At the Start Line

The Beginning of the Beginning

Three bus rides totaling 50 hours and three overnighters; one 11 hour overnight flight; two days spent in airport and bus station; two nights in Maputo; finally ready to start my trip! After a surprisingly fruitful 2 1/2- month stay in Argentina that ended with the long-awaited and little-expected insurance payout, I packed my bike box and booked the next flight to Johannesburg. A day spent napping, idling, and reading in Joburg's Park Station was all I needed to get on the next bus to Maputo, Mozambique. After two days of resting my damaged bottom and settling into the African scene, I hopped on a 36-hour bus to Beira, the start line. Hauling the 80lb box through three countries and myriad public and private transport (taxis, dollies, porter's head) was an experience I hope never to have to repeat, but the thoroughly beaten box sits safely in my hotel room in Beira, awaiting unpacking and disposal.

Civil War and Cashews

Mozambique ended a decade of civil war just 14 years ago, and has since risen from the bottom ranks of Africa's (and of course, the world's) poorest countries, to, from what I can gather, one of Africa's not-quite-poorest countries (still world's poorest). At any rate, the country has gone through significant economic growth since the end of the civil war, averaging 8%. Perhaps because of the rapid recovery (relative term), general costs have seemed to me surprisingly high for the country's level of development, compared with countries in South America. While development seems to languish around the level of Bolivia, prices are on par with Brazil. Mozambique's currency is the metacal, and the current exchange rate is 1usd=28,000mts. Below is a table to give a general idea of prices.

budget accommodation.................................. 200,000mts/7usd
500ml beer....................................................... 25,000mts/.90usd
36 hour, 1200km bus ride.............................. 700,000mts/25usd
set lunch (meat stew and a pile of rice)......... 55,000mts/2usd

At about 0.10usd for a bunch of six, and sold wherever there are people, bananas are a cheap and plentiful food source. Cashews, however, have been my most pleasing culinary discovery. They, too, can be found in abundance, and 2lb/1kg of cashews for 1.40usd just can't be beat! I had my first-ever cashew breakfast on the bus ride from Maputo to Beira - 1lb of nuts.