Impressions of Mozambique

Today we made our first landfall on continental Africa. We’re sailed over 32,000 miles so far (around the globe at the Equator is 25,000 miles) and we still have a month to go, most of which will be spent in Africa. When we were in Africa before I felt strongly that I wanted to return and now here we are. I like Africa. I like the resourcefulness of the people who have so little to work with. I like the joy on many of the faces, despite the hardships they endure. I like the colorful cultures, the interesting vegetation and the amazing variety.

What we saw of Mozambique presented contrasts of every sort — rich and poor, old and new, clean and filthy, innovative and downright boring. Watch for some of these in my pictures.

                        The famous train station built in South Africa and assembled in Mozambique in 1910

We saw many stores with new clothing here, which we hadn’t seen in the two previous cities, and many more street vendors selling used clothing (from the US, Australia and now China, the guide said). The main street of the city seems to be just one big market, selling mostly clothes but many other things, as well.

This was the “illegal” fish market, for reasons I don’t understand. Why not fish when everything else seems to be OK?

There were upscale sections to the city, too — something for everyone — and cars everywhere; almost all used and imported from Japan.

This statue of Mozambique’s first president was truly huge and impressive and the cathedral across from it stood out as quite different from others we’ve seen. Unfortunately we couldn’t see inside.

We stopped at a huge craft market with reasonably good quality goods and clearly the locals shop there as no tourist is going to purchase a plant in a five gallon container from their extensive nursery. I especially enjoyed the creativity displayed in the (repurposed tire) garden ornaments.

Visiting Mafalala was the most interesting event of my day, however. I didn’t see the community work of improving education, providing venues for sports and discouraging the drug culture in as negative a light as some did but thought it was making a difference to the children there. To be sure, Mafalala was a unique place; children everywhere without any obvious parental supervision, running with pointed sticks, and inevitably eating their share of the dirtier than usual dirt. Families of many economic levels, religions and ethnic backgrounds live here together in what appears to be harmony due to its proximity to the heart of the city and its services and the long history of the area. The drug culture is there, too, in its own space, which we walked through, and as we did Brenda was accosted, giving us all a brief scare. I think that’s why there were three “guides” with us at all times in Mafalala.

As in every place we’ve been lately I was impressed with the cleanness and whiteness of the clothes and their condition. The streets may be open sewers (I spared you the pictures and the odor of those!) but the clothes look great!

This wall, commemorating four of the “native sons” of Mafalala, was put up as a reminder of past greatness and future possibilities for the young people. Right across from it is a dirt lot where an Olympic gold medalist once played with the her peers.

This man is living my motto! “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” I like his spirit!

Th teacher hadn’t arrived yet and all of the other children were more or less doing what they pleased. I guess it’s possible that this boy was catching up because he hadn’t done his homework but when we locked eyes I think I saw something else. I think he has a great future ahead of him. And maybe so does the young entrepreneur below?

This building, made largely out of the corrugated iron so much a part of Mafalala, will open next month as a museum of the area in the hopes that it will bring pride to the community and an added source of revenue to the organization who works for the community.

                                               What do you think of that, Washington friends?

Yes, the tuning of the drums was done in the fire!

I know it’s all relative but just watching these women made me even more hot and sticky than I already was!

As the children lined up to go into school I remembered my days as a teacher and when I noticed the mothers watching until they went in I was reminded that people are very much the same all over the world.