In Pemba we spoke to a South African guy who assured us that the best way to cross the border would be on the temporary bridge near Mueda and not via the ferry (at Mocimboa da Praia) which had sunk earlier in the year. We set off to find the crossing, but things did not go well: Firstly we had three maps with us which were all different, and secondly, they all said that the road went through a town called Mocimboa da Rovuma, which was a complete an utter lie. When we finally found the right town we were informed that the bridge had been removed for the rainy season and that we should try the ferry (which sunk).
We had quite an adventure trying to cross the river, and one which is far too detailed to possibly explain in writing, but quite a story nonetheless. In summary, there is no way to cross between Mozambique and Tanzania, and we finally got across 3 days later with the help of some locals who strapped 3 fishing boats together with logs. The locals had however done it a few times before and were quite aware of what sort of situation you have got yourself into by the time that you arrive at the river; and ask for an non-negotiable US$300. The only alternative is to backtrack a few thousand kilometers and ferry across lake Malawi. And so, with few options, limited petrol, and even less cash we borrowed some money from a Tanzanian guy and went for it.
We took numerous photos, but unfortunately the camera's SD card picked up a virus. We are hoping to recover them when we get back, but at least we got the whole thing on video. The whole ordeal was quite a stressful one, and after not showering, barely eating, and arguing for three days, arriving in Tanzania came as quite a beautiful thing!
