This one is in german and english…
Durch den nördlichen Teil des Kruger-Nationalparks reisen wir nach Mozambique. Der Limpopo-Nationalpark in Mozambique, der inzwischen mit dem Krugerpark zu einem Transfrontierpark verbunden ist, ist eine recht traurige Erscheinung. Wildtiere gibt es fast nicht, dafür laufen Kühe durch die Gegend und man fährt kilometerweit durch bewirtschaftetes Farmland. Okay, Mozambique ist auch nicht berühmt für sein Wildlife, sondern für seine Strände. Und da wollen wir schließlich hin.
Schon unterwegs gefällt uns die Atmosphäre hier. Es ist wieder viel afrikanischer, mit einem großen Schuss Karibik. Die Vegetation ist tropisch und üppig, die Portugiesen haben hübsche, zierliche Kolonialbauten hinterlassen, die malerisch zerfallen, die Straßen (bis auf die Hauptroute) sind holperig, alles ist ein bißchen unaufgeräumter als in Südafrika, die Frauen tragen wieder Körbe auf dem Kopf, sie singen, und irgendwie hängt über allem rhythmische Musik und ein würziger Duft.
We have been told about the rainy season here and our first sighting of the wonderful beach of Tofo that we have been dreaming about is in the pouring rain. Lucky we manage to find a good place to camp behind the huge sand dunes and the next morning we are rewarded with beautiful weather, palm trees, sandy beach and warm Indian ocean water with waves that are excellent for body surfing.
Tofo is known for the whale sharks that frequently visit these waters. It’s one of our dreams to see those huge plankton eating sea creatures and swim with them. Together with our new travelling friends Tom and Dagmar we join an ocean safari group. But it’s not our lucky day. We spent two hours searching and basically saw nothing. The next day we gave it another try and again nothing. The whale sharks will stay on our list.
Tom and Dagmar with their big truck are also Trans Africa travelers and we decide to travel together for the next days. On our way south to Maputo the bad luck strikes again and the truck gets a flat tire. We witness a professional tire change that ends with two local boys having the day of their lives. During the tire change Tom and Dagmar decide they do not want to take along their two bicycles anymore, and two boys who just walk by where chosen to be the new owners. The boys at first have no clue what these white people are up to and it become clear they have never ridden a bicycle. After a bit practicing they (now smiling) end up going home with probably the most valuable present they ever got. We hope that one day they will be popular as probably the first bicycle taxi drivers of their town.
Maputo has a strange combination of the old colonial flair and rundown communist architecture. We walk through the old city center and enjoy the liveliness of the town. We are surprised to see some architecture by Mister Eiffel (the one from the tower in Paris) here; a house totally made of steel and the steel dome of the very beautiful central train station.
Just on the other side of the border to South Africa is the famous Kruger National Park, our next stop.