Mozambique - Maputo

Simon signing in:

Well, Rein and I finally got our wish to be on our way after waiting patiently with my parents in Perth.

With our contracts arriving and flights being scheduled, here we were heading to Mozambique.

The lead up in the past few days was not too frantic, as we had slowly gotten ourselves ready for the trip. Items we needed were purchased and good-byes to family and friends were said.

One thing that caught our attention during our preparation was in the Lonely Planet guidebook. In several places it mentions the dangers to be aware of and things we should NOT do (such as to not wearing flashy items, like a watches, jewelry or cameras. Surely these are things we wear every day and can’t be considered flashy, especially a camera, we are tourists after all.). This started to plant some small concerns in my mind.

TechnoServe (TNS) also provided us with our membership number for International SOS. They are an international emergency organisation that can help if the need arises. As per TNS policy, we were required to call ISOS for a security briefing on Mozambique before we leave.

It is funny really. Rein and I have travelled quite relaxed to some great places (Moscow, Marrakech, India, Perth Trains and New York); places that can be seen to some as dangerous, and we just enjoy the fact we are travelling. Nothing appears to faze us, except maybe bad service in a local restaurant!

But these early warnings were starting to get us shit scared. Perhaps me more than Rein, but I wasn’t helping the situation with my constant concerns.

The brief given by ISOS was always going to be the ‘worst case scenario’, but listening to it I felt more and more uneasy about where we were about to head. My mind was telling me, ‘this place is going to be the most dangerous place I have ever been!’

ISOS repeated the messages in the guide and also suggested the concept of a ‘decoy’ wallet, in case we get mugged. They used the mugger term so loosely as to suggest that they show up like a local banana vendor! And then the local police, we were told not think they will be much help, they too want something from you and well, who are you going to scream for when they are in front of you, no one! To appease the local police, we have been instructed to take copies of our passport and have them certified. This is to show to the police when they stop us, which apparently will also happen often. I guess they and the muggers are sharing a schedule for tourist attacks??

And to top of the above for me, I speak NO PORTUGUESE. El problemo por meo! (I do not state that what I have written is Portuguese, but this represents the best that comes out of my mouth when I try to communicate with someone here).

So, with our decoy wallets in hand, filled with my mother’s loyalty cards to help with the act, and all the well-meant advice from the experts, we felt as prepared as we could be. We had a final "thank you" lunch with mum and dad and then we were on our way.

We boarded our South African Airlines flight to Johannesburg, a flight of 11 hours. I never realized it was so long! We of course did not do our homework, on this as the seats we had were in the back of the plane, and well, next time you’re in a plane, see for yourself. The plane narrows near the back, as do the seats!

This flight produced the worst night’s sleep I had had in a long time. Rein on the other hand managed to sneak into Business Class (where over 30 sleeper beds lay empty) and got in a couple hours sleep before being woken by the staff and kicked back into cattle class!

Arriving into Johannesburg, we found a place to rest for our next scheduled flight to Maputo, a wait of 5 hours. Johannesburg Airport must have been the COLDEST airport I have EVER been in. True, it was 1° on arrival into Johannesburg, but the airport must not have insulation! It was crazy!

Our flight to Maputo had finally arrived and we boarded for the last leg to our new home for a couple of months. Mozambique.

Locals relaxing in the morning sun 

Arriving into Maputo, you could instantly see that this country was a poorer cousin of South Africa, yet with a brand spanking new airport terminal! This we have been told was for the Rugby World Cup a year or two ago, when Mozambique was hoping to score some spillover from South Africa. It will of course also be beneficial with dealing with visitors for the upcoming 10^thAfrican Games being held here in two weeks’ time.

Maputo Train Station.
Said to be one of the world's
most beautiful. Designed by Gustav
Eiffel (yes, the same Eiffel) though he
never set foot in the country!

