Vip Maputo

... the cars before they do a U turn.. I think they were more frightened of me than the locals… after some laughter between us I found out there was some traditional lodges just back a bit thus we went to have a look.

Driving through one part we came across a white chap who looked out of place, very clean and chipper..we stopped for a chat (I am happy to talk to anyone) Ralph was his name and he had been living here for one year ...

... local contractors
are taught proper preservation techniques for this unique structure,
UNESCO works almost exclusively with local contractors. UNESCO is also
partnering with the United Nations Development program to ensure that
preservation contributes to poverty reduction. Thus, the fort will not
only be a tourist attraction, but will also be a venue for community
gatherings as well as a source of clean drinking water for Ilha
residents ...

... toe gedra. Volgens my het dit by al my uitgooi-broeke gepas.

Van die Long John het lat** net net ‘n rek en paar stukies mat**iaal oorgebly voor ek dit weggegooi het. In die sekuriteitskoene het ek nog vir 'n dekade lat** in Johannesburg skoolgehou en uiteindelik die gelapte skoene saam met 'n sak and** **fstukke vir ‘n arm man gegee. Staatmak**s soos 'n Marks en Spence-baadjie wat self 'n dekade van te vore op 'n sneeudag vir vyftig pennies by Oxfam gekoop is ...

... USAID's FY09 budget is $200MN, the majority of which will go to HIV programming. There is a LOT of AIDS in Mozambique too - depending where you are in the country, its between 15 to 30%. 30%! That's about as high as it gets anywhere. So, there is a lot of need for all that cash, and the US Government partners (NGOs - non-government organizations- like PCI) are pumping out the interventions, from treating people with ARVs, testing, preventing mother-to ...

... stopped? Hmm, wrong move. On our way back from dinner the police stopped us and demanded our papers. They didnt seem too happy with Francois' comment that they were just down the road in the hotel, " we take you to police station to see chief, you will spend the night in police station and you will be punished". When the femininie persuasion or is that begging didnt work, we were ...

... on the 2 hour hectic-sea-fare to cruise a mere 35km to Inhaca, that I would be blessed with at least an hour of sunshine. We finally got to Inhaca.....it's just, just beautiful. I stepped off and headed into the township and it's just a different world to Maputo...so quiet and simple with thatch houses and palm trees EVERYWHERE! I hadn't had my coffee yet so stumbled into the Pestana hotel and got myself a big milky coffee and a fruit salad. Having passed ...

... point, smiled and sailed our way through....we didn't illegally jump any borders this time but YET AGAIN, Anna had her ass checked out by Mozambican border control and her number requested and before we knew it we were cruising down the "highway" to Maputo...I was in shock when the sign read "Maputo 80km". We we were SO CLOSE! we laughed long and hard about the candle farm we never saw! About 20km out of Maputo we realise our back tyre is running flat ...

... the wrong word, perhaps) and from there to Kruger to our lodge for our 2 days doing the SAFARI, in the sense of the word those non-swahili speakers amongst us know. Even though there is no time difference at all, I'm pretty much all over the place having crashed and burned at 7pm, although the sun goes down here around 5.30 so it felt like slaap lekker tijd anyway! Right...Anna and I have packed our food for our road trip and we're off in just a bit..so far, so great!

... or so I was told). All I know is that I was amazed by the mall and the cafes on every corner. There was lots to see and do in Maputo with museums, art galleries, restaurants, stores, and coffee shops. I wish that I could have stayed in Maputo longer. Maputo is where I left Lauren and continued on my own once again. From Maputo I travelled to South Africa. I was sad to be leaving "real" Africa behind but glad to be one step closer to home.

Fleeing north we hit Maputo after taking the ferry from Katemba. Not sure if thats were the drink gets its name from but quite possibly. Stayed at Fatima's which was somewhat of a disappointing after being there 5 years before. Too developed for our tastes.