Feeling Positive

I've never travelled alone. Honestly, I'm quite terrified. Not many things scare me but I think its because I don't know what to expect. I've done research and have come across a lot of horror stories. People getting robbed, police being corrupt, backpacker getting killed, the roads being too dangerous. On top of all that, it's one of the top 5 countries affected by malaria. Like, not to be dramatic or anything but I could die. But then I thought about it some more and to be honest theres people getting stabbed to death on Bounces Road every five minutes and thats within a one mile radius of me. A poor old lady got decapitated with a machete in her garden a few years back, 10 minutes from my house. There's shit happening everywhere. So if its my time to go then its my time to go. I've already been labelled as a risk taker and even reckless, so I might as well get the badge for it too. If I'm going to die I'd rather it be on a white sandy beach in Vilanculos anyway. But enough about death, what a bloody drama queen. I'm going to ignore everything and go with positivity and an open mind!

I didn't plan to go alone. It wasn't meant to be this way. I was supposed to meet someone there but life doesn't always go the way you want. Things don't always work out.

We had a connection I could feel down to my very core. There was a magnetic pull I couldn't resist. I went into it with my eyes closed, my heart on my sleeve and fell flat on my face. It hurt, I can't lie. But everyone goes through heartbreak and this time it was my turn. I realised I was fist fighting with fire and it was just a lost cause. I made mistakes, I made a lot of mistakes. I told lies that didn't need to be told and downplayed the situations I was wrong in. Instead of holding my hands up I kept making excuses. I was at fault. But nobodies perfect, we have to embrace the glorious messes that we are. All I can do is take it as a lesson learnt. Actually learn from it. Hold my head up high and move on. I'm at peace with it now.

There's a quote by Elizabeth Gilbert that I didn't understand a year ago. I read it over a couple times but it didn't make sense to me.

I understand now. Minus the spiritual master bit. She went a bit overboard there.

Anyway, back to my travels. Solo travelling is something I've always wanted to do. It's something I always thought to be quite liberating. I mean, I like my own company. I could imagine myself sitting down at a restaurant in Naples, drinking wine and eating pizza, watching people go by. But to throw myself in the deep end and travel to Mozambique for my first time? This is scary.

I can't imagine myself in a chapa. I like my own space, I don't like it when people are too close to me. How will I handle a cramped minivan with everyone sitting on top of each other? Possibly with a chicken on my lap? (I didn't just make that up, someone actually experienced this). I googled how long the journey is from Maputo to Tofo. 9 HOURS! Tofo to Vilanculos? Another 4 hours. I looked into getting buses instead but apparently theres no bus that goes straight there. You need to change about 10 million times and even get a ferry. This is sounding like a disaster. I get lost in London, I have no chance. Not only do I need to travel there but I need to make my way back to Maputo.

I thought about it some more and then realised planes in Mozambique exist. Duh. It's not exactly a backpacking kind of vibe but better take it down a notch than get kidnapped and held for ransom. So, I could take a plane from Maputo to Tofo, stay there for a week, figure out how to get to Vilanculos, then take a plane back from there straight to Maputo.

UPDATE: I figured out how to get to Vilanculos. Take bus from Tofo to Inhambane, ferry to Maxixe, and then another bus to Vilanculos. Will take about 5-7 hours in total. Sounds pretty straight forward right? I've never researched something so hard in my life. If I put this much effort into my studies I would've become a heart surgeon by now.

I'm feeling positive. Everything's slowly coming together. Now to look into accommodation..