Hotel Avenida Maputo

... and I felt a little paranoid as Marek had just explained to me the risk of catching TB in confined places like a minivan. He was also saying that because of his job he was actually not allowed to take this shuttle. The weather was not great but it got slightly better as we got to Mozambique. The border (172 Rand for the visa) was fine but it took a bit longer for Marek and me so we were the last ones to get back on the bus.


A guy called Nando was speaking to us during the ...

... lack of a need to prove myself. After a few days my confidence grows, and I speak Portuguese all over, except back at the hostel. No switching is allowed, remember.

After three sets of friends come and go, the party’s over for me. I accept that I need to hang another couple days, then head back and get my laptop fixed, or buy a new one. I also decide that I’ll re-enter Mozambique from the north next year when I ...

... inn** dat vandag se skade moeilik opmeet teen van sy vorige t**ugslae van v**loor en skades. Woorde aan ons vriend soos “vanaand is op ons, moenie jy worry nie” troos ook so bietjie. Hoe die woorde sy goed sal t**ugbring weet ek nie, maar dit laat almal 'n bietjie bet** voel.

Ons voel ons doen iets vir ons hartse** vriend en hy voel hy het vriende.

So kom die geliefde bruin trui se v**haal tot 'n einde. Mag hy vir

die volgende eienaar ook tot groot seën wees.

From Tete it was a nasty12 hour minibus ride down to Beira, cramped tiny seats with little leg room, no storage space for bags so they go on the floor taking up leg room, seats that fold out into the gangway so no chance of standing in the aisle. At each town a bunch of carrots and onions emerges through the window and get wriggled in our faces, the number one sales ...

... por onde quer que andassemos. Mas esse era apenas o comeco. Por nao estar acostumados, essa impressao parecia forte, mas agora, apos cerca de 10 dias nesse pais vendo outras cidades, vejo que, ainda, nao estavamos nos centros das atencoes. Nestes dias em Maputo ficamos alojados na casa dos voluntarios da ADPP, que eh como se chama a associacao aqui em Mocambique. Lugar movimentado, ja que todos os voluntarios que chegam ou saem deste pais tem que passar por ali ...

... of us waited til 8am, Antonio having told us the "captain" would not sail if we weren't at least 15. 8 came and went and we were still only 5 and despite offering to pay two tickets myself (in the hope others might be able to jump that band wagon of Inhaca will) the captain said UN GROS NON. Jesper, Zara and I were hitting it off by this point...I briefly considered getting the small cessna to Inhaca but dumped that idea when I was told it didn't leave until 5pm and the ...

... distance blah blah. The word SAFARI comes up "wAKATI HADI MWISHO WA SAFARI"!!!!!!!!!!!! and Ash lets out a little "wweeee" for joy, althought at that point she's still not sure what it means exactly.. so, err.all the way from Ams to Nairobi this Safari thing glared at Ash in her "I just woke up again and my God it's only been an hour and our dot looks not much closer at all to Nairobi" sticky eyes? I finally mustered the courage to show my ignorance and asked Nelson ...

... we will pick up our own 4X4 for three weeks. Bliss. We've also had our first really communal backpackers. Chris and Kate Mr and Mrs middle class england try a spot of backpacking...they cook up a spicy chorizo + rice dish (which, face it those of you who have sampled our tremendous cooking, is nothing really) and salad with wine whilst the backpackers look on open mouthed whilst dipping their bananas ...

... And then at the calamari: "Fried." In this fashion, we also somehow ordered water, rice, salad, and a bottle of wine. The food tasted so good that we didn't even really mind the vendors coming up to as (at our outdoor table) selling painted tapestries, cashews, and mini chests of drawers. On our second full day in Maputo, we took a ferry to Inhaca Island. We expected a 1.5 hour ferry ride that turned into 3 when we ...

... do se Criador. Sabe, Pierre, várias pessoas já me falaram isso, disse ele. Mas eu tenho certeza de que não é isso. Eu sou bom e faço tudo corretamente. Uma pena, Macucule, eu respondi. Infelizmente do seu jeito você nunca terá a oportunidade de conhecer Deus. Nem mesmo ele falando assim diretamente com você como já tem feito. Macucule olhou para o relógio e disse que tinha que assistir uma aula. Nos despedimos e não mais o encontrei na UEM.