Beach bumming Mozambique

[Xpat]

Last time on 690 I battle here quite a bit, but this time it was a breeze:

The sand being wet helped a bit too and the lightness of the 500?

The sand was wet last time as well - I had rain night before if my memory serves me right. Its the weight that matters - on 690 I had to ride all the sand standing up in attack position and that whole shebeng - getting properly tired in the process. On 500 I rode most of it sitting down jumping up on pegs only few times for few dozen meters or so each time.

 

[Xpat]

I pushed on throught deeper and deeper sand. Clearly the track past Machubo towards Bilene is used much less as most people turn inland in Machubo and head for Manhica on EN1 via private plantation. I have also noticed only once deep into the track that T4A tracks call this track 'Restricted'. I didn't see any signs or barriers saying the same thing so figured I can always plead ignorance and pushed on:

Eventually GPS started squeeking at me right about here:

I don't follow GPS most of the time - use it just to record tracks, but the squeeking was annoying so I stopped to check it out. It said something like - 'Warning - land mines'.

Now I remembered reading few years back in one of those Enduro magazines an article from a group of guys including one of my mates who were doing this track and turned back because of the possible mine hazard. I have forgotten about it completely - it maybe explains the 'restricted' designation of the track.

Anyway, the track I was on was well trodden and I had a bashplate anyway, so hey - what could go wrong? So I just pushed on along the lagoons heading north to Bilene:

Something went wrong here, but hey, at least it is different:

I have made it to Bilene without any undue explosion. I stopped at garage for petrol and to my pleasant surprise found out that I can withdraw money from my card at the garage - they just swipe your card for whatever cash you need and then give you cash. No need for ATM, may come handy in one of the more remote places.

After that I ducked into the Complexo Palmeiras on the main lagoon. It was only about noon, but the weather continued to suck big time, and there is only so long I can ride with wet shrunken balls through mine fields.

The weather continued to suck, so I just lazed about for the rest of the day in my chalet and restaurant nearby:

​

 

[IDR]

... and I had a bashplate anyway, so hey - what could go wrong?

;D bash plates make a vehicle mine proof, surely???

Subscribe!

 

[ROOI]

SUB  :deal:

 

[ButtSlider]

Subscribed  :sip:

This is an awesome trip.  :ricky:

 

[frankmac]

I couldn't make out whether they travel on the left or right hand side of the road when I went through to Zinave Park the year before last. In Portuguese times it was the right hand side.

Keep it coming, Xpat  :thumleft:

 

[Oom Foe-rie]

I like this kind of Ride Reports and Xpat you're a master in the way you share it with us ................. :thumleft:

 

[Xpat]

Day 4 - Bilene to Zona Braza


Next morning I finally woke to the clear sky and Mozambique improved straight away 1000%. So did my mood. Actually from now on for the rest of the trip in Moz I didn't have any more rain. This posed its own challenges as it turned horribly hot, but I managed just fine most of the days before 6:00 am and arriving to the destination at noon, or at 2:00 pm latest, to spend rest of the day lazing about the lodge and beach. That, plus light weight and agility (and lack of windscreen) of 500 which allowed me ride at quite a clip even in deep sand sitting down and hence have plenty of airflow to cool down.

Initialy the plan for the day was to ride up the coast as far as possible and try to find somewhere along the beach to sleep over. I didn't know any place which made me a bit nervous - I came ready to bushcamp, but in my heart I'm a gastro-tourist and prefer creature comforts at the end of hard ride. Plus as I said I eat only once a day and then I eat like sabre tooth tiger on crack (or rather ganja, as most of sabre tooth tigers on crack I have seen looked like vegan zombies), and I didn't fancy to try to satiate myself with varienty of bully beef and bean cans I carried for self-defence.

So I was very glad to discover on the internet that in about the right distance there is a nice beach place called Zona Braza and that became my objective for the day. Here is the route I planned and did end up riding:

To contradict myself right away, I started only at 7:00 am because the track runs initially through some rich man development and they had a sign up that no bikes and quads before 7. Who am I to argue with a rich man so I obliged.

I got lost almos straight away. I got lost well, if that makes sense. Like so:

I somehow found myself on top of the dunes overlooking the beaches below:

Another screwed up picture that looks like I'm riding Yamaha - not sure how to fix it so it will have to do:

Now, on the account of the bike laying around like a piece of discarded garbge - yes, the sidestand - or rather the bolt holding the sidestand - wiggled itself lose and broke off before I hit the dunes. While this was mildly annoying at the time (the scenery helped to sooth me), it came to bite me hard later on in the trip. So from now on, only pictures of bike leaning against something or laying down.

 

[Xpat]

From the first set of dunes I then moved on to the next one, where I managed to get all the way down to the beach where I joined two Toyotas with Saffers with local holiday houses:

Approach down to the beach:

Hilax nad the wounded Katoom:

Another screwed up picture:

 

[Xpat]

After I bummed this beach long enough, I set-off again finding my way back inlands and towards the EN1. However hard I tried in my planning, staring for along time at satellite images in a vain effort to find some ferry landing, I couldn't find any viable crossing of the mightly Limpopo river, apart from the bridge on EN1 (if anybody knows about ferry or some such down there - I'm sure there must be something). Plus I needed to fill up so I had to make a stop in Xai Xai - one of my least favorite places in the whole of Moz.

On the way to EN1 I crossed village called succintly Vladimir Lenine. I am repeating myself, but I'm sitll intrigued who outside of USSR had the great idea to name a place after one of the biggest mass murderes of 20th century. I don't think there is  place called Adolf Hitlere - actually I'm pretty sure there may be one tucked away somewhere in Argentinian Andes.

Shortly after the leader of international proletariat I hit the EN1 for about 20 km to Xai Xai, where I stopped for petrol.

Quick stop over at the Engen garage:

 

[Matewis]

SJOE!!! Mooi wereld!!

 

[Xpat]

After the refuel I gunned it through the choka a block traffic using pushing myself through every little gap I could find. Xai Xai is basically one big choke on EN 1 and hence always traffic jammed with people driving which and every lane they can to gain a meter or two here and there in typical african fashion. It was also early afternoon and properly hot, with fumes everywhere, so any civilized pretenses went out of the window and I just rode as fast and recklessly as I could through the town.

Once I turned off EN 1 towards Xai Xai beach few km down the road, the traffic and myself calmed down and I quickly got beach bum vibe back, especially once I hit the very pictoresque sandy track following right along the beach for next 10 - 15 km. Like so:

Eventually the track came to a fine speciman of one of those old abandoned carcass of previously grand building (couldn't figure out if it was former factory or beach resort). At this point the track turned inland, away from the beach:

 

[saklx650c]

One word.............Awesome.

 

[Xpat]

The sandy road headed inland most probably all the way to EN 1. I followed it for few km and then turned north again on the little tracks I have plotted on sat images. And I have to say I have done a great job  :snorting:

Main road:

And onwards north following the coast through the sticks:

There are plenty of inland lagoons like this one dotting the Moz coast. I took a break here and chatted to couple of locals who came out of the bush to check what is all the ruckus about:

And onwards towards Zona Braza and medium rare fillet steak, followed by king prawns for a bit of Omega 3. Admitedly, even without the food option ahead, the riding was just sublime, the garden of eden kind of stuff (as long as the sun shines...):

Eventually I T-boned sandy road heading straight for the dunes on the beach that would take me to the Zona Braza lodge:

The lodge was just what doctor ordered to get me back on the Moz side after the border debacle. See for yourself - first me casa:

The amenities and scenery. What more can a gastro-tourist wish for?

 

[Xpat]

One word.............Awesome.

Yes I also enjoyed it mucho 

 

[Xpat]

I like this kind of Ride Reports and Xpat you're a master in the way you share it with us ................. :thumleft:

Thanks  :thumleft:

 

[Xpat]

Thanks all for following and comments  :thumleft:

 

[ClimbingTurtle]

This is so brilliant!

I am going to have to change my plans for my 50th and do some testing up these routes instead

Thanks for taking the time to type it all up - much appreciated!!

:thumleft:  :thumleft:

 

[BLK]

A fantastic RR.Thks for sharing.The pics just added to the drama.You have courage as well knowing that you may have to deal with these dodgy officials etc.

thks

 

[sidetrack]

So Bots cutlines, Koakoland, Moz beaches or Lesotho rocks - if you had to choose your favourite ?