Just Back: Maputo, Mozambique Driving away from the Maputo Airport, there's a hurricane of co ours an!

ive y crow!s, crossing the main roa!s a bit too casua y" peop e are very re a#e! here, the timing here has been given the name as $M%, genera Mozambique timing& %he streets are run !own an! a itt e ittere! in p aces& A rea!y at 'pm on a (ri!ay evening, the barraccas )sma corrugate! iron* woo!en shacks, se ing !rinks+ are open an! the tipo tinto ) oca rhum+is f owing, the hespanic,-azzy sty e music is p aying ou! from the parke! cars& %here are !amage! bui !ings sti e#istent from the .ortuguese co ony evacuation& %he .o ana hote is on our right, it is gran!, enc osing it's own poo which over ooks beautifu sunsets over the sea with re!s an! b ues intertwining in the !arkening sky& /o oure! sarongs an! !resses f ipper in the win! from the wire ti!e to the s ight y eaning pa ms, which bare the green coconuts being so ! on the si!e of the streets& Machete in han!, a man probab y about 01 years o !, chipping at the she , on y an inch away from his thumb& A coconut cost us 2 meticas, the se er offers me some co oure! straws to choose from& My father gives an e#tra 'tip', to make sure he recognises us from the tourists, where he manages to charge up to 01 Meticas& 3t is sti very bright outsi!e, an! the heat is -ust sett ing a itt e a though the car air,con is keeping the sweat at bay& 4e pass the fish market, re! snappers, prawns, squi! are being so ! off on the si!e& %he fish market is a ways an attraction for oca s to go, but bartering is a must to get a c ose to fair price& 4e arrive home& 3 have a nap, shower an! !ress for an evening out& %he cars are parke! on each si!e of the roa! for most of the coast ine roa!& 5very meter there's somewhere to buy a beer, peri peri chicken an! a variety of music& %he city centre is about 62 minutes !rive away, we take a tuc, tuc as our ta#i& %here is a batt e with anguage, since most of them speak .ortuguese or 7hangaan, there isn't a ot of 5ng ish aroun! in Mozambique& 8owever, even with the anguage barrier, the peop e sti try an! he p as much as they can& 4e start off at Do ce vita, serves probab y the best cocktai s in Maputo& %he wa s are ine! with pink an! b ue pipe ights& %hey serve us caparihnas, my !a! or!ers a pizza an! 3 get sashimi& %he f ight back home eaves me teary eye!, eaving the mu ti co oure! shacks an! !imming orange sunset, c imbing into the thickening c ou!s& /oming from origina y iving in 7outh Africa, Mozambique seems a who e ot safer than 7outh Africa& A though the growing tensions between the 9enamo an! the (re ima threaten the country with civi war at the moment& 8opefu y, ne#t year the country wi return to it's former, strong cu ture!, co ourfu an! enthusiastic si!e&