I had to get to Maputo, the capital, for work and decided that the bus would be the best option to get down there. It's about 435km from Quissico and about 550km from Inhambane. Instead of taking the easy way, ie. going from Quissico where it is less distance and therefore less time, I decided to drive to Inhambane on Friday with Mary so I could go to the beach for dinner. As mentioned in my previous post- totally worth it. But here is the tail of the longest bus ride (but not really for anyone who has taken the Greyhound in Canada).
Inhambane. View from the hotel.
Wake up at 7am to catch the 8am bus as I was told that there is a bus every hour from 6am to 11am. But I doddle getting ready and decide the 9am bus will have to do. After a good breakfast at the hotel we wonder on over to the bus stop. We get a little lost and I am thinking that I might miss my bus when we arrive with about 10 minutes to spare. I get over to the dude and I ask him if this was the bus to Maputo (in case it wasn't obvious with that sign in the window "Maputo") and he says Yup (but not really 'cause he's speaking Portuguese). I ask if the next bus leaves in 10 minutes and he says No, 11am. Since there are no other options, I buy a ticket and decide that I can work on my report while I wait. Mary heads back to the hotel (she gets to fly down...). And so I buy a little sweet bun and a bevey as I think a 6 hour bus ride isn't too long and a small snack should do. I settle into my seat and get started on my report.
2 looong hours and a very crowded bus later we're off.
I am still trying to organize my two back packs that are squished in my seat with me so that I can also feel my feet when sitting. I send a message to Mary saying "Just leaving now!" all excited to nap, being an expert napper and all. Right be we get out of Inhambane the bus pulls into the gas station. Okay cool, the lady next to me gets off and I move my bags and stuff around deciding to get my snacks ready now- unfortunately the muffin I nicked from the buffet is crumbly and gets crumbs all over my seat-mates seat. She comes back and I'm all Canadian-like so I apologize a bunch as I brush the crumbs off. She says nothing. Oooookaaaaay then. Back to music and napping it is. And we are off!
In between naps, I wake up when we stop to drop off and pick up people along the way. Hardly registering the crowds of venders trying to sell oranges/ pop/ bananas/ peanuts and other goods through the windows at each stop. Or, the two lane traffic becoming three and sometimes four lanes when big buses or trailer trucks pass us as terrifying speeds. Or, even when a pick-up speeds by with the back piled high with a lone dude sitting on a lawn chair on the top of the pile. By the time 16h rolls around I am getting antsy as I am supposed to be at a meeting at 17h. Realizing we are still a ways out of Maputo, I text Mary and let her know I should be about an hour late. Finally, we hit the outskirts of Maputo and grid lock traffic. We're already running late and the driver knows it so he decides to make his own traffic lanes. We drove on wrong side of traffic, played chicken with a tuk-tuk (the tuk-tuk won oddly), drove in 6 lane traffic (on two lane roads), dodged the people walking in between the cars and fiiiiiiinally made it to Maputo. 9 hours later.
Woeboe face.
(Pronounced: woah-bow. For Woah. B.O.)
Met with Right to Play and went over the manuals (going through some of the many translation errors and changing formatting etc). Walked around Maputo lots with Mary and watched most of the world cup games. Equally exciting, had free wifi for the first time since leaving Inhambane meaning I was able to update apps and back up my photos (without hogging all my data).
Finally got to kill my pizza craving while watching the World Cup!
Sadly, Tuesday morning came meaning Mary had to leave and I had to head back on the bus. Again getting to the bus station at 1030 thinking the bus would leave at 11am (as I was told), only to wait until 12h... which actually turned into 1245... which actually meant we went around the block to another stop and waited there for another 35 minutes. So by 14h we were finally leaving Maputo. Again, being optimistic I only brought a few snacks and a bottle of water.
