Tofo Beach, Inhambane

On Monday we woke with the early birds (everything is early here, for
some reason, they've got the wrong time zone for the longitude) and
headed for the Junta. It wasn't a military coup, but just as chaotic
- a roundabout surrounded by chappas and minibuses. Before we were
out of our cab our bags had been stowed aboard the minibus for
Inhambane and Tofo Praia. As we waited for the bus to fill with
passengers we were given an object lesson in capitalism as all manner
of product was traded through the windows. We bought some clothes
pegs, but saw blocks of ice, rice, digital watches, cleaning products,
eggs and pretty much anything you could imagine sold.

The ride was a laugh, apart from the ubiquitous toddler, variously
lolling on, sitting on or drooling on Lucy's lap. It took all day but
the reward is a great swathe of beach next to the warm Indian Ocean.

We've pitched our tent inside a hut (taking it very slowly on the
camping front!), which costs about 6quid a day and we're cooking most
of our own food, with varying degrees of success. A little black
piggy does a circuit of the campsite every lunchtime, oinking and
rooting, and there are monstrous bats who operate just outside our
tent of an evening.

Up on the dunes is a bar where we habitually take our beer (Laurentina
for Lucy, Manica for me) and tomorrow we're going snorkelling with
(apparently) the whale sharks. We've met some interesting people
passing through since we've been here, including a French guy who
we're hoping to scrounge a lift off for the next leg of our trip up
the coast.

The internet connection is miserable here, so no prospect of showing
you any pictures just now. We're off to buy some fresh bread, not
that stale shite they try to palm off on tourists - Lucy won't have
that - and then a bit of a read on the beach before Friday's seafood
buffet and some beers. This really is the life!

More about Maputo

Last night we went to Mundo's bar on Avenida Julius Nyerere, where the NGO's, teachers and businessmen and women, 90% expats commune over pizza, beer, rugby and luminous cocktails. We met a little cross-section of the CouchSurfing community, along with Tomas, our Swedish host, were a Belgian, Canadian, two more Portuguese and even a couple of Mozambiqueans. Quite an interesting bunch, but we felt a little green in the travelling stakes - it being our first week and all!

The weather has started to improve a little and after a good long walk around the Baixa this morning, and some beers at lunchtime we've been cooking in the sun. The local beer is really good, Laurentina and 2M (short, rather strangely, for MacMahon) being the rivals. Crisp and cold as you would expect.

Here are some more snaps from today.


The Maputo skyline in the sun


Peeking into a neigbour's yard with the long lens


Kids waiting for a wedding party in the botanical gardens

Lucy giving them whatfor at the Fortaleza da nossa Senhora de Conceicao

Selling eggs in the middle of the road

The bread-and-butter seller mid-spread

The Casa do Ferro, made from sheet metal, designed by Eiffel

A typical junction

Colonial style

Fruit stall in Polana district

A marching band marches past.

Maputo and eating

Well now, I've had a request to update you on the food situation.  It's largely Portuguese-influenced here, so there's a lot on the menu that we've eaten, probably better versions of, at the table in Bitetos.  On Wednesday evening I tried a resolutely Mozambiquean dish - matapa.  It looks like a plate of creamed spinach, but is made from the leaves of the cassava.  On closer inspection, it turned out to be enriched with coconut cream, tiny prawns and great chunks of crab.  Eaten with rice, it makes for a pretty delicious dinner.

 

Expect there will be a lot of chicken peri-peri and chips to come, but hopefully ncima (tasteless pap, apparently?) and some relish or other.  I also have high hopes for the local brew, which apparently comes in a carton and has the consistency of vomit.  Will let you know...

 

Maputo

Yo. I write you from the 7th floor lounge of our host, Tomas Petersson, in the Polana district of Maputo. We've been here a day or so, just getting used to the atmosphere and plotting our next move. Maputo's an eminently walkable city, tree-lined and feels (and is) largely safe. There are plenty of cafes, Portuguese-style.

We took a stroll along the beach to the fish-market yesterday, and returned with 12 massive prawns, which did for a starter with a bottle of South African plonk. Then, just to prove how civilised it is down here, we made a great hole in Tomas' 12 year-old Glenlivet. Lucy is looking decidedly peeky this morning!

Haven't felt that confident about brandishing the camera just yet, so I've been reduced to taking long-range potshots from the balcony. Also, there's a grim blanket of cloud providing far from ideal shooting conditions. Still here's a couple of snaps:

Africa - on the way into Maputo

The road to somewhere!

Judite dealing with prawn limbs

Lucy on Maputo beach. Weather looks miserable, but I promise you it's hot!

With Tomas about to tuck into some great crustaceans

Maputo by night

And by day

Morning, Africa

Modelling our packs in Finchley before the off!

We arrived at Joburg this morning at 7am and were whisked by Frank to the Purple Palms hostel and backpackers'. We're staying in the "Rhino" room (no jokes about getting the horn please), although it we could have been in "Duiker", which would have been entirely inappropriate, or in a neat little chalet in the garden which appear to be modelled on the great British shed!

Had our first meal at a greasy spoon in the local mall, which is apparently run by a Portuguese family. Good meat. Huge portion. Cheap. Murder capital it ain't where we're staying; sleepy, tree-lined boulevards and wide, grassy sidewalks abound. The soil is rich and red as promised. School's in, and there are plenty of kids around. The afternoon is hot and sleepy, although all the school boys and girls are all in full uniform, blazers and all.

It's all rather suburban really. The only sign of something different in the air are the lone chaps on the intersections, a chainsaw or other tool set out, and a rude sign touting their skills. Hot and boring if no work is coming your way.

Tomorrow we're off to Maputo. It feels odd to be so far from home for such a long time, without the prospect of people appearing over the horizon to have a beer and a chinwag. Time for a nap out of the sun...


Lucy napping in the sunny garden.


Let's hope the contents of this went to a good home!

We're Official Quitters!

The 28th September was our last day at work. Here we are sporting our branded I-resign.com merchandise tee-shirts. We are Official Quitters!

We've had a lot of fun arranging our travels so far. Check in to hear about the stomach upsets, insect bites, muggings, RTAs and other disasters that are bound to beset our rakish progress around Africa, Aus and South America.

We'll be back at some point, London won't give up it's grip on us just yet. Look after the place while we're away won't you!