The Amsterdam sailed into the harbor of Maputo, Mozambique, very early this morning……like around 6am. Knowing that a good number of passengers had booked overland safaris out of here, the Captain set out to arrive as early as possible. It was a good plan on his part, but we were totally dependent upon the local officials to clear the ship before anyone could go off.
Watching from the lower promenade after a quick breakfast in the Lido, was like watching water boil….it was taking forever. The gangway was out and the water stand and umbrellas were set up, but no officials had arrived yet. They slowly appeared in a group, and entered the ship around 7:45am. That gave them 15 minutes to clear the entire population of guests and crew to be on time at the promised 8am exit time.
Yesterday, we had received a letter saying that the HAL tour groups would pick their passports up in a designated area, such as the Queen’s Lounge. That was somewhere in the area of 120 people we heard. Travel agent tour groups met in other lounges to get their passports. The independents, like us, were asked to go to the front desk for ours. Being that we get the priority President’s Club disembarkation, we asked how that might work to our advantage. Since we had a flight to catch by 11:30am, we needed all the help we could muster. Lo and behold, Christel appeared and signaled us to come to her office, as our passports had been returned immediately. We did so quietly, and after many thanks to the proper officers, we were off and running. Or so we thought.
The gangway was located deck one midship, making it easy to pull our one suitcase off. But there was a problem. The kiosk computers at the gangway were not working yet, and we could not be scanned out. Although it seemed like forever, it took about 10 minutes before they were up and working. So today, we can say we were the first passengers off of the ship.
We had noticed that no vehicles or buses were allowed on the dock near the ship. So we were going to have to find our driver somewhere outside the gate. Security is really strict here, and unless the independent drivers can find a place to park, they cannot come through the gate without paying high fees. So one of us stayed behind near the guards, while the braver one went in search of our driver. That ended up being 15 minutes, before a car was heading beyond the checkpoint to pick me up. Up until then, no one else was getting off of the ship. Eventually, the guests without tours began filing off to find the complimentary shuttle. These were the folks that opted to pay the $78 blanket visa through the ship. Those who chose not to buy it, could not leave the ship at all today. We think there were many people that chose to stay onboard. In our humble opinion, if you have toured here once, you need not go again.
Our minds were refreshed to the conditions in downtown Maputo, once we passed the old railway station and their signature monument in the roundabout. The sidewalks were wall-to-wall street vendors with lots of stuff to sell. And there was trash everywhere you looked. Obviously there are better areas of the city to see, but it sure is not here. And we highly doubt it is safe to be out and about in Maputo alone without a group.
We only had to go to their airport for that 11:30am flight to Johannesburg, South Africa. Not knowing how far it was from the pier, or what the traffic conditions would be like, we had pre-paid a transfer months ago. So being that today was a Saturday, the traffic was light, and the ride took no more than 20 minutes. Once again, we were the first ones to arrive at the South African Air desk. We had a few minutes to wait until their desk opened at 9am. Since HAL and our travel agency had tours overland, these folks began trickling in the door. Except for the two of us, the rest of the travelers had a flight to Jo berg, with a one night stay and a ½ day tour there tomorrow. We would connect to another flight to Nelspruit today.
Checking in was easy. Our one piece of luggage was weighed, as were our handcarrys. We were each allowed a bag weighing 50 pounds, although, on the next flight, we were allowed only 44 pounds. Good news is that there was no charge for one bag per person. Going though security was easy once again (shoes could stay on). The final check was customs and immigrations, where our fingerprints were scanned and our passports thoroughly read and stamped. This is when our real visas helped, although we could have gotten by with the ship’s visa. Wish they would have told us back in November that it would cover us coming into the country as well as leaving. Yes, we did spend more to get these special visas, but we had the peace of mind that we could not be turned away if the other visa did not work.
Clearing that inspection, we did have enough time to look through the handful of shops, collecting a memento of Mozambique. That turned out to be a native beaded cloth necklace with earrings to match. Not extravagant, but a nice souvenir.
Seating was assigned once we checked in, so we did not think to ask for aisle and middle seat. Window and middle was what we got, and it worked out fine since the flight was only an hour or so. And we were served a cheese sandwich, a sweet muffin, and a Coke. How about that? We barely got comfortable, when the plane landed in Johannesburg around 12:30pm.
The airport there is huge, as Johannesburg is a major hub in South Africa. We were required to collect our bag, and re-check it at South Africa Airlink, even though we already had our boarding passes for that flight. That meant going through customs and immigrations and the security check once again. With the unrequested help of an airport employee, he helped us up two flights of escalators, and escorted us to the correct deck. Naturally, he expected a tip, which we gladly gave him.
We then back-tracked and found the gate we would need to go to for our next flight to Nelspruit at 3:30pm. We had 1 ½ hours to roam around the airport shops and cafes. There were many bars and fast food type restaurants like Wimpys (hamburgers) and pizza places, but we were not all that hungry. Experimenting with the free wifi, we discovered that too much information was required to get online, so we shut it down instead.
Our commuter-type flight was on a very small jet, seating only 36 people. But we did get a snack of salted nuts and a drink. Barely in the air for 35 minutes, we landed at the Mpumalanga Airport shortly after 4pm. It is located on a knoll out of Nelspruit, a remote village near Kruger National Park. The good news was that the temperatures had dropped and the humidity was low. A clean breeze was blowing, but would it last? Probably not.
Our driver was right there to pick us up. He was Thomas from the lodge we were headed for, and we all recognized each other, even though it has been 4 years since we were here last. A two hour interesting ride lay ahead of us, as we traveled through the hillsides and villages of the Lowveld growth in this part of the world. Being that it was Saturday, the road was full of people out and about preparing for the weekend, which happens to be Easter. Not sure how widely this holiday is celebrated here, but we did pass dozens of Christian churches along the way.
Going back 4 and 5 years ago, this road was heavily traveled with big rigs carrying among other things, lumber, rocks, and sand materials. Back then, the potholes slowed us down a whole lot. However, they have been filled, and the going was smooth. Nice improvement. We also passed by a few roadside wood carvers selling almost full-size African animals. Good thing we did not stop, or we might have found ourselves in a bidding game.
Turning off of the main highway, Thomas followed a dirt road that was very rutted. We remembered it well, since this was the way to Sabi Sands Reserve and the camp sites there. Going through one of the guarded gates (Shaw Gate), we were admitted to the park after much checking. It was getting dark by the time we arrived at the camp. Getting a royal greeting from Dale, the owner and manager, he invited us to the bar for a most welcomed beer and snacks. Several of the drivers and guides came to say hello, including Dale’s son, James, who is now a tracker-in-training. We remember him when he was a young teen not too long ago. A family-run property, someday this place might be his to operate. Many of the local employees have been here over 30 years. Thomas, our driver has been here that long. And the other is Joseph, a driver/guide, who we had the pleasure of meeting 5 years ago. Being older, he ranks high in this camp.
In a few minutes, we were to meet the rest of the guests staying here. The camp was full with at least 20 people. Some were from England, five were from Belgium, and one couple were from Australia. The dinner this evening was a “boma” held in the lower patio/BBQ area of the open-air dining room. The servers and cooks were ladies we remembered well.
The meal began with a smoked salmon appetizer with red and white wines. A pureed veggie soup followed, topped with well-buttered garlic croutons. The entrée portion was a buffet table with a mixed green salad, cucumbers with vinaigrette, grilled zucchini, small steamed potatoes, and polenta with gravy. The meat course were BBQ kebabs of chicken and beef mixed with onions and sweet bell peppers. So, so good. Dessert was a slice of ice cold cheesecake topped with a berry compote. A glass of amarula liqueur was served last. The fellow next to us had a snifter of a fine whiskey, as it was his last night at the camp.
Getting acquainted with our fellow diners, we shared stories of our previous visits. With the heaviness of the humid air, it sure reminded us of the time we had a sudden rain storm hit camp. We were told by Thomas that this area got hit with a good rain two weeks ago, helping to green it up. None was expected but then, you never know, do you? Just as we disbanded from dinner, a few sprinkles began. Which turned to light rain, that developed into a sudden downpour. Made it to our cabin just in time. It would get even more intense as the night progressed.
Speaking of our accommodations, it is more like a cabin. Entering through a covered patio with a bench, we come into the “living” room with a leather couch and coffee table. The bedroom has a king size canopied bed with dressers and cabinets for an extended stay. What we don’t have are lights……no lamps or ceiling fixtures anywhere. We do have two overhead Casablanca fans, and thank goodness, a portable fan on a stand. Remember, we said the temperatures were great at the airport? Well when we got to the camp, we found it to be hot and humid. The guests told us that it had reached the high 30’s Celsius, 90’s F, and it was too hot to sleep nights. We agreed, our room was going to take forever to cool down. We had stashed most everything when we arrived, and hoped to find it in the dark tomorrow morning. There are candles and lanterns in every room, including the spacious bathroom. And we had brought our own small flashlites and one lantern. A large battery-powered flashlight was given to us as well.
Some of the evening, we spent out on the back patio, where we have a plush couch and a table with two chairs. This veranda faces a watering hole where animals are free to roam. Forgot to mention this, but during dinner, right across from the open dining room, we witnessed two hyenas sneaking by, an impala, and a small elephant, whose hidden mother made a ruckus when the hyenas got too close. Who needs TV when you have live action like that? By the way, there are no TV’s or radios in the rooms.
Like we stated, the storm increased in strength, wiping out the view we had of the full moon during dinnertime. Hopefully, it will have passed over by the morning when we go on our first game drive.
So much for a very long day…….to be continued……
Bill & Mary Ann
The pier in Maputo
Modern buildings of downtown
Small boat harbor
The dome of the train station
A main street through town
Dock workers securing the ship
