Days 89 thru 92

(Rhia’s comments are italicized)

Our next destination was Maputo, Mozambique. A mere one hour drive from Kruger, as measured by reasonable people which we are not. Not only are we not reasonable people, but also we had some business to attend to in Sandton, so we drove 6 hours back to Johannesburg instead! Also, we had booked flights long ago, and Kruger was a spontaneous journey. This is why I don’t like booking things in advance; things change, or an opportunity comes up that you weren’t expecting, or ..? And then you have to backtrack 6 hours instead of going  forward for one hour!! I have to smile inward when people ask how we can travel ‘on the fly’ because my question is how can you not? But thank goodness we’re all different; I sometimes imagine a world full of people like me and it’s quite scary!

We did see some nice things on the way back.

We had a couple of days in Johannesburg before our flight, so we stayed at our friends’, Pete and Marie, again. they are so very kind to open their place for us. We got to spend time with another friend, too. Dexter! When we first met Dexter, he was just starting dog training and had a lot to learn as he had a lot of uncontrolled energy! He now obeys we’ll and walks nicely on a leash, ignoring impulses to run after other dogs. He is so precious.

The trip to Maputo was very uneventful. When we first arrived in South Africa three months ago, I still had anxiety going through immigration and customs and at not knowing where we’d be staying that night. Travelling Africa the way we do has given me confidence in these things. I’m also confident now that I can be firm in a polite way with street vendors and beggars. It seems strange that stepping away from the developed world has increased my confidence and helped me grow as a person; but that’s part of the magic of Africa!

Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, is a port city on the Indian Ocean, and is way warmer that Johannesburg!! We found a place to stay central to the places we initially wanted to visit. The place is also right nextdoor to what I initially thought was a barber shop named The Spot.

Turns out it is an outdoor dance club!! Full disclosure here; it IS a dance club, but it’s also a place where people go to meet girls working the oldest profession in the world. And they seem to rent the room next to ours. Sadly, it’s not the first time we’ve accidentally stayed in such a place; but at least the rooms are cheap 😂 The music appeals to my younger self, so I am currently sitting in the courtyard listening to the heavy, bass pounding, beat of EDM dance mixes (we know this terminology because our son, Jake, is becoming a dj in this genre of music).

Being that Maputo is right on the ocean, we headed to the water first thing.

Maputo was colonized by Portugal, so not only the architecture is reflected in this, but Portuguese is the main language. I get to communicate in Portuguese with people using my non proficient Spanish! 😂 I truly believe we’re communicating, but the truth is that I don’t really have a clue!

The old train station still stands and shows off the Portuguese architectural style perfectly.

Not only do trains still run from here, but they also have exhibited the old engines that used to rides to tracks here.

Maputo has a few museums (as researched through Google Maps) but it seems they’re not open. However, we chanced across an old Portuguese fort so decided to visit it as it was open!

I would be remiss in not sharing my food experience here. The meals I have had this far have been delicious! But to Rhia’s amusement, the spice level was a little elevated.

Walking around Maputo is a different experience. The capital is dirty! There are large trash bins that don’t seem to be emptied, so trash is everywhere. It is very common to actually see the swirling wind because of all the trash that is picked up in it. There is also a very strong smell of urine on most of the streets we have walked here.

Aside from that, I’m really liking Mozambique, so far. The locals are friendly, and there are more things to see here in Maputo before we move to the next place. I agree that it’s enjoyable, but it does feel more dangerous than other places we’ve been. I’m not sure why I’m surprised at this, though…the country’s flag features a rifle!!