Mozambique et al.

My dear english speaking friends and readers of this blog ... here we go again in your precious language.

I am in the computer room, the ladies around me are learning to type, then we are supposed to type a resume. My typing is less precise than theirs and they try so hard to learn it. They come here from the informal settlements some of them 5 miles away, they walk, each Saturday to learn something new. I admire them, yet it 's a pain to get up on a Saturday at 7am after a long week of working and running around, but it's for a good reason, so I take a hot shower and take my tea here.

Mozambiquan adventure could have been longer, indeed, however that's all we had to we are grateful for that. Dorothee and I left on Friday afternoon, and what was supposed to be a 2-3 hrs long trip to the coast took about 6 hours. Reasons are few, 1. the highway is really not a highway. Although one can fly 75mph on it one also has to do a lot of passing and waiting to pass which makes the average speed about 50mhp. Border cross to Mozambique was our first adventure (actually my 1.adventure was a detour on N4 through the SA countryside, before I got to Dorothee.). We parked at the border, I expected a line of cars, just like in Europe, however, no, we had to get out of the car and then there was the line - inside the building, actually bunch of lines. A young gentleman automatically gave us papers to fill out and pointed us to the right window for stamp adn then put us in another line for a SA departure stamp. A lots of stamping going on the borders here in Africa... So I mustered up and asked him what is his position and if he works here, he said he works for the MZ side. I did not object and then quietly asked Dor if she thinks we will have to tip him for helping us... he did not wear a uniform or anything...after finishing with all the lines on teh SA side we were asked by him whether we'd like help on the other side, we politely declined and he looked pissed b/c we did not tip him...for a simple reason, we did not have any rands or matecais on us...long revolving story too...
So then 50m further we parked our car again this time on the MZ side, the lines were longer and the whole scene extremely confusing...another gentleman came and wanted to help us, when we did not comply with his commands to come and cut the line he mumbled something that the officer is ready for us now and that we will be late, we said no thank you - did not want to cut the line (the only two white people there) and did not have any $ to pay him, well, we did have $ ...again long story.
So he stormed away and we waited in the line, then someone pointed us to the next one and they told us that we have to return to the previous one... then they took our passports and 45 minutes later they brought them back with two pretty stickers inside. My passport is now full of pretty african visa stickers or stamps. So about 2hrs later we sat in our car again, without having to offend anyone or pay anyone a fee, for what? SO then Maputo was only 2 hrs away, or more like three and we got there on a FRI rush hour, who would have thought. 18:00 and it's the same mess like in Praque or Boston. Bunch of red lights and abundance of cars. At that point I congratulated the rental company for providing us with VW Chico, since there was a lot of them there, not like in SA where BMWs are prevalent. We totally fit in (only while in car). Mind you they speak Protuguese there and I only though about that on our way so I could not prepare any phrases...the only thing i knew was Buon Noit since I watched Love Actually... like three times, and Obregado b/c of the DSS social worker in last year placement.
Well, anyway, the hostels were great, we met a bunch or CZ people there very surreal, and beach was great, once we found it... yes the development of tourism and beach places is only starting here, although I hear it's a official gov. policy.
Ok...got to go, I am actually still in the computer class.