Arriving into Mozambique, everyone must complete visa formalities before entering into the country. This was not new to us, and the rush of everyone trying to have it done and working out where to take which form too was not new (Marrakech memories). The thing which made my heart sink though, was that they wanted CASH for the visa and they only excepted Mozambican Meticais, EURO, USD or South African Rand. None of which we had! My head shot around this barren building to see no cash machine. We were in trouble. My heart pounded so much I thought I would collapse on the ground. I also felt this was a sign of things to come.

We approached the counter and handed over our passports and visa forms. He then proceeded to ask for the cash. ‘We have VISA card’ (big smiles on faces, stomach in typhoon motions). ‘No, cash only!’, he demanded. ‘We do not have cash’, we kindly responded. He then pointed in the direction of the exit. ‘Machine’. He wanted us to enter the country, get money, than re-enter the customs area? This was new. Rein and I walked quickly to get the cash just outside. The first worry I was having at the time was that they had our passports! I should have waited with the passport whilst Rein got cash! First mistake! We were done for! Then I panicked that now we were both outside the customs area, they would not let us back in! No passports, no luggage! (I need a toilet) Then, the machine won’t give us any money! NOOOO!

Incredibly, we found a machine that produced enough cash and we ran back towards those customs exit doors like we were running out of oxygen. Naturally they won’t open as they are only made to go one direction. Finally someone wandered out allowing us to re-enter. Passports found, paid and visa photos taken, we could collect our luggage, the last two remaining bags on the belt. I made a quick dash for the exit and left our troubles behind. Rein, on the other hand, got stopped and told to do something. NOOOO! Not now. He had been asked to pass the bags through the x-ray machine before leaving the building. ‘What, I just exited and no one stopped me!’ I did not want to leave Rein alone so I went back into the hall of hell voluntarily. I followed suit and put my bags through the scanner. Now, a second time we both made the exit into Mozambique.

We were greeted by a driver of TechnoServe and were glad to meet our first member of TNS. He drove us to our hotel where we will be staying for the next few days.

Rein in front of the Hotel Terminus, our hotel in Maputo

Both Rein and I were offered separate rooms. We kindly asked for one room. “You want twin?”, the lady at reception asked. ‘No, a double please’, we smiled. ‘Okay’, she responded. Okay, I thought, that was not too bad. (NOTE: you have to remember that being gay is a crime in Mozambique, for which we could be arrested, though reading on this before we left, they state no one has been arrested in a long time. ‘In a long time’ could soon be changed…eeek).

Shown to our room I instantly start to process my concerns over our safety here. The hour is only 11am and it is best that we get out and about in the sun after so many flights, which will aid in our jetlag. I cannot go anywhere.  I lie on the bed for 20 minutes and decide for myself that I have to accept where I am. It cannot be that bad! We leave the hotel with our tiny map provided by the hotel, as I am paranoid about taking the guide, as to not show that we are ‘new to town’. I also leave my wallet and camera behind and strap on a money belt. Here we go.

We decide to walk to the Botanical Garden, a walk around 3km away and work out the most direct route so we can remember the path without taking out the map. Exiting the hotel, I demand we take the busiest side of the street so as to not be on ‘isolated’ terrain as ISOS recommended. I trust no one walking the streets and only see the people who want to mug me. I am going insane on the street and cannot stop grinding my teeth. The walk went well and we started to head back to the hotel.

All in all, I started to realize that I just cannot let such concerns scare me. Yes, this place can be dangerous, but so can many other places. It is just about being vigilant and smart about where and when you walk down streets and how you carry yourself in public. Stick to busy places and only be out on the streets during the day.

This first day in Maputo ends for us with dinner at a local Thai restaurant and bed at 6pm where we are now ready to crash and get up for our first day working with TechnoServe.

Simon signing out for now. Back soon for the second leg of our Maputo stay!

PS; I later learnt that the Thai restaurant we ate at on our first night was held up only a week earlier. They burst in with a few men carrying machine guns. Now who is overacting!?