Leaving Guru for Tete
Today on April 5th, I left Guru and aimed for Tete, a fair distance away. While having a bite on the main street, a container truck stopped and I ended up exchanging a few words with the driver. Turns out he does the Beira to Lilongwe route via Tete, where he lives. He shared that he carries enough fuel for the return trip — between 850 to 1,050 liters depending on whether he’s hauling a loaded or empty container. It was a fun exchange, and we had another brief stop down the road.
Scenic Roads and Meeting Mita
The scenery along the way was fascinating — rivers where many people were doing their laundry or washing themselves, and mountainsides with interesting features. I decided to pick up a young lady named Mita. Around lunchtime, she pointed out that she was hungry and suggested a place to eat. It was further along than I’d hoped, but it was a really good spot where we had some chicken.
The real limitation is on my end — I haven’t spent enough time getting a better grip on Portuguese. That is the limiting factor here, and when you can communicate, it makes a world of difference.
Navigating Tete with a Language Barrier
Mita was also heading to Tete. At some point I managed to let her know I was looking for a hotel, but I also thought I’d made it clear that I would find one myself. She had other plans though — she basically drove me around town. We crossed a bridge over the Zambezi River and went a long, long way. She pointed out a hotel that was all by itself, but I didn’t stop. I just wanted to get her to her destination. We ended up back near where we entered town, which is where she needed to be. Having more Portuguese under my belt would have made that situation smoother, but she was a nice person regardless.
Staying on the Zambezi River
After dropping Mita off, I found a place to stay right on the Zambezi River. They had a reduced price of about 30%, which made it affordable — normally it would be out of my reach. It was very much worth it because I was able to spend enough time there to make it worthwhile, not just sleep. Having the Zambezi River in the background made for a beautiful picture. Tete has two bridges over the Zambezi River, and the road to where I was staying was quite rough.
A Conversation with the Hotel Manager
I had a fascinating conversation with the hotel manager. The property is owned by a large hospitality holding company listed on the South African Stock Exchange. He moves around within their properties, typically staying 5 to 10 years at each location. When he was asked to come to this particular property, there was a big change — up to that time, 80% of occupancy came from people working in certain mines. Then the mining company changed hands, and the new owners decided to house workers closer to the mines. All of a sudden, 80% of the business was gone. It was a tall order, but he managed to reposition it as a corporate hotel serving more companies, who generally pay more because they want their people well-rested.
African Music and a Great Night
When I arrived, there was also a Sunday afternoon singing event, which I really enjoyed. Experiencing more African music was something I’d hoped for on this trip, but it requires staying in town longer in the right places. I had a great night in room number 8 by the Zambezi River and was able to catch up on some paperwork. Thanks for coming along!
