Moz :)

Day 1 : 30 June 2011

"The early bird catches the worm" or so we thought. Aft

er all was packed into the polo, including us human beings, and all was said and done, we set off for Moz. Driving was my mother, which made sense as it was her car, with brother next to her- ready to take over if needed. By the time we reached the border we had realized two things 1. we forgot the bacon needed for breakfast the next day, and 2. mom took the brothers old

passport out instead of her own- oh dear! The solution

s available- go back and fetch it, or try and liaise with the border officials with our story. We decided on the second option. We liaised away and ended up getting a temporary ID and paying R900 for the privilege. From bor
der post to border post we went, and eventually all was said and done, and we were granted entry to the other side.

Day2: 01 July 2011

This morning, waking up fresh and rejuvenated was just what the doctor ordered. The sun was out and no clouds in sight. 10 minutes later saw a rustic breakfast of penut butter rolls, which some would pay through the nose to have as that sort of cosine is not usually found in moz. After breakfast we went to find out where the brother was to attend his race briefing. We returned knowing to expect other triathletes for lunch. We were informed by friends on the team that at any time the authorities in the area could ask to see evidence of ID, so it would be wise to always carry ID with you. I think in many ways, the SA authorities could learn a lot from the moz authorities. Walking around at night and during the day, one does not feel threatened or in any danger when in moz as it has long bee

n the unspoken tradition that any sort of crime or act of harming others in any way would not be tolerated in any way. We noticed, especially in the upper class part of the capital, that security guards scouted the streets at night to ensure that all was well with the world! This made tourists feel fabulously safe and at home. There was, however, the happening of people insisting that you purchase goods from them, even after saying no. Money was a big factor when we arrived as we had to constantly calculate the exchange rate between the south african and local currencies (Rand vs Meticas). Given the price of the villa that we had hired for the duration of our stay, we were treated like royalty, although it was self- catering. We then went to the hotel named The Polana, which is where the briefing was to take place. It was interesting to see how a single race could bring son many nations together at the same time. Due to the pre- planned 'Pasta party' organised for triathletes, managers and coaches, we couldn't take advantage like my brother and other triathletes, however, we did manage to get pasta from friends by using their excuse, "I would like another helping". This, I was grateful for, as I was starving. Once we had our fill, we returned to the villa it was straight to bed as we were knackered.

Day3: 02 July 2011

Lazy day at the villa, with lots of tea drinking. I finally found a TV channel that was in English- MNet Movies 1. A thought that crossed my mind was, what can I eat? This happened due to not being distracted by technology- I felt a bit lost without it.

Survival Guide to Moz:

1. Always have backup food with you as you never know when you will find your nearest market or supermarket.

2. Boil and let cool any drinking water so as to ensure that no 'jippo guts' come round. Refill and refrigerate as much as possible.

3. Try exchange any foreign money for the local currency as although the locals love foreign money especially if the exchange is to their benefit. Do this at a recognised shop as there will be little chance of being ripped off.

4. When travelling up to Moz, if driving, drive in convoy so as to avoid any difficulties. If flying, always organise someone to fetch from airport and transport to accomodation.

5. Have magazines and/ or books for entertainment as there is little in form of technology for entertainment. This depends, of course, on how your trip has been planned.

6. Due to the technology factor, it is important that you have atleast a mobile phone with a roaming function in order to communicate.

Day4: 03 July 2011

We left early with every intention of avoiding the morning rush. We travelled the same route that we used when coming into the country, therefore, we went through the same authoritive processes, and in a way it was also in reverse as we were heading out of Moz and back to SA.

At 14:00 we arrived safely back home.

To view pics from my trip, please visit the Facebook.com link: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2134441117062.2121865.1127075505