Maputo has been a surprise, as all countries, as all cities full of contrasts…
For an African city it has been quite pleasant to get to know, although I hardly know it still. The not so pleasant part is having people chasing you to buy this or that (hopefully they will end up seeing that I’m not a tourist). The even less pleasant part is seeing the poverty, although until now I’ve only had to witness a small little girl caring a 5 liters bottle of water on her head and another one on her hand. Most of the children in Maputo have flip-flops and although playing at rather dirty backyards or streets they seem to be happy. My neighbors at least were laughing while playing football by our street (strangely only girls) and this cute little girl with a white flowing dress was hopping around playing in whatever imaginary world she was in… Until now I still haven’t have to look to the eyes of a child without any hope, so I suppose that even though the hard financial situations of all these people, if children are allowed to be children then there is still some hope…
Unlike the idea that the “civilized world” has, you can live extremely well in Africa if Africa is like Maputo, relatively safe (much safer then South Africa, for example), fantastic houses with “discrete” electrified fences (at least compared to iron fences you hardly notice them). Swimming pools, beautiful gardens with peacocks, where you can have a quite and relaxing stroll at you lunch hour. Drinkable water at the tap (at least that is what I’ve been told), very safe food at still quite a big number of restaurants affordable to at least the middle class of the country (which already have lovely houses just at the skirts of the city).
The locals who I’ve met and who I’ve worked closely with have been, with very little exceptions, very, very friendly so I can understand easily that it’s not only the famed beaches that give touristic potential to the country.
The company I’m working at is also unique, I’m one of the oldest and I’m only 29 (the average is 27). Hardly any “Doctors” at the work, at least between us, which I absolutely love as one earns respect, imposing it is many times just artificial.
Of course the locals have vices, all countries have them and it’s funny to see that some of their vices are the vices of the Portuguese.
Even though passing Xmas and New Year away from my family & my friends will be hard…
