Vilanculos to Gorongosa
It really is quite funny how no matter how much you plan a trip, life always throws a curve ball. In our case, as we were about to leave Baobab Lodge, Adam `Colin McRae` Quigley managed to reverse the tow-bar of white lightning into a palm tree merely 3 metres behind him. It is now Adam`s claim to fame that both bakkies have been crashed by him. Shame man, he`s just a ginger kid like me, our vision isn`t great in the day…
So, after a second attempt we were on the road to Inchope. We hadn’t eaten anything before leaving, so the first opportunity to buy pao we had was not wasted. The bread did seem a little firm on purchase, but we didn’t think much of it. After stopping at the Save river to enjoy the rolls with previously cooked mince, we realised what we had gotten ourselves into. First of all, each roll was large enough to feed a little Chinese family, and second of all they were hard enough to build a little house, a dam wall or maybe to lay down as a foundation for a highway. Needless to say, it took a lot of tomato sauce and quite a load of saliva to get those rolls sliding down the throat!
The next section of road was a battle to not let all the blood to the stomach and away from the brain. Unfortunately, many of us were lost to that wonderful sedative of a full gut!
Before reaching Gorongosa, half of us went to the town of Gorongosa to use one of the first ATMs we had encountered since Maputo, to draw Meticas. On the return to the park, those of us in blue thunder stopped for a batch of wood being sold outside a home, a very common scene along our journey so far. It just makes one wonder how many trees are made into firewood and charcoal in these parts every day, and at what rate of destruction of the natural bush? We were really surpised when the wood was being sold for 10 Mets (R2), and this did bring us to the reality of how little one needs in one’s life to get by.
The others were already at Chitengo camp in Gorogosa waiting for us, and we were on the dirt road. But merely 800m along the track, we were forced to stop for a massive tree that had just been uprooted by a burst of gale force winds and was now completely blocking the road. Ah, crap, we thought…but then we saw an opportunity for awesome pics of the cars using what they were made for! A short rearrangement of little trees in the alternative route were quickly moved, and soon Dani and Darryn were guiding me through the thicket and slope while our action photographer Charlotte clicked away frame by frame. With 4 low engaged, car handled the obstacle like a breeze, and soon we were past the attempt by mother nature to halt our progress on our journey! Chitengo, I can smell you!
What a great feeling it was arriving at Gorongosa. The amount of times I have read up on this place and the number of documentaries observed built this place up in my mind tremendously, and it did not disappoint in my book. The welcoming we had by waterbuck, bushbuck, oribi and wildebeest was more than we had anticipated. The camp was great, the setting idylic and scenery spectacular. There was no doubt in my mind, I would be returning as soon as I could.
The night ended off with an evening swim in the camp pool and some unique experiences under the water’s surface thanks to Dani’s endless imagination. This involved listening to the evening sounds of Dani, James, Gareth and my gases underwater, and nearly Charlotte’s. Next time…
Then, after a dousing of Peaceful sleep by the crew, (Of which I underestimated how much we would be using, and told Dani and Gareth to leave a few bottles in Pretoria) we were off to sleep. Apparently it rained that night, and everyone got up to pack away items lying outside and to put on fly sheets. Apparently…
Luca
