We started early (again) on our way to Tofo from Maputo. Sean and I shared a taxi with Michelle and Martin to the bus station 7km outside of town. All I can say is, just nobody mention the egg sandwich!
It seems as well that in Mozambique people are now trying to charge you for taking bags on board buses. This is frankly stupid, especially when locals take chickens, sacks of rice and plastic buckets with them everywhere. I'm certain they're not succumbing to these additional fees! Anyway, we managed to haggle our way out of the 'bag fees' by shoving our bags under the seats by our feet (like everyone else does!). Still, it's good to know that no matter where you are in Africa people still run up to the side of the bus to sell their wares:
The bus journey was long and filled with stops to let the old man in the back seat go to the toilet and the many other people fill up with sodas along the way. I'm also pretty sure that the two person seat Sean and I were sat on moved forward as the woman behind us pushed us with her plastic bowl as my leg room seemed to reduce over time.
Anyway! We changed at Inhambane. Before negotiating our first chapa ride we found a pastelaria selling that bread we now loved as a lunchtime snack. Then we headed back to the bus station to find something that would take us to Tofo.
We were offered some crazy prices to get us there. Some were just so crazy we laughed. But eventually we had to succumb to the bag fee just to get moving. I'm pretty sure that the lady with the bucket of fish wasn't charged to bring that on board though. And after all that, Martin was still stuck up the front squished behind the railing!
Arriving in Tofo I knew instantly that I was going to like it. The chapa dropped us off in the centre and we had to make our own way 2km down the road to Bamboozi Lodge. It was a pretty pleasant walk, and we kinda liked it after being squished up in a bus all that time. Michelle and Martin wanted to try somewhere else that they'd been recommended so we parted ways with a plan to meet up for dinner later.
Sean and I took two dorm beds and headed up to the bar for a drink. When we came back to the dorm, Martin & Michelle turned up having decided the other place wasn't for them and they had even managed to bargain a bungalow for the price of the dorm - an offer that of course we then piggy backed on! Hooray for upgrades!
It was great to have them at the same place as us and that night we played Carcassonne in the bar over a tasty seafood basket. And to complete the party, Alan - our other new friend from Maputo - even turned up too!
The next day we wandered into town, looking around the varied craft markets. We found a place that would sell us cheap bottles of beer and bought some vegetables. We even bumped into Tom and Betty, our first customers whilst we were 'running' the Mushroom Farm in Malawi. They were doing a string of dives in the area and having a great time. Was so nice to see them!
We returned to Bamboozi with our crate of beers and sat drinking one as the sun went down.
An evening of egg fried rice and Carcassonne followed. Bliss.
We decided the next day that we wanted to sample some of this fish that everyone was offering. Buying it turned out to be a bit of a nightmare. There wasn't the same amount of fish on offer this day as there had been the night before and so Michelle, Martin and I went to the beach and played Carcassonne whilst Sean hunted out the fishy deals. He managed to get a load of Crayfish for a very good price in the end and so we headed back to cook it up!
It didn't disappoint either. Michelle asked the kitchen how best to cook it (boil for 5 mins apparently) and we feasted and played... yes, that's right.. Caracassonne. Unfortunately we had to say goodbye to Alan that night too as he heads up to Malawi.
The remaining four of us decided to stay just one more night before tearing ourselves away to head further north. And good job too because the nice boys on reception bumped Sean and I up again into a chalet for our final night because we'd told them it was our honeymoon (well come on, technically it is, it's our honey-sun - we won't be getting a honeymoon proper). They even dressed the room with flowers and fruits, bless them!
That final day we spent lazing on the beach and swimming in the sea.
Whilst tucking into the last of the crayfish on our last night, we met Richard from South Africa who gave us tips on our next destination of Vilankulos. Michelle & Martin even bought some of the local booze - Tipo Tinto - to try. Basically rum, good with coke.
Tofo is a charming little town with a gorgeous beach and well worth a visit. We're sad to leave. But on we must march!
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