Some comments on visiting a foreign country. The problem is Moz is such a nice place you forget about laws and rules and that it's another country !
The only trouble makers I saw there were SOuth Africans doing really stupid things, disrespecting the people there who btw are the friendliest people I've met. Anywhere.
I put the green and red reflective jacket in the window so it's visible at all times when you're on the road.
Never speed, the bribes are a small penalty, but if you speed and you make an accident.... big big trouble (Bart Simpson)
Don't drive at night ! Full stop. Drive only during the day. No night traveling.
If you take your quad bike, please leave the figgin baffle in the exhaust. The least pleasant experience was where a couple of idiots were making so much noise you could't talk to someone it was that noisy.
Just because it's open and clean doesn't mean spinning the beach or dunes to peaces, good grief. I can see why the officials are sometimes full of ****. No really, you won't do it here so why do it there !
If you go through the border post, do not let the 'agents' help you. That is a ripoff and causes lots of problems. Just think if the one you pay to put you through customs doesn't return with your passport ! In trouble ! DIY.
Be friendly, it helps. My Portuguese friend says Portuguese ia a social language so asking how someone is is important, and probably a compliment greeting them in their language, a sign you have interest. Couple of easy words -
Ola ! (Olah) = Hello
Como esta ? (Komu esta(s)) = How are you ?
Obregado = Thank you
Sim (Siem) = yes
Nau = no
And don't forget the important ones
Peixe (Peiche) = fish
Barco = boat
Praia = beach
'Deuch ehm' = 2M = best beer there is !
List everything you take through the border that you plan to bring back out. This you can do when you pack and you hand it in when you go through the border. If you didn't list the camera they may ask you to pay export duties on it's value ok, things that go through borders are subject to import / export duties, as everywhere in the world.
Same with the case of rum, case of brandy and the twelve dozen pilseners you plan to take in. It's not coming back out, and in such quantities they may suspect you are trying to sell it duty free... hence will give you trouble. It means you are smuggeling things, evading tax, fraud.
Watch the prawn season. Geeezzz okes do stupid things. If the season for prawns is closed you don't want to be cought with a cooler box full of prawns - even though it's cheap.
Buy a fishing license. It's only R50 if the price is still the same, you need a boat permit too. Don't drive on the beaches.
If you hit a policeman you have serious troubles, trust me !
You are not allowed to photograph any official, they will lock you up ! ASK if you are unsure, same for the locals, ask them if you can take a picture of them. Many get really upset - dunno why, others love it. Accept no as no, it's not the wife that says yes when she means no ok :-D
We always tend to fill our cars with stuff... while most things is available there, one can travel much lighter if you don't take everything. You can take meat, moz has very little meat. Not many Boere there ;-)
Don't take fish, there's plenty of fish.
Take drinking water or buy drinking water in bottles there. The beer is great. Coke is expensive from small shops. Their portuguese bread are THE nicest, probably in the world. Take butter. Their rice is also nice, grown in the Xai-Xai area I believe, charcoal is plenty and cheap, take blitz or parafine or start the coals on a gas burner, gas is plentyfull and cheap.
Don't run their chickens over in the small villages. To us it's just a chicken, to them it's a lot more. My one friend actually has a list what they use all the chicken parts for, from the beak, the eyebrows, the head, the feathers, down to the toe nails - quite hilarious.
There is no crime (or very little) once you get past the southern part of Moz (influence from SA ?). As in all African countries where the people are dirt poor and only the officials make more of a living, leaving valuables lay about may be very tempting. I think the average income is ~R100 per month, so remember they think we are filthy stinking rich - a small thing to respect.
My friend's phone got stolen. Someone in another town saw the thief trying to sell the phone and called the cops. My frind was back in SA, but when he got back there they took the thief to the polics station, hit him naked stretched out with a batton over the back which wasn't pretty, confiscated his belongings untill he paid back the value of the phone, and if he was cought stealing again he gets banned out of the area - permanently. Wish it was like that here eh ! Mind you, we wont have enough battons... :-D
Take your Malaria stuff ! No firearms. Sunscreen, the summers is very HOT, even hotter North.
Celphone costs to SA is sick. (C-Cell ? is the cheaper service, vodacom is a ripoff) Local calls are cheap so you can still phone you buddies or wifey if they are there with you. Before I go again I'm considering getting a satalite phone. At least it works anywhere in the world and the flat rate cost is 1$ per minute, not near the probably R30 /min I paid previously though Vodacrime.
What did I leave out ?
Oh yeah, if you happen to pass by me here, I'll gladly pay for a dozen of those 2M beers and a half dozen of them Portuguese breads... LOL, big open mouth kiss if they're still fresh :-D
