Maputo

Hello everyone from Maputo!
Kieran and I arrived safe and sound in Mozambique after a wonderfull christmas with the Sambo family (Khensani's family). She dropped us off at the bus station in Nelspruit (hence my previous post) and we caught the 12:45 bus to Maputo.

We took an hour and some to get to the border and then had to disembark and make our way through South African customs and then walk about a kilometer to the Mozambiquian border crossing. thats the way it seems to work in all the african countries i've crossed into, they have this "no man's land" where after you've left the country, you have to walk about a kilometer before you reach the other country.

On the Mozambiquain (from here on in referred to as Moz.) side we had to enter this room, about the size of my parent's livingroom, to get our visas to enter Moz. i've come to the conclusing that the conditions in this office is a way for officials to prepare visitors for conditions they will be experiencing during their stay in Moz. There should be a sign that says, "Turn back now if you pass out before reaching the front desk." It was hot, humid and the air smelt of human sweat. this office was packed to capacity with people trying to enter the country, it was already 30+ degrees outside, inside it was like a sauna. I've never sweated so much in my life. I was in there, in line to get my visa, for about an hour. when i got out i was soaked! literally, i looked like someone had thrown a bucket of water on me, except it was my own sweat.

and like i said, the conditions in that tiny office are there to prepare you for how you will be in Moz., as i haven't stopped sweating since!

We arrived in Maputo around 6:30ish. we made our way to the hostel and tried to get a room or a space to tent. we had arrived 2 days before our original booking so we didn't officially have a room. Luckily, one of the other Canadians that i met back in Preotira (these were the ones who are through CIDA and the University of New Brunswick), was travelling with her boyfriend to Maputo as well, and staying at the same hostel, and had a private room with 3 extra beds in it! So i had a place to put my head that night.

The next day was all tourity things. wandering around the city, checking out the port of Maputo, taking pictures of random things that i found interesting. it was nice. Maputo isn't nearly as dangerous as South Africa, everyone is really friendly, and even though there is extreme poverty, and they are recovering from a huge civil war that took place in the 60's and 70's (i think, i could be mistaken about the dates), the crime rate is not nearly as high as in South Africa. Even walking around the city at night is okay, as long as you keep your wits about you. you only have to worry about having things stolen, not losing your life! it's great!

Finally, today i wandered around the city some more. then i caught a boat across the bay to the other side, the name of the beach excapes me at the moment. i wasn't there 10 mins before i had another african girlfriend. this woman walks up to me speaking Portugues. i don't speak portugese. she flags someone down who speaks english. he says that she want's to be my friend. she then takes me over to visit with her other friend and the friend's boyfriend. he speaks a little bit of english and tells me that she likes me.

so i have to explain to her that i'm not interested in a polite way so that she doesn't get offended. i tell her that i have a girlfriend back in Canada. apparently, she has a boyfriend here as well.

i sat with them for a few more mintues, trying to communicate, after a while i make a polite excuse and leave to go wander around the beach and take in the spectacular view of Maputo from across the bay.

when i leave, on the boat, i get confronted by this drunk african man who seems to think that because i'm white and "South African" (i didn't bother to tell him that i was Canadian), i should have the knowledge to make all of Moz. lifes better. i had to sit there and listen to him rant for 25 mins. he was very racally focused, so to tell him that i didn't want to talk to him (because he was drunk) was not a good way to get him to NOT make an even bigger scene.

but i made it back to the hostel in one piece. i had a shower and now, for the first time since arriving, don't feel all wet and sticky due to the heat, but that could be because i'm in an airconditioned internet cafe.

well time to go and eat something! we're off to Tofo tomorrow!
later gaters!