The 6-hour door-to-door bus journey turned out to be 8-hours. I never realised the importance of all seating materials until this very journey. The seats were well and truly shiny, grey-ey, green-ey plastic. I'm sure I wasn't the only one on the bus, but the words 'sweating' and 'uncomfortable' don't come anywhere close to what I experienced yesterday.
The bus journey itself was unexpectedly uneventful. Only once did we stop to look under the bonnet and only once was there a smell of burning coming from the dashboard. Nothing that water and a knife couldn't fix. The day looked a lot like this:
There's this drink that I've been eyeing up every time I pass through a built-up area. It's always included in that rush of people who try to sell passing buses their wares. It’s positively luminous and could