The 12 Hour Wait.

Tuesday night when Nunu and I arrived at the bus at 5, it was immediately obvious to me that they weighed past 5:00. I have to say this was one of the best experiences of mine in Mozambique. There was a sign stating how much each extra kg cost and there was a scale. It was cut and dry… there was no bargaining and I didn’t wonder if I was paying the same as the next guy.

At about 7:00 a man started unloading 20 – 30 heavy boxes. I asked Nunu if he would be allowed to take all this stuff and Nunu said, “Yeah, if he can pay.”  I said, “What about the people who show up tomorrow morning with luggage?” Nunu told me that they don’t care whose luggage fills up the bus, so long as it’s full, so it’s first come first serve. Glad we went at 5:00!

It was odd just sitting at the bus place… I’m not even sure what to call it. It’s a building with space for 2 buses and 2 cars. It’s surrounded by a pink cement fence that stands taller than the buses. The indoor space is about 12’ x 20’ with a table at one end and a bright green jail cell at the other end. The cell is used for locking luggage if people wish to drop it off. The doors in are 2 huge sliding glass doors, probably 8 or 9 feet across.

When we arrive a bunch of men are working on one of the busses. By the end, I decide they are changing the oil. The don’t have the bus lifted up on much, rather they drove it up a wooden ramp onto a cinder block with 2 boards sitting on top.

At around 11pm they start loading the bus and I watch as my 3 bags are carried on. At around midnight there are about 20 people waiting for the bus. People start settling in for the night. Cardboard boxes & bamboo mats serves as beds. I wonder what people will do with the mats when they get on the bus as they are about 8’ x 6’.

A man left a piece of cardboard on the ground and about 20 minutes later… it’s looking like a lush feather bed. Maybe it’s just the thought of being able to stretch out… I don’t know but I tell myself if they guy doesn’t come in the next 10 minutes… that cardboard is mine!

Just then one of the workers offers Nunu and I a bamboo mat. Part of me isn’t sure if I should sleep on the same mat at Nunu, but I look around and see strangers sleeping side-by-side. I’m embarrassed to even ask for another mat, so I just lay down.

Our mat is on the concrete, just inside the glass door right next to our 2 backpacks and my purse. The mat doesn’t offer much comfort, I guess the point is that it’s cleaner than the floor. A worker closes the sliding glass door, probably so we don’t get cold. I crack it open as the night air feels so refreshing. People come and go out of the room we are in and I am unable to sleep. Every time I hear a noise my body jolts awake.

It probably has something to do with the fact that all of my valuables are in the backpacks and my purse. I look over and Nunu is dead asleep with my purse strap wrapped around his wrist. Around 2 I finally fall asleep, but not for long. I wake up to dogs barking. I just listen to them. It’s not friendly barking and growling and it sounds like there are many dogs. Since most Mozambicans think dogs have venom in their teeth, they don’t like dogs. It makes sense that stray dogs would come out at night. I listen and imagine 2 packs fighting over some good scraps. Part of me wants to get up and go see… I think of what a good view I would have if I could sit on top of the fence. I fall back asleep. But not for long the dog fighting is pretty consistent throughout the night.

I’ve never slept on concert before. It’s obvious that it’s not comfortable, but I found it odd that when I slept on my back my feet would fall asleep. I would turn to my side for a while and eventually my hips would hurt or my arm would fall asleep. I don’t say these things to complain; all in all it was nice to be able to stretch out for a few hours. It also crazy to think of all the people who have no choice but to sleep on the hard ground each night. I’m so blessed.

I wake up around 4:30 and people are slowly rising and brushing teeth and going to the bathroom. The bathroom here is very typical for Mozambique. It’s a toilet you squat over. Not the cleanest bathroom ever, just thankful for privacy.

They open the gates and people flood in. Only some have luggage, most just a small bag for the overhead compartment. I watch as people find out that all of their luggage won’t fit on the bus. I’m not actually sure what is going on, I just watch… but I think some bags will be stored in the cell until the next bus leaves in 2 days. I sure am glad we got here early.

At a few minutes past 5 people are allowed on the bus. The crowd rushes the door, there is nothing orderly about trying to get to the door. Nunu squeezes in the side and tries to give both of our tickets but the man says only one ticket at a time. Luckly the man took my ticket and so I am about the 5^th person on. Another man shows me to my seat in the last row and I put my bag up top.

I try opening my window and it won’t open. The only reason I picked this seat is because it’s the only window on every bus that for sure how the ability to open, because most of the windows span over 3 rows, so the person in the middle is at the mercy of the row in front of them. Nunu tries, nothing. We call one of the workers over and he struggles with it but finally gets it open!

Most of the bus rows are 5 across, I think total there are 63 seats… maybe 4 are empty. After 12 hours at the bus station, I’m happy to be on the bus and in my seat with a window that opens and a curtain for shade. I try to settle in for the long ride ahead.