Mozambique

 Tuesday, April 11, 2023, Maputo, Mozambique

We did not have a tour booked here. Mozambique gained independence in 1975 after battling Portugal for 10 years. Then a brutal civil war ensued from 1977-1992, killing a million people and decimating the economy.  It’s currently one of the poorest nations in the world. Most people speak Portuguese or French. Not a lot of English, but some. And as with everywhere in Africa, local dialects. Nearly everyone in Africa seems to speak 2-3 different languages (or more). Can’t complain just because English isn’t one of them.

There was a shuttle bus from the ship to a craft market. The market was large, nearly half were gorgeous plants which we had no way to bring home. There was artwork along all the fences. Vendors were aggressive and many were selling the same items. We looked for the bathroom and it was the worst yet. A ceramic hole in the ground, no running water or toilet paper. Charlie bought sunglasses from a vendor on the street, and we bought some cashews for a good price. One odd vendor continued to follow us as we left while repeating the same thing over and over.

Entrance to craft market

Nearby was an oasis! A 5-star hotel. We used their facilities and then sat for short while (maybe even used their wifi). They were very tolerant of us. 

From the hotel we identified a possible lunch spot and started looking for it. The vendor who had been following us to the hotel reappeared. Some men at a gas station we were passing made the circling motion indicating he was crazy—something we had been thinking. Charlie told him to scram, and he eventually gave up. Another man shadowed us acting as if he could help us find our restaurant, the Pepper Galaxy. A pedal taxi driver helped us by shouting at the man to stop trying to rip us off. What a good samaratan! The restaurant was an odd combo of Indian and Asian food but they pulled it off and we really enjoyed it.

Next, we started looking for the natural history museum. We asked a couple of police officers for directions, and they decided to accompany us there. The male officer carried an ancient-looking semi-automatic rifle. He spoke some English and we learned that the female officer (also fairly young) was his supervisor. The neighborhoods were a little sketchy and we were glad for the escort. 

Our escorts to the museum

The Maputo Natural History Museum was housed in a gorgeous colonial building. Jill bought a red Mozambique hat from a vendor out front before going inside.

Natural history museum in Maputo

The displays had not been updated probably since the museum was established, but they had a crude charm. There was a surprisingly complete display of animals (ancient-looking taxidermy), including depictions of vicious life and death struggles between species. One of the most interesting things here was the stages of an elephant fetus month by month. Ancient tribal artifacts (baskets, furniture, art), snakes of the area, sea life, etc. We bought some postcards in the gift shop, and they had a piano in the lobby. Charlie played a couple of tunes and a few schoolgirls were mildly interested.

Our police escort. The female police officer would not be photographed!

Elephant gestation display

Art there too

 

The museum gift shop vendor

Money was a hassle. Most people would take US dollars, but not $1 bills because the banks wouldn’t take them. We tried to get a taxi back to the ship but only had $20s or $1s. They wouldn’t take a credit card. It would take 45 minutes to walk back & we were told “have a nice walk.” 

It was only a 15-minute walk to the shuttle, so we headed that way instead, stopping at a grocery store for snacks along the way. They took our credit card. We made it back to the craft market in time for the next shuttle. As before, vendors were desperate and aggressive near the bus. Charlie managed to buy a gorgeous batik through the bus window just as the shuttle was taking off, with a little help from the bus driver.

Despite language barriers and the devastating poverty, I liked Mozambique. People in general didn’t take much notice of us, and our interactions when they happened were mostly positive.