I have never been a diary person so when several friends recommended that I keep one to record my thoughts and experiences of my 18 day trip to Mozambique, I knew I wouldn't have the discipline to take their advice. Instead, I took lots of pictures and made sure to reflect each day on the moments I found either interesting or moving.Despite all the beautiful scenery, excellent food, busy markets, and other uniquely African and Mozambican experiences that I will always remember from my first visit there, I was most impressed and appreciative of the warm hospitality extended to me by the Da Rocha's and Nel's cousin, Katia, and her cousin's boyfriend, Alex.
An image I will never forget took place at the airport in Chimoio. After dropping Nel and I off an hour early for the flight, Mr. and Mrs. Da Rocha and Carlos, Nel's uncle, assisted us with check-in and waited at the airport until the flight boarded. As we walked acrossed the runway, all three were standing outside the airport waving goodbye. Finally, as the plane was driving across the runway for takeoff, Carlos, and Mr. and Mrs. Da Rocha, with the morning sun in their eyes, waved goodbye to us again. It was a very nice sendoff to a great week in Chimoio, Mozambique.
For several reasons, our trip to Mozambique was a great experience. For Nel, I think it was a long overdue visit (she hadn't been there for 10 years) to see her parents and to get a sense of the country where she spent her first 12 years. For me, it was the type of vacation I had always craved — a visit to a beautiful African country in which I am afforded the chance to truly see and appreciate the culture and way of life.
We were fortunate enough to see parts of northern, central and southern Mozambique. Unlike its neighbors, S. Africa, Zimbabwe and Tanzania where there is a heavy British influence, Mozambique has blended an Arab, Portuguese and African culture which I think is felt in the art, music, dance, dress and food.
Each geographic region in Mozambique is unique in both its traditions and ethnicity. The south is the country's most populous and economically developed area. Here you will find Maputo, which is the capitol and the place we stayed for three nights. Maputo is a fun, tropical city surrounded by beaches. There is a lot of energy here and on the weekends the beaches are packed with Mozambicans (lots of South Africans too during South African holidays). Overall, I found the city very vibrant and I enjoyed the colorful markets and its 'no stress, no problem' feel.
Maputo also has several surrounding shantytowns that sprang up during the war. These colorful and busy "cane cities" are a problem for the government and those who inhabit them because the infrastructure in Maputo was never meant for so many people. Despite efforts to conceal the shantytowns from visitors by building what Mozambicans sarcastically refer to as the 'wall of shame,' you immediately become aware of these large and lively shantytowns the moment you leave the airport. Hopefully as Mozambique prospers they will work hard to provide education and institutional resources to those in the shantytowns so living conditions can be improved and viable neighborhoods can emerge.
Going north along the coast are several other towns , including Xai-Xai and Inhambane - two places I would like to visit someday.
The main city in central Mozambique is Beira, an old, hardsrabble port city that links Zimbabwe to the Indian Ocean and is vital to trade. This vibrant city is the second largest in Mozambique but a bit run down. Beira was hard hit during the civil war that devestated the country between about 1980 and 1992. I think the people that have lived through this are very tough and that resiliency can be felt in the town.
Central Mozambique is also home to Gorongosa National Park, Chimoio and Manica. We visited and enjoyed each of these places. If you drive from Beira through Chimoio and Manica and finally to the Mozambique-Zimbabwe border, you quickly gain an appreciation of this area's beauty. There are several rivers, tropical landscapes and beautiful mountains. This is a beautiful area that, relative to the rest of the country, has been disproportionately scarred by the war, the AIDS epidemic and malaria. To me, this area represents the heart of Mozambique.
In northern Mozambique you find Nampula, the Island of Mozambique, Pemba and the Quirimbas Archipelago. The north has a stronger Arab influence, breathtakingly beautiful beaches and is much less developed than the south. If central Mozambique is the country's heart, I would maybe label the north as its soul. The people seemed very welcoming and laid back, the weather is beautiful and the coastlines are like artwork. We visited Pemba, the main city in the north, which lies on the world's third largest bay, and Paquetequete, a place with a strong Arab influence and the oldest establishment in that region.
Both Pemba and Paquetequete were two great highlights of our trip. Visiting Paquetequete, a fishing community, was like stepping back in time. Life there looks laid back, but not easy. I was amazed by the architecture and will never forget all the activity going on at the beach, the place where all the fisherman bring their catch. Pemba is a beach town with some busy markets including a Makonde woodcarving cooperative.
Maputo also has several surrounding shantytowns that sprang up during the war. These colorful and busy "cane cities" are a problem for the government and those who inhabit them because the infrastructure in Maputo was never meant for so many people. Despite efforts to conceal the shantytowns from visitors by building what Mozambicans sarcastically refer to as the 'wall of shame,' you immediately become aware of these large and lively shantytowns the moment you leave the airport. Hopefully as Mozambique prospers they will work hard to provide education and institutional resources to those in the shantytowns so living conditions can be improved and viable neighborhoods can emerge.
Going north along the coast are several other towns , including Xai-Xai and Inhambane - two places I would like to visit someday.
The main city in central Mozambique is Beira, an old, hardsrabble port city that links Zimbabwe to the Indian Ocean and is vital to trade. This vibrant city is the second largest in Mozambique but a bit run down. Beira was hard hit during the civil war that devestated the country between about 1980 and 1992. I think the people that have lived through this are very tough and that resiliency can be felt in the town.
Central Mozambique is also home to Gorongosa National Park, Chimoio and Manica. We visited and enjoyed each of these places. If you drive from Beira through Chimoio and Manica and finally to the Mozambique-Zimbabwe border, you quickly gain an appreciation of this area's beauty. There are several rivers, tropical landscapes and beautiful mountains. This is a beautiful area that, relative to the rest of the country, has been disproportionately scarred by the war, the AIDS epidemic and malaria. To me, this area represents the heart of Mozambique.
In northern Mozambique you find Nampula, the Island of Mozambique, Pemba and the Quirimbas Archipelago. The north has a stronger Arab influence, breathtakingly beautiful beaches and is much less developed than the south. If central Mozambique is the country's heart, I would maybe label the north as its soul. The people seemed very welcoming and laid back, the weather is beautiful and the coastlines are like artwork. We visited Pemba, the main city in the north, which lies on the world's third largest bay, and Paquetequete, a place with a strong Arab influence and the oldest establishment in that region.
Both Pemba and Paquetequete were two great highlights of our trip. Visiting Paquetequete, a fishing community, was like stepping back in time. Life there looks laid back, but not easy. I was amazed by the architecture and will never forget all the activity going on at the beach, the place where all the fisherman bring their catch. Pemba is a beach town with some busy markets including a Makonde woodcarving cooperative.
Prior to leaving for Mozambique, I wondered about the scenery, the culture and the country's history, especially with regard to how the many violent years following independence influenced Mozambican life today. What I didn't think much about was the food. Had I considered this the food may not have become the great surprise it turned out to be. From north to south, the food in Mozambique was great. In Pemba I ate lots of seafood and piripiri chicken. Piripiri is a famous Mozambican spice that is very hot and served with most dishes. It is such a powerful spice that Mozambican farmers use it to keep elephants away from their crops. I like spicey food, but piripiri is something else! While I enjoyed this spice, I was very careful in adding it to what I ate because it's so powerful. And while piripiri chicken was a favorite dish of mine in Pemba, I made sure to keep bread and beer nearby to dampen its impact!
