Mozambique!
Being so close to Mozambique and with just a little bit of extra time, it was just irresistible to go visit there, but we knew it would not be easy.
So we got visas (not easy) in the local nearby consulate in South Africa. Then we got bus tickets, (not easy) and arranged for a hotel in Maputo (not easy). So we left on Tuesday, and getting out of town on the bus was definitely not easy.
We loaded up and were ready to go and the bus broke down for “thirty minutes”. Which turned into two hours and it looked like it would never leave and another bus pulled up next to us and offered to take everybody to Mozambique and there was a mad scramble and we got on the other bus and left. Getting across the border into Mozambique was a real zoo, an appropriate term in light of all the exotic animals here.
So we arrived early evening in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique. It’s on the coast and it’s big place, but we were warned it was not very safe there and - don’t go out at night. So we went for a walk at night to a local restaurant, tempting danger, staring danger in the face, and survived to tell about it. We were pretty hungry!
The next day we took an amateur tour of Maputo, in other words we wandered around on our own, visiting a large cathedral, many markets, the promenade along the lovely beach, and the coast line. We went walking in tidal flats at one beach and had a late lunch at a beachside hotel restaurant, devouring giant prawns (a local specialty). Delicious!
After that, we went “shopping” for Andando stuff and bargained hard with the locals, at one point being completely mobbed by aggressive vendors selling a variety of items. We lived through it and came away with some cool stuff.
The bus to return to South Africa left at 7:00 in the evening and was less eventful than the trip over, but still total chaos at the border. We got back to our place in South Africa after midnight. Third world countries are pretty interesting and can be very challenging!
So we got visas (not easy) in the local nearby consulate in South Africa. Then we got bus tickets, (not easy) and arranged for a hotel in Maputo (not easy). So we left on Tuesday, and getting out of town on the bus was definitely not easy.
We loaded up and were ready to go and the bus broke down for “thirty minutes”. Which turned into two hours and it looked like it would never leave and another bus pulled up next to us and offered to take everybody to Mozambique and there was a mad scramble and we got on the other bus and left. Getting across the border into Mozambique was a real zoo, an appropriate term in light of all the exotic animals here.
So we arrived early evening in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique. It’s on the coast and it’s big place, but we were warned it was not very safe there and - don’t go out at night. So we went for a walk at night to a local restaurant, tempting danger, staring danger in the face, and survived to tell about it. We were pretty hungry!
The next day we took an amateur tour of Maputo, in other words we wandered around on our own, visiting a large cathedral, many markets, the promenade along the lovely beach, and the coast line. We went walking in tidal flats at one beach and had a late lunch at a beachside hotel restaurant, devouring giant prawns (a local specialty). Delicious!
After that, we went “shopping” for Andando stuff and bargained hard with the locals, at one point being completely mobbed by aggressive vendors selling a variety of items. We lived through it and came away with some cool stuff.
The bus to return to South Africa left at 7:00 in the evening and was less eventful than the trip over, but still total chaos at the border. We got back to our place in South Africa after midnight. Third world countries are pretty interesting and can be very challenging!
posted by Kevin Kiker | 9:19 AM
2 Comments:
Looks beautiful!
I want to go!
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