Malawi and Tanzania: Cape Maclear, Livingstonia, and Dar es Salaam

After an arduous bordering crossing which involved some cutthroat negotiations with the local money changers, we entered Malawi. As this was my second time in the country and we would have to follow the same lakeside route up into Tanzania as we had coming down, we decided to spend more time at Cape Maclear where I had not yet been. Cape Mac - as it’s sometimes called – is a small resort town that’s grown out of a quiet village beside a large bay at the southern tip of Lake Malawi. The beautiful lake views are enhanced in the evening by amazing sunsets overhead, a rare treat in Malawi where most of the lakeside faces east instead of west.

Mozambique: Gorongosa, Gurue and Ilha de Mocambique

From the crystal-clear waters of southern Mozambique, we set off northward towards the country’s less-travelled central region. This would turn out to be one of the most intriguing sections of the entire trip, laying bare the scars left by the country’s civil war and the fascinating mythology that has developed around that conflict. And despite the serious destitution we observed in the central interior devastated by decades of rebellion, the northern region – particularly around Nampula and the historic Mozambique Island – surprised us with its relative prosperity nearly 3,000km away from Maputo. In effect, it’s as if the country is split into two major regions, focused around the far north and south, with very limited links between the two given the appalling nature of road and rail lines through the country’s formerly rebel-dominated center. Crossing Mozambique by road over the course of three weeks really drove this point home and allowed us to appreciate the serious development challenges this country faces.

Mozambique: Maputo and South Mozambique beaches

With the Green Matatu finally back to (somewhat) full health, we set off north from Durban towards Mozambique. With my good friend Denis waiting for us in Maputo, we needed to cover the roughly 500km in good time, but we first had to decide what route to take. The most direct - and scenic - route along the coast through Ponta do Ouro was reputed to consist of a sandy 4x4 track from the border to Maputo and had ensnared many an unsuspecting overlander, but rumors were swirling that the Chinese had just completed a brand-new, tarmac road in its place. The more comfortable route went inland through Swaziland and thus involved the inconvenience of crossing two borders. We were left in suspense until the last minute when a friendly local assured us that the new road was indeed complete and we could 'zip through to Maputo in no time.'

South Africa: Drakensberg & Kruger National Park

I have been neglecting the blog the last few weeks given our trials with the Green Matatu and the resulting need to arrange alternative plans and cover large distances quickly to get our fellow journeymen from pick-up to drop-off points. So I will keep the accounts of this part of the trip brief and focus more on the pictures of this amazing region.

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With Madalina and Chand joining the Alexianu duo, with heavy hearts we left the Green Matatu in Durban for repairs and set off for the Drakensberg Mountains in a somewhat more boring Toyota minivan rental. The Drakensberg range marks the border between KwaZulu Natal province in South Africa and the mountainous kingdom of Lesotho, with its highest peaks reaching an impressive 3,500m in altitude. Given that we were visiting in late June – the heart of winter – we braced ourselves for biting cold at our camp at Injisuthi in the middle of the central Drakensberg.

South Africa: Garden Route & Wild Coast

From Cape Town we set off along the coast towards the Garden Route, a stretch of shoreline around 200km long from Mossel Bay to around Port Elizabeth. Together with the Cape region, this is one of the classic tourist destinations in South Africa, so we were excited to see what everyone was raving about.

South Africa: The Cape

From Fish River Canyon we crossed the Orange River into South Africa at Noordoewer, a refreshingly easy and quick process with absolutely no fees involved. The scenery in South Africa was initially very similar to Namibia – arid hills with sparse vegetation and not a cloud in the sky – but as we started to draw close to Cape Town, things began to change quickly. The rolling hills started turning ever darker shades of green while the cloud cover grew denser until I saw the first raindrops in weeks. Meanwhile, we started to spot the large Dutch-style farmhouses that are well known in the Cape Region – it really felt like we were back in Europe!

 

We spent the next four days in Cape Town and its environs, trying to pack in as much as possible of this wonderful region. Ideally we would have lingered for longer, but tight timelines mean that we’ll have to come back and enjoy the city again in the future. And we already can’t wait for the next time as this is a very special place.

Namibia: Luderitz & Fish River Canyon

We spent a couple of nights in Windhoek while dealing with our mechanical issues. The city seemed very clean and functional, if a little low-key - a far cry from Nairobi! Having done a tour of the sleepy southern African capitals of Lilongwe, Lusaka, and now Windhoek, I am ready for the quicker pace of Cape Town and Maputo… But our time in town was very productive, as we consulted Kobus, the ‘Land Cruiser Oracle of southern Africa’ on our various vehicular woes and got him to mend most of them for us. So with a significantly lighter wallet but bursting with optimism, I set off with Victor to give him a sample of the wondrous Namibian desert.