Djuma to Kruger International, S. Africa to Vilankulo, Mozambique

19 - 20 Mar 08

Meeting up with friends from Brazil after 26 years

19 March 2008. Djuma to Kruger International (VFR/IFR 0:49). Kruger International to Vilankulo, Mozambique (IFR 2:43).
Djuma was CAVOK, while Kruger was broken 800 feet and visibility 4k. So with all the rocky outcrops nearby, we decided to to climb up to 8000 feet and do the full ILS 05 procedure, which delayed our arrival by almost 20 minutes. We filled most of our tanks up with cheap South African fuel (US$ 1.20 per liter), so we would have enough for most of our Mozambique flying.
Altogether, flying in South Africa has been great: modest landing fees, no clearance required and minimum formalities. It’s also easy to rent a plane here, so we may well come back one day.
No weather problems on the 2:43 IFR flight to Vilankulo, Mozambique. The immigration formalities in Vilankulo were fast and efficient and we both got a Mozambique visa in a few minutes. We were welcomed at the airport by Robert Forrester. Robert and his wife Rosemary were friends of Angela in Brazil, and she had not seen them for at least 26 years. They invited us to stay with them at the nearby Archipelago Resort where they are setting up a dive company for Robert’s nephew who will be moving soon from Zimbabwe with his family. Robert drove us along the bumpy sandy road from the airport, which was only just passable with a 2-wheel drive car. Rosemary had prepared lunch for us in their house, and we had lot of chatting to do about travelling around the world by yacht or by plane. Robert and Rosemary spent the last 20 years sailing round the world in their beautiful Oyster yacht, which is now for sale in Cape Town.
After lunch we went for our first swim in the sea since São Tomé back in October. While we were sipping sundowners on the terrace, Angela saw a large bird fly by. It settled in a nearby tree for a couple of minutes and we were able to recognize it as another giant owl. This seems to be our month for spotting owls: one on Table Mountain and then 2 in Djuma game reserve.
Next morning, before driving us to the airport, Robert and Rosemary took us for a tour of delightfully tatty ‘downtown’ Vilankulo. It was typically African and it was obvious that we had left the comparatively developed country of South Africa behind us.

Thanks to Rosemary and Robert Forrester