Mozambique > Wandering through the capital Maputo

At the airport, there is a lot of confusion about the luggage. The bags are tagged through to Maputo, but some of our travel companions were told at Schiphol that the luggage still needed to be identified. There’s really no time for that. We decide to see what happens. It turns out it’s raining in Nairobi. Who would have expected that? We quickly walk to gate 8 and join the long queue. It’s half past seven, and the flight is supposed to leave in ten minutes. That seems impossible. Then we realize not everyone in line is going to Maputo. Travelers bound for Maputo are called forward. A little later, we board the plane to Maputo. I assume my luggage has made it along without identification. With a slight delay, we take off toward Mozambique. Only then do I realize that Mozambique’s time is one hour different from Nairobi, so the flight takes an extra hour. The seat and legroom are much more comfortable, and I soon fall asleep.

Mozambique - The municipal council building at Independence Square in Maputo Mozambique

A little over four hours later, at quarter past eleven local time, I step into Maputo’s arrivals hall. I am among the first group and therefore quite far forward at customs, quickly getting the necessary stamps in my passport. The line behind me has grown considerably by then. It doesn’t matter too much, as I am standing a little further along waiting for my luggage. Some bags appear on one carousel, and suddenly luggage starts coming in on the second carousel too. When that carousel stops, my bag hasn’t appeared yet. Will it be okay? Fortunately, a new batch arrives on the first carousel, this time including our bags. I pass through customs and outside we meet Bas, our tour guide for this trip. He welcomes us and points out the different money exchange options. He advises exchanging all the money for the trip into Mozambican Metical. Later, we can exchange it again at the border if needed. I receive a thick stack of bills secured with an elastic band. While I’m still waiting for more, some additional bills are handed to me. I have checked the exchange rate but still have no sense of the value. No receipt is given—will it be correct? I start counting. I have 110 bills of 200 Metical, which matches the expectation. Other travelers also experience issues with card transactions. One card gets stuck, and the ATM is opened on the spot. The card is returned, but no further transactions can be made that day. Has any money been withdrawn? Eventually, everyone has their cash, and we get on the bus. Within half an hour, we arrive in central Maputo at our hotel. I look around in amazement. The capital has slums, street trade, and lots of trash in the dried-up drainage ditches. The city center presents a different picture: wide roads, heavy traffic, and various shops. Our hotel is located in downtown Maputo. We take the slow elevator up to our room on the twelfth floor. Around half past two, we walk into the center of Maputo, deliberately leaving valuables behind. We follow the sights recommended in the travel guide. Through Jardin Tunduru park, past the Casa de Ferro (the iron house), and the white Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Conceição, we reach the Conselho Municipal (town hall).

Mozambique - The station in Maputo was designed by Gustave Eiffel of Eiffel Tower fame

We walk to the entrance to have a look inside. The guard allows us in. The hall is beautiful, and the stained-glass windows evoke 17th-century sailing ships. We continue to the colonial fort, originally built by the Dutch and later expanded by the Portuguese. I notice that everyone smiles kindly as we pass. Vendors try to sell their goods, but they are nowhere near pushy. Through the fish market—where I am only allowed to take a photo for a fee—we continue to the station, designed by Gustaf Eiffel. On the platform, there is a small restaurant. We order a cola and soup with bread. We enjoy it while people on the other platform rush to catch their trains. After eating, we walk back toward the hotel, passing through the Mercado (market). It is very busy here but also fascinating to see. Just before dusk, around half past five, we return to the hotel. From our room, I watch the street gradually quiet down as darkness falls. I collapse onto the bed and quickly fall asleep. Later, when I wake, I decide not to go down to the bar. I reorganize my bag and crawl back into bed.