Maputo 09

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The cancelled trip to Maputo was back on when I heard I wouldn't be going to Korea in December. So after a frustrating start to the trip when Annie locked herself in the bathroom and Roisin's dad had to break the door so we could get her out, we started the long drive to Maputo entertaining ourselves with confusing the Garmin since we knew the route better.

This was mine and Annie's third time in Maputo so we knew the drill but we were lucky enough to explore the town more(The Garmin is definately worth the rands).
We went on a quest to find internet services(quite a mission since most places close down for Natal(Xmas) and found the Nautilus Coffee shops(Maputo Mall and Julius Nyere Road). They had good food - we savoured the popular pastel de natas a few times and you just need to buy something to use the wireless internet.
We also spent a ridiculous amount on cappys at the Southern Sun so we could use the internet there. Nobody gave us a second glance assuming we were staying at the hotel, and it would have been nice if we were. The hotel is situated on a beach front with the pool next to the beach and many locals hang around the beach trying to sell their art/bead wares to tourists.
The Garmin suggested the Museum of Natural History as a tourist attraction so we decided to give it a try. It felt like a school trip and didn't have anything really exciting.

As usual, at the Malanga Fish Market, the fishwives tried to get all our Rands! On our last attempt,we managed to negotiate about 5kg worth of seafood for almost R200, we even come back home with cash - the trick is to go later in the evening when they're trying to get rid of their catch so they'll end up giving you extra for what you're willing to pay. The treat is having your food cooked at one of the little restaurants behind the fish market-our fave is a little place right at the back with wooden chairs and a little nervous granny who only speaks Portuguese.

For my birthday we bought a really chocolaty cake that we could not finish(it made the trip to Pmb) and we had supper at Costa da sol down the road from our accomodation. It was quite a nice evening with locals partying hard on the beach front.
On our last day, we took the Ferry to Catembe where we had a picnic on the beach. The beaches of Maputo aren't anything like what our Durban beauties used to be, you have to make the trip to Ponto or Xia Xia for those sandy beaches-trips that the Clio sadly would not make.

All in all a good little vacation, lots of swimming, prawns and we all came back with many different skin tones after all that time in the sun. I'm happy to say we didn't get stopped by the local police once(they come up with any reason to stop saffas and fine them) and we only got ripped off marginally at the local markets.

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Photos

View from Accomodation Gates
My fave bit about Maputo, everday we would walk/drive out the gates and see these trees across the road, just between the trees you see the beach and ocean, pity this was taken on a dreary early morning, it's usually quite a nice view...