Bom Dia Mozambique !

I like the capital city of Maputo. Who doesn't like a city with streets named after Ho Chi Min, and Mao Tse Tung. And from what I can see so far, Mozambique definitely has a Portuguese flair to it. Make no mistake, this is still Africa. All the buildings could use a power wash, the roads and sidewalks have potholes, garbage is strewn everywhere or piled high by the side of the road and some of the policemen try to hit you up for a bribe. Mini-buses whiz by, and you catch the occasional but unmistakable whiff of sewage.

It is undeniable the Latin influence has made it's mark on the Mozambique people. You can hear it in the music and feel it in the daily rythm as you walk along the sidewalk full of flower, vegetable and fruit sellers. Portuguese is spoken everywhere, the love for the roasted, spiced chicken (frango), kids playing footbul on the quiet streets and great pastelaria shops dot the city with strong coffee and the best tasting, crusty bread in Southern Africa.

Mozamibue does have a pesky problem with mosquitoes and malaria. And it is just coming out of a nasty civil war in the 1980's and early 1990's. One of the local gallery showcases artists who make sculptures from used machine guns and pistols. Interestingly, Mozambique is the only country I know that has an AK-47 rifle dipicted on it's national flag.

Off tomorrow morning at 5:30 a.m. to the beaches in the north. Time to grab a natta...