My first reeeally long journey since arriving

My quick trip to South Africa to buy a bicycle

Chapas, or mini buses, or mini vans, or trucks, or whatever you want to call them, are THE way to travel if you want a real stereotypical African traveling experience.  Most often there are breakdowns, interesting characters on them, the drivers can be drunk or sober--either one might include really dangerous driving, and there might be live animals, babies, or other strange cargo on them.  This trip the strangest cargo was my brand new mountain bike, bought at Riverside Mall in Nelspruit, South Africa, only a few hours from Maputo.  I left my town, Inhambane on Friday at 4:30 Am on a chapa, woke early and took a shuttle to Nelspruit, where the mall is, on Saturday and returned to Maputo the same day, and then woke early at 5am on Sunday to go back to Inhambane with the bike.  It was a whirlwind trip but well worth it because now I have some spiffy new wheels and a bunch of crap that I hang off of it like pumps, head and tail lights and water bottle holders.

The Cheetah Express shuttle from Maputo to Nelspruit.  This is definitely not a chapa as you can see since there are not 50 people shoved into it.

After buying the bike at the mall it was put into this handy little thing that we dragged al the way to Maputo.

The blurry view of some pretty mountains on the road back to Mozambique in South Africa.

The sunset taken from the moving shuttle. I think it is a pretty good photo though.  I wish I could have watched it outside of the vehicle though.

The view from inside of the Chapa back to Inhambane.   It was supposed to be a backpacker's shuttle but since we didn't have enough people it ended up being just a regular shuttle.

I had to take my bike apart into three pieces--the two wheels were in the back and the body sat in the seat next to me.  It was wedged in between the seat in front and the seat next to me and had other people's things shoved around it as protection.

Looking from above at the bike wedged in between the seats.  You can see the chain and the gear shift sticking out.

The chain and gearshifts' view out the window of the chapa.  It was a nice ride.

Me and my bike outside of Riverside Mall in Nelspruit, South Africa.

Chapa Music

I wanted people who have never been to Mozambique to feel the unique randomness that is the chapa experience.  Photos didn't seem to capture it all but I was able to capture the music of the chapa during various sections of the journey.  We were blessed to have such variety at different times of the day.  The darker videos at the beginning were at about 5 am...just try to feel he experience....if you like it purchase your plane ticket and I promise to take you on your own chapa experience when you get here.

Pasada (the Mozambican sexy "forbidden" dance)

Dance! (does this music match the environment?)

Bob (Naomi, I did hear the Lion in Zion too!)

Pasada, take 2

Djavaan (a great Brazilian Musician)

I hope this gives to a little window into the randomness. Enjoy!