Mozambique (2): Mapai ferry crossing, Chicualacuala, Cahora Bassa cutline, Zimbabwe border, Mavue

2011.06.11


The is the 2nd of 5 posts to document the our MMZZ trip.

The map shows the borders between South Africa (bottom left), Zimbabwe (vertical left) and Mozambique. The road which crosses the Limpopo at Mapai/Ngala can be seen in the south. After reaching the Village of Mapai it veers sharply to the Zimbabwe border. We slept in a bush camp between Road 208 and the rail road! We planned to drive towards the Zimbabwe border and then veer north on the border! Fortunately, we had made contact with Chris Jooste from the Mozambique Gonerazhou Tranfrontier Park and had coordinates for his camp on the Moz/Zim border where the Save River cuts from the east to the west / from Zim to Moz. Can you see the Save River in the north?

Now for the whole story of this section of our trip.


The MAPAI FERRY crossing was an exciting prospect. It was a bit of a surprise that after having heard the mumbled price of R55, that a payment of R550 was expected! But they know there is no other way to cross the swollen river - and to drive to the nearest bridge would cost just as much! We joined the queue. 

Watch the actual bording process - quite scary, but completely safe! [Sometimes it takes quite some time for the video clip to load. Once it's there, just click on the arrow.]

 

The tree trunk "bridge" which is used when the water level is lower, mocked us by only giving us a glimpse of it in the water. Can you see the remains of the 'bridge' in the water?

Loading a truck and trailer onto the ferry took much man power. But they made it!

The ferry is powered by willing men manually dragging the flat-bottom ferry across the river.

Once across, Mrad and Renate watched the slow progress of the other vehicles being pulled across the river. The water fetchers just went on filling their drums.

This is how one disembarks.

The ferry crossing was well worth R550 per vehicle. And the rural people peacefully carried on with their usual life. Such natural elegance!

We passed through the VILLAGE OF MAPAI. The "new" church, obviously  made to suit the climate ...

versus many derelict (previous era) Portuguese buildings.

At Mapai we turned sharply north-west on Road 208 next to the railway line.

We bush camped between Road 208 and the railway line much to the amusement of the train driver whose long freight train passed us early in the evening. 

Can you see the train disappear to the left of the picture?

As you can see, Renate had to support Mrad due to the topography of the campsite as he loaded the tent for the day's stint.

Road 208 goes directly to CHICUALACUALA (spelled differently in T4A) which is on the Moz/Zimbabwe border post. 

It is a wide national dirt road with plenty of corrugations making it an uncomfortable ride - "Stop, Andy, iets het van jou trailer afgeval!"

Hope T4A corrects their spelling?

At Chicualacuala, we bought "bottled" diesel from Andries.

Andries also told us where to find the road to the north: "At the (only) STOP sign, turn right, past the border post buildings and continue north." 

We take books and pens to give to children along the way - imagine what this group of boys was saying to each other after being surprised by our gift to them? "You got a book ..."

The most impressive building in Chicualacuala.

The road to the north is ON the Moz/Zim border - we could actually choose whether we wanted to travel in Moz or in Zim - not even a fence separates the two countries - just poles! However, having been asked by a policeman, who suddenly appeared from behind a tree, where we were going - we decided that the Moz side would be the wiser option - our destination "Mavue" had satisfied the policeman and we would honour his "You can go!"

 Driving on the Moz side and looking into Zim on our left!

At this tree the road veers sharply to the right. Andries, however, said we were to look out for the shops - can you see them behind the tree? On Tracks4Africa this place is marked as "Chitanga Homestead".

The inhabitants of various small villages like WISSANI all waved at us in reply to our greetings.

See how effectively the season's crop of maize is stored? And the chickens are kept out of harm's way at night!

Two young men gave us a demonstration of their ability to play their homemade guitar!

We passed some charcoal "factories" where the eco-unfriendly trade of smouldering large tree trunks until they had become charcoal was being plied. Can you see the piles of soil which cover the burning tree trunks? Who are we to criticize?

And then, lo and behold, we found the road under the the first CAHORA BASSA power line leading straight north - just as Andries had said we would.

Soon after we had passed MAUNGE we found a secluded spot in the bush to overnight.

We even had time to do some essential repairs on the run!

The next day, our journey north continued. On this stretch of road there weren't any villages so the road deteriorated to a seldom used track.
 We only passed one person on a bicycle! Eventually we found a sign post to IMOFAUNA (our destination) - yet because it turned sharply west, the group decided to push on northwards. Tracks4Africa most certainly didn't have the route mapped.

The northern road took a westerly turn in any case, and we travelled through the most beautiful Mopani forest we had seen thus far.

One of many baobabs which we saw.

The road veered towards the east and we found the sparse and widely-spread village of MAVUE (S21 22.948 E032 31.260) - Tracks4Africa has the wrong coordinates for Mavue as the men found out! Eugene, Andy and Mrad - a study of concentration as seen from my point of view and ...

as seen from Renate's point of view!

Fortunately, the names "Imofauna" and "Chris" (Jooste) were well-known and we were pointed in the direction of the camp by the villagers.

 This is the "fork" in the road which one takes to Imofauna.

We passed one of the Imofauna Projects in the GONAREZHOU TRANSFRONTIER PARK - building a school for the community.

Imofauna camp (S21 21.159 E032 27.340) looks out over the SAVE RIVER in the distance - a beautiful setting. 

We gladly spent two nights at Imofauna.

and explored the Save river area with Chris as our guide. 
All set to go: Lalie (see you through the window!), Inge, Mrad, Renate, Eugene, Wieske, Andy (thumbs up!)

Believe it or not, but this is a wine making system - a bag is tied to the top of the raffia palm and after a while, potent palm wine gathers at the top of the stem! 

As many villagers fetch their daily water from holes in the sand of the Save River, drilling boreholes is an essential part of the development work planned by Chris. 

Chris explained how the Save River looks in different seasons.

Traditional fishing methods are still used here. Chris is of the opinion that this happens in harmony with the resident crocodiles!

Elephants come down to the Save River to drink.

Sadly we saw the stinking carcass of an elephant that was gunned down a month before with a AK47 - yuk! Was this killing reported, Chris? Yes! And the poachers were apprehended. Sentencing was still pending.

After our exploration of the Save, we visited the school building project - a hive of activity.

Our sunset drive turned into a moonlight adventure. Can there by anything more beautiful in the world than this baobab tree in the moonlight?

Well, perhaps this sunset pond?

So ended our time with Chris at Imofauna in the Gonarezhou Transfrontier Park - thank you, Chris, for your wonderful hospitality.


The 3rd stage of the Mozambique leg of our MMZZ trip is reported in the next posting.
To read it, either click on the link at the top of this post, or click on this link:
http://mi60mozambique.blogspot.com/2011/08/mozambique-3-massengena-save-river.html