"Carjackings are prevalent. A four-wheel-drive vehicle is required for most travel outside Maputo due to poor road conditions. This presents an additional security risk to travellers as these vehicles are frequent targets of carjackings. Bandits are active in border areas and in rural regions, particularly on routes to Mutare, Zimbabwe, and to South Africa (especially in Moamba)."
Refer to: http://www.voyage.gc.ca/dest/report-en.asp?country=198000
Canadian Foreign Afairs web site for Mozambique
Compare and contrast with Canada:
Extremely virulent SARS rampaging Toronto, Mad Cow disease, and last but not least West Nile Virus (aka Malaria).
Yes, it certainly is a tough decision to make a call on. Of course, you are probably not going to be carjacked by a mad cow, whether its from Alberta or Johannesburg.
Why anyone, who my dear first born would describe as "a fat balding English guy" would want to head out to the dark continent again so soon after our last return, is still a little beyond me. Well into our 50's, and trailing along two teenagers who are not sure if they wanted, or ever agreed to go, we simply hope, as always for this next trip to be a success. As ever, all you have to do is tell enough people that you are going, and you eventually have to go. I'll only believe it once we are in Durban, safe & sound though.
For those of you interested: we have invested in a "Triband" Toronto based cell phone that works in several locations where we are going to be. When on the road in South Africa - this is most definately your life line. Do not confuse the term "life line" with a metaphor! We are using Ilges cell, and the number, if you have it, will (should?) through some miracle of technology, work and you can dial us direct via the TO number. Just remember not to call us after 4:00PM your local time. Other contact numbers, and possible locations are below.
So........... to continue:
After several years in the, what I would laughingly call "organising" of this trip, we are finally only a few days away from actually departing Toronto for the wilds of the African plains.
This time, we know what we are in for, in fact, several bits of it are quite a boring retracing of where we have been 3 years before. This time, we are only taking 3 months to do our trip. Most people we tell this to say this in itself is excessive, however, it really will be over all too fast as we found out last time.
After our last trip, we decided that it would not be our last, it was just a matter of which year we would be heading out again.
So, instead of selling the trusty Land Cruiser when it came back last time, I kept it, pampered it and outrageously invested in it - well, it's almost a life insurance policy, after all. So Jimmy and Glen, our 3rd world mechanical specialists, have been hard at it for over two years on cruiser update. New transmission (fairly essential), 4 new tyres, multiple fixes from the degradations of Africa last time, new bearings in most places, and a new alarm system.
About 18 months ago, we sent out a general email to see if anyone else was interested in this jaunt in the velt. "Just get your 4 x 4, and well take you through the highlights of Southern Africa".
Jimmy our trusty mechanic got pretty excited and will meet us in Victoria Falls, Zim, and our friends Maureen & Peter are also on the hook for a trip through Zimbabwe. In fact, we started with Vic Falls as the objective, and worked our plans front & back around that
We thought that we would all be able to travel on our AirMioles, fat chance - 150,000 each? Even we are not that big at spending. So, Kayla & I pay cash, leave earlier, come back later, and Aiden hangs around for his exams, and comes directly after these with Ilge..
Also, what we did last time, ie lived in very secure game parks very cheaply (peanuts in Zim), is now a very changed proposition. South Africa is now double for us tourists, and Zim apparently has multiplied their fees by 20! What was going to be a cheap stroll through the bush, is now nothing of the sort.
I take the van to Montreal at Easter, and it should be there a week before we are. Theoretically, it has everything in it now - I don't believe that either.
I get pretty hi tech with web stuff this time - my own email set up, logins for corporate & personal accounts to channel funds at my whim. VPN is now on my machines, so I may even be able to load and maintain these very web pages (if I can be bothered).
Customer maintenance wise, Tom becomes my client manager, and David our accounts and general man about town to look after all manner of stuff which may arise. Some things don't change. Thanks folks.
We have done a fair amount of research, and find that several countries we are visiting are refusing entry or quarantining Canadians. During this last week we anxiously watch whether South Africa adds the same criteria to it's list...... Another outbreak in Toronto, and we scan the Canadian web sites for where we are totally not welcome. So far, we are free of restrictions, or at least, we have the illusion of no restrictions.
As a final act, it's time for the ponytail to go. It was a mercy killing, but at least I wont need to comb my hair for a few months.
What we are leaving behind? Friends, security, steady identifiable life, clients, jobs, school mates, daily existence, in general, all that regular crap. Hopefully, all that will be here when we return.
What are we heading into? Well, we know more or less from our last trip: fantastic vistas, a totally non western set of expectations (you never have to ask "can I ...........?") and experiences, excitement and (hopefully not too much) adrenaline.
Our contact emails, for African style instant gratification, are:
To Contact Jim, Please Email
To Contact Jim, Please Email
To Contact Ilge, Please Email
To Contact Kayla, Please Email
To Contact Aiden, Please Email
By the time you read this, there will bo no operator standing bye, no additional air miles for responding to this web page, and no one to answer your call. Follow our exciting adventures at www.koplimae.org
If anyone needs to contact us urgently, call Tom & Ling at 416 767-0778.
Watch this web page for more news whenever we find an Internet cafe.
Have a great summer, and we will try to come back as a happy family, all alive after having a great winter :)
