I just sit here (home) in Berlin collecting all information I have about the countries I plan to travel in Africa. Moreover, I still try to find places to stay in Mozambique, but it seems impossible to find anybody willing to host me.

Unto now it is difficult for me to evaluate the situation waiting me in Africa. I read a lot, I searched the internet, I have received advices and many warnings saying I should not go traveling alone through Africa - especially not through Mozambique.

Happily, I found a girl joing a part of the trip. We are starting in Johannesburg on August 1st heading to Mozambique. We both are bringing our tent and we will see how often we really can use it. We both are traveling low budget thus prices like 9 Euro per night in a backpackers' are hardly payable to both of us (this is cheap for Mozambique; for camping I could not find a cheaper offer than 5 Euro per night). We will try to find goodwill people to host us or at least a place for less money where the tent can be placed. Warnings about mines still make it difficult just to put your tent anywhere you feel like. Beaches - and Mozambique seems to have many beautiful ones - are not recommended to stay overnight.

Actually, as I read in Lonely Planet travel guide from 2002, it is not recommended for newcomers like me - that have never been to Africa before - to travel Mozambique first. Though - until now - I feel it is the right decision first to travel Mozambique. I plan to start in Maputo and then travel up North to Xai-Xai, Inhambane, Vilankulos, Chimoio, Tete and last but not least I will enter Malawi around August 14th.

If anybody of you has any information about roads, accomodation, camps, food etc. I would be happy to hear from you.