a big bus station and really boring looking place. We went to a local restaurant and had some chicken dish with some weird porridge stuff. Really local stuff we read from somewhere.  It didn't really taste like anything, but really filling it was. Good enough. In the evening we had a few beers and bit of a  chitchat with another traveler couple. Who made us change  our plans quite a bit, but that will be another post. Early to a bed as it was early wake up again. Next morning wake up at 0300 bus leaves in an hour. Same shit, bus was traditionally really crap and full. We had 2 spots in the last row and in the middle. It’s going to be really fucking nice 6 hours on front of us.. When we finally got to Tete, we had to take quick take away brunch and find the  next chapas. We found it after bit of a walk. The driver was some old dude and the coworker was reading a bible on the front seat. Not really promising. It was the slowest driver we've ever had. We were already making a plans to stay overnight in some of the border towns. But then the blessing of some god happened. Gearbox broke down and everyone out. Jhania stacked her thumb up and 24 seconds later next chapas picked us up, that driver was closer to Ari Vatanen and we had again a chance to get to the border on time. The border was the easiest border what I've seen so far. Only minus was that there is 8km between the check out and check in. Plenty of taxis and bikes were offering us a ride. We jumped in the first one. It didn’t really start up and the driver jumped under the hood. He put some petrol straight in the carburetor and had another try. I remember doing the same stuff when we were kids with our forest car and thinking that this would never work in real life. But anyway almost got it, but still didn’t work. After few tries we gave one more chance otherwise we’d take the bikes. 3 time always works and we got to Malawi side. Getting in was easy “Do you have money?” “Yes, 10k $” Do you mean us dollars?” “Yes” and stamp. Ready to go. Last minibus to Blantyre and we’re done. Finally. We rewarded our self with a lasagna, Burger and a local beer. We were so done..

Ferry ride

Jhanias Words

It is a relief to arrive in Malawi after a somewhat hellish journey through central Mozambique. Two days of 2:30 am wakeups, dangerously overcrowded buses, no legroom, and worst of all no headrests (pretty awful after NO sleep). The roads through this part of Mozambique heading up towards Tete are atrocious, filled with massive potholes, and clogged with giant trucks ( log trucks and mining trucks). Rio Tinto is currently raping the countryside around Tete, bringing jobs ( albeit lowly paid ones), prostitution ( where dollars go, so do the whores), and roads that locals (joke?) are only built to last as long as it takes for the mining giants to rip what they want form the ground.

From Tete towards the border post of Zobue the countryside becomes more fertile, although the roads are still awful. Young boys, having filled selected potholes with mud, ran towards the Chapas trying to extort a fee from the drivers for their handiwork. From the border on its a beautiful drive through the green rolling hills of Malawi towards Blantyre, farmers in the fields, kids playing games, people everywhere: walking, talking, and just hanging out to greet the passing vehicles.

It is time to slow down the pace; tonight we celebrate a new phase of our trip: the slow days. Having procured a bottle of South African wine we are off to an Ethiopian restaurant, after all its Friday night and date night even in Malawi. 

Our hut in Vilanculos

Low tide in Vilanculos