By 1530 I am thinking we are making good time because we haven't stopped at all since leaving Maputo. Trying to shift. feet slip on my bag- holy mother! Ugh, for sure just broke my nail. I see a sign saying we're about 105km from Xai Xai (which is a big city about 2 hours from Zavala) and I'm getting excited. However, very shortly afterwards we are stopping on the side of the road and a bunch of venders come- all holding bananas and fish. I am thinking maybe we are dropping someone off or the bus driver wanted a banana. (I am also, of course, rocking out to Florence + the Machine so I haven't heard anything). Then I notice every one is getting off. Well, that's weird 'cause I am sure we are in the middle of nowhere and most people are headed to Inhambane, surely? I ask the timid guy next to me and he mumbles something about smoke. Then I smell a horrible burning smell and decided too to get off the bus.
As I pass the front, I see a guy with his head down a whole in the floor of the bus and there is a LOT of smoke billowing out. Trying not to gag, I step off the bus.
2 hours pass waiting, wondering what the deal is. Wishing we stopped at a city or town that had more than fish and bananas. I bought one banana and it was good but due to other dietary concerns I think it's wise to limit myself to only one. I've eaten my muffin and part of the mango I jacked from the hotel and all my water is gone.
Fish? Bananas?
Road side sunset.
Another hour and we are back on the bus (mostly because it was now dark and I was starting to get eaten by mosquitoes and it was cold). Finally the bus starts and we're off!!!!
Going no more than 15km/hr. I swear. Another hour or so and we stop in a slightly bigger town. (We hadn't even made it to Xai Xai which was less than 100km from where we stopped). And we wait.. Some people get off the bus, I don't because of the mosquitoes. I decide to whip out my computer and put on some Harry Potter (because I had, during all this waiting, just finished reading the first book on my phone and had started the second book) and charge my phone a bit. Most unfortunately, my computer was not fully charged and died just as Harry and Hagrid get to Diagon Alley.
Back to reading.
Bought a coke to keep me energized.
Awe, it's 21h. Missing the soccer games.
Somewhere around 22-2230h a new bus arrives.
Phone dies.
Intermittent napping.
0030... where are we now? Zandamela. Oh, that's in Zavala... about 45 mins I should stay awake now.
Nap.
0115. Stop. Eek! Where are we???
Coconut's House. Phewf. Next stop.
0120. Time to walk.
Holy.. My ankles are as thick as my calfs. Damn, how'd I get so many mosquito bites?
Okay so I can see a thing. Is this the bend in the fence that I turn at? Ya! It is. There's that stick I usually walk by.
Hmmmm.... The stars look amazing. I love that I can so many and the different colours. Oh, yay the hotdog stand-hut. Almost at the school. What's that thing stuck to my foot? Must be some coconut stuck to my gauze on my foot.
Brr. The sand is so cold.
What's that sound? Ha, damn pig.
Are those cinder blocks? Ya must be, this is the turn to my street. Oh good, they left the light on.
0140. Not too shabby. Only 14 hours trapped on the bus.
Time to scrub the living daylights out of my feet with antibacterial soap, cream and a new bandage.
Oh and there's always time for one more chapter in HP...
Sunday morning at 0900 Naira and Beatriz, Mana Bea (Sister
Bea), came to fetch me from my house and bring me to Mãezinha’s house, which as it turns out
is just around the palm tree from my place. When I arrive I’m introduced by
Naira because she is “responsible” for me and then I’m told everybody’s names
of which I only remember a few. Turns out it is Mana Bea’s and her two brothers’
(Dercio and Lorinho) birthdays. Two of them on the same day and the other 6
days later (Aug 10 & 16).
The festa was to start at 1200, so obviously it started at 1400.
Thankfully we had tea (which was actually baking cocoa power, powered milk and
sugar) and bread with jam somewhere along the way. The Master of Ceremony (MC)
started off by what I can only guess was welcoming and thanking everyone for
coming being as he was speaking Chope and I only know food and small
pleasantries so far. We sang some songs about God, some in Chope and some in
Portuguese; then the Pastor made a homily about family (again in Chope); then
we sang a clapped as everyone gave presents- which consisted of a processional
line for the three birthday kids and actually giving or draping them with the
presents; finally, we sang and clapped as people paid money to not eat…………. Or at
least that is what was explained to Naira and me. We didn’t pay ‘cause we
wanted to eat!
.jpg)
