Catemba was a festive little place. The town was bustling with people, cars and vendors and the road was lined with small eateries and take away huts, all serving ice cold 2M (the local beer of choice). We were a little overwhelmed by all the activity after the past few weeks of relative solitude and were just starting to wonder how on earth this whole ferry crossing procedure worked, when an enthusiastic and enterprising young gentleman came bounding up to us saying, “No worry, I take care of everything! You be number two for ferry. You just listen me!” And with that, Vusi took control of everything. From showing us where to park, where to wait, where to get the tickets, how much to pay (about R50.00 for the car and R6.00 for us) and most importantly, which vendor to buy a nice cold beer from, which was all he asked for in return for his services.

Thanks to Vusi our trusty ‘Joburg senses’ that had been put onto high alert mode upon entering the town could now be toned down a notch or two and we were able to relax and enjoy the beer in hand. We had to wait for another six vehicles to join the queue and for the ferry to return from Maputo before being given the go-ahead to drive down the jetty and onto the large but rusting ferry.

Whilst waiting we were approached by two policeman you wanted to know our business there, what we had in the car and to check our papers. I can’t explain it but each time we’ve had to deal with an official of one sort or another the butterflies start up and a small degree of panic ensues as they walk around looking for faults and possibly a handout. I really hope this is something that passes with time as we become more accustomed to it.

The ferry crossing was surprisingly smooth and took virtually no time at all. I was glad that we’d decided to take this route rather then the drive round which would have added another hour or two to the journey. The directing skills of the parking attendants on board were beyond impressive. Despite a large truck taking up so much space, they weren’t phased one iota. With their competence and talent for diplomacy in communicating with the vehicle owners they were able to cajole and coax a further three vehicles on board when we were already thinking another one would be difficult. This turned the eight vehicle ferry into a tightly packed eleven!

Four cars on… another six and a truck to go!