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Johannesburg
12
Graskop
34
Kruger NP
56
Mozambique
7
Swaziland
89
St Lucia
1011
Durban
1213
Bergville
14
Cape Town
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South Africa - Bicycle Tour Adventure, Day 8
Pictures and Stories About Bicycle Adventures
Tandem Bicycle Tour through Lebombo Mountains,
View Lowlands and Rural Countryside of Mozambique; Enter Swaziland;
Ezulwini Valley Mlilwane Game Reserve, Siteki,
Beehive Hut; 15 Nov 2014
Photographic Highlights of the Day
Above: People are funny everywhere. What a great sense of humor this guy has! I hope that we get to meet again. The gentleman saw me taking their pictures and he quickly grabbed his own camera. We took pictures of each other and waved, neither one of us was in control of our vehicle. This the outskirts of Maputo, we were heading just far enough out of the city's influence to safely resume our Tandem Bike Tour.
Above: We were about 30km SW out of Maputo heading for Swaziland.
Above (in Swaziland): Dennis waving backwards to Terry (taking the photo); we had suited up and were ready for Mother Nature. This was quite the super cell coming at us. We're about 80km SW of Maputo and maybe 30km into Swaziland and it was getting ready to cataract. Our vehicle transport driver (already waiting for us at Siteki, Swaziland) realized that we were in a tough situation and our transport driver drove back through this storm to come get us. The action was a very welcomed rescue!
Above: What we missed pedaling through on our tandem.
Above: Weaver Nests and Weaver Bird at the entrance of the Mlilwane
Game Reserve, Kingdom of Swaziland.
Above: That is Terry and our Home for the Night. It is called a Beehive Hut.
Above: Real live Warthogs warming up next to the campfire.
Above: Local Bantu Tribesmen & Women demonstrate traditional Dance and Song.
Breakfast at the Polana Hotel, Maputo, Mozambique
Then Depart Crowded Maputo (to finally Start Tandem Bicycle Touring)
Above: Breakfast at the Polana Hotel.
Above: Breakfast at the Polana Hotel.
Above Left: A Happy Camper, Terry.
Above Right: The journey begins, we just want to get out of Maputo (geographically and politically) to find a spot to pedal our tandem safely (we're not worried about the people of Mozambique).
Above: We had to drive many kilometers.
Tandem Bicycle Touring in Mozambique!
Above Left: In our rush to get going we did not take our usual start picture. We are 25-30km SW of Maputo on N3 heading for Goba on the Fronteira (Portuguese for Border - Swaziland and Mozambique) and we must ride in the vehicle to cross the border due to Travel Manifest Laws).
Open Range Cattle is common all over southern Africa. There is always a boy (young man) around. If he is not visible, just stop biking or driving and a Cattle Guardian will magically appear.
Above Right: Here it is flat, 90% humidity, 90F+/30C+.
Above Left: this a common view, loose goats, relatively clean property, a little garden, and a simple dwelling.
Above Right: African Lady going about her business.
Above Left: Mufuiani, Mozambique.
Above Right: Woman carrying firewood.
Above Left: Munhuana River (all waterways in Mozambique can have Crocs).
Above Right: Here we are.
Above Left: Impaputo (town ahead). Now we are seeing some signs of foot hills ahead.
Above Right: Boy carrying Water or Fuel.
Above Left: We are on N3 heading for Goba Fronteira (the Border of Swaziland and Mozambique).
Above Right: A home with add-ons; I like the port window patio.
Above Left: Goats running loose. No one seems to be needed to watch goats, apparently they are self maintaining.
Above Right: Red dirt and crops in a field.
Above Left: Nkalatchana Creek.
Above Right: N3 Highway Marker (exactly the same method is used in Portugal).
Above Left: Keep on peddling SW in Mozambique.
Above Right: Big Brahma Bull (I think), an obvious Indian influence.
Above Left: Mixed southern African Cattle.
Above Right: Dogs coming; I was worried but it turnd into a non issue.
Above Left: A fellow cyclist gives us the thumbs up (they do it sideways around here).
Above Right: A Lady waves, she's selling wood.
Above Left: More wood for sell (we are approaching the mountains). If no one is visible, someone will appear within a few seconds if you stop.
Above Right: A family of Rondavels (round huts).
Above: A family of Rondavels. In some cases people are waving and/or yelling Ola or Hello. We always responded to greetings.
Above Left: Enterprise! Thatching and Wood for sale.
Above Right: It is easily 95% humidity and 95F/35C at the moment.
Above Left: Thatching repair material.
Above Right: Mafavuka Enterprise.
Above Left: Young men saying Hello.
Above Right: Rondavel close-up.
Above Left: We stopped for a water break.
Above Right: The hills and road ahead.
Above Left: A very typical roadsidee vendor (food and drink). Vodaphone is the local wireless and cell phone service, their advertising is everywhere.
Above Right: Young boy carrying water home.
Above Left: We are taking a water break (Terry and the Bee).
The house in the background is under construction.
Above Right: Meet a friendly construction worker.
Above Left: The Speed indicates 7.3 MPH, anything under 10-12 MPH indicates that we are traveling uphill. We have been on a slow climbing incline for a while
Above Right: Hills ahead, steady climbing.
Above Left: Hills ahead, steady climbing.
Above Right: Brave man fishing in a creek's pool where crocodiles hunker down in the dry season; there are crocs here.
Above: This a major town/village and there is no signage (common in most of Africa). We are officially in the Lebombo Mountains of Mozambique.
Above Left: It is Sunday, these two little girls are dressed for church (standing alone on the road side), and I presume that a relative is about to pick them up for Church. We hung around about 100 meters/yards up the road and saw a van load of dressed people pick them up. It was sort of a weird experience.
Above Right: We're looking due East. The big village that we just passed is in the background. The lowland is very humid, in fact is so humid that the visibility is reduce to a grey wall. We are climbing the Escarpment that leads to the Highlands (Highveld). The temperature is dropping for us, it is only in the high 80F+/30C+ now. Notice that they have heavy rain drainage.
Above Left: Ladies are heading home with firewood from the forest lands into what we are now cycling.
Above Right: At first, I thought that I saw a tandem bike. We waved at two riders.
Above Left: Bags of Rocks (for sale).
Above Right: The Misquita Mosque.
Above: The Border of Mozambique and Swaziland.
We had arrived to the top of our hill climb, to southern Africa's Highveld, and to Swaziland all at the same time!
We are now in Swaziland!
I cannot express how much cleaner and safer the country,
Swaziland was our Positive Touring Unexpected Surprise!
Above Left: It is an African Joke said by Swazis (Bantu), that if they ever lost the letter 'M', they would lose half of their language words.
Above Right: The country is just suddenly cleaner and the roads are better, life is looking pretty good right now.
Above Left: We are now pedaling in the 20s MPH - Zooming!
Above Right: This is the first time that we have seen our destination posted on a sign.
Above: My wife Terry, who creates First Class Scouts, mercilessly stalks an unsuspecting Skink with a camera. She is actually pretty good at this. We were taking a bicycle water break near a culvert.
Above Left: Side view to the south of canyon vegetation, it is lush.
Above Right: The road ahead, looking westward, is starting to look gloomy. Mnay tropical places have evening thunderstorms, however unknown to us a fast moving Cape Storm front is about to pass through west to east (in less than an hour).
Above Left: A nice stone masoned dwelling stands before us.
Above Right: We have stopped for a snack (trail mix).
Above Left: We take note that the cows are heading away, home? We decided to put on our rain suits.
Above Right: We pedaled on, after dawning our rain suits. We can see the rain wall coming; it is about 200 meters/yards away.
Above Left: One quick picture of Dennis suited up for rain.
Above Right: IT'S HERE!
Our Transport Driver Jannes Recues Us!
Jannes was waiting for us just before the town of Siteki.
He Drove the Van Back Through the Storm in Case We Wanted a Rescue.
Above: This is the storm that we missed while riding in the transport vehicle.
We have arrived at Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary,
Siteki, Swaziland
The rain has stopped, it is still cloudy, and we have arrived at Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary.
Above Left: Everywhere in Swaziland we see these images. The left two pictures are of the King, then King's Mother, and right-most is the appointed Prime Minister.
Above Right: Ngulube (Bicycle Rider) - We never did find the meaning.
Above Left: Welcome to Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary.
Above Center: A live fence, common in villages.
Above Right: Mr Grimace.
Above Left: Weaver Bird Nests.
Above Right: Weaver Bird.
Above Left: Weaver Bird Nest.
Above Right: Weaver Bird entering nest.
Above Left: We are heading to our lodging - That guy is an Impala.
Above Right: A Warthog, Impala, and a Wildebeest (L-R).
All About Beehive Huts!
Above Left: Our Village.
Above Right: Our Lodge, a Beehive Hut - They are bigger on the inside than one realizes. That is Terry stooping in the doorway.
Above Left: Two Double Beds ... plus.
Above Right: ... One Queen Bed.
Above Left: The Closet, Door Closed.
Above Right: The Closet, Door Opened.
Above Left: The Roof's hut structure and thatching ...
Above Right: ... panning down midway to the door.
Above Left: View of the front door (closed).
Above Right: View of the front door (opened).
Beehive Hut Construction Details
Above: Beehive Hut Under Construction.
Above: Thatching Details.
Wandering About Camp
Above Left: Retired Guide Vehicles.
Above Right: Sometimes called an Aloe Tree.
Above: Warthogs (and Zebras) wander about camp.
Above Left: Vervet monkeys have the run of camp but do not seem to be spoiled as in some areas, they just coexist with mankind.
Above Right: Vervet female and baby. It was pointed out to me that the face and hair color reverse colors with age; I just find that fascinating. I don't know where else a color reversal occurs in nature?
Above: Sunset.
Above: Sunset in Swaziland. 'Red Sky at Night, Sailors Delight' is a big fat LIE!
Above Left: Warthogs toasting about the campfire, this is real. The air temperature is in the 60s and these guys are cold.
Above Right: Terry and our restaurant host. That is a hand carved wood elephant between them.
Above Left: Open air restaurant - World Famous Hippo Haunt Restaurant and Bar.
Above Right: Dinner.
Swazi Dance and Song Performance
This was a very event filled day:
Cycling in the country side of Mozambique.
Cycling in the country side of Swaziland.
Dodging the violent Lightning Storm.
Seeing wild animals in our Camp.
Seeing Warthogs warming about a Camp Fire.
Seeing the Swazi/Bantu Dance and Song Performance.
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