Back in SA

Well I got back to South Africa yesterday, I'm now back in Durban after choosing the much more comfortable option of getting back here by coach.  I must say a much more comfortable option than the Chapas from Tofo, and air conditioned as well.  Even though we left three hours late, but I'm starting to get used to that now!  Actually talking about the Chapas reminds me of the road rage incident we witnessed on the ride back down to Maputo.  I just remember seeing or driver get out of and start shouting at the driver of the car in front, then the driver pulled off to the side of the road and lots of shouting and fighting ensued while we were still stuck in the middle of the road in the Chapas watching.  I think this possibly went on for 10-15 minutes and I was starting to think we would have to get out and find some other form of transport back.  Anyway to cut to the chase after several pushes and many badly aimed punches, looks like the locals were incredibly bad a fighting luckily, we did manage to get going again and make it to Maputo.

So what to say about my time in Tofo, well as I was diving most of the time I didn't indulge in too much drinking.  Well apart from the last night, we had to catch the Chapas back to Maputo at 4am so we just decided to not go to bed at all.  So basically we just rolled out of the bar straight into the bus, well I think this was by far the best option as I think only getting a couple of hours sleep would have made it worse.  As mentioned in my previous post I managed to see plenty of amazing creatures while diving.  The Manta rays are pretty amazing creature, huge and seem to float through the water as a bird.  I only wish I had an underwater case for my camera so I could capture some of the underwater world.  I definitely intend on getting one in Australia so I can start sharing the underwater world with you all.  Oh yes one other thing, when I got back from diving one day as I got back to the hostel I saw someone who I recognised.  It was a Canadian guy called Pat who I had met over a month ago in Cintsa, small world.  It appears we were following more or less the same route but not quite staying at the same place at the same time.  Like everywhere I stay here I seem to hang out with a truly multinational group of all ages.  So Swedish, Canadian, German, Swiss, Brazilian, Chilean, English, American, Australian, Mozambiquan, South African, Dutch, Japanese and probably many more that I can't remember.  And ranging from 20 to 55, travelling is a great leveller which you don't always seem to get in normal life.

Oh yes nearly forgot to add mine and Pat's trip to the police station.  We were walking to a restaurant and Pat saw a shortcut, so we thought we would take it.  Pat was just taking it when a couple of people started shouting at us from the distance.  We just ignored them and carried on going as it just looked like some locals who we thought just wanted to sell us something.  Well they came running towards us from the other side of the building we were going behind and told us to go into the building we were passing behind.  Well naturally we said no, it doesn't seem like a good idea to enter a random building in a foreign country with locals.  Well then we eventually realised that it was actually the police station, the only visibly signs of this were the letters PRM on the wall.  Well we did start go get a bit worried at that point, I had visions of us being made to spend hours in the police station and being made to pay a big bribe.  We could just about get the gist of what they were saying very angrily at us, but as neither of us speak Portuguese we were unable to let them know we were sorry and didn't realise it was a police station.  Anyway luckily we were with a Brazilian guy that night and he came in and spoke to them, anyway the upshot is we got away with just a stern telling off and a lesson learnt about taking short cuts in the future!

Well, I'm off to Coffee bay for a few days tomorrow as everyone says it is a great place and it missed it on the way down.  Then of course I can't not stop in Cintsa again on the way back down to Cape Town.  I'll probably also go to Hogsback as it is also another place I wanted to go to but missed on the way up.  Then I'll spend another few days in Cape Town before leaving for Sidney at the end of the month.  I'm ready to leave now and see a new place, but also knowing that there is so much of Africa I haven't seen, most of it actually, and will need to come back at some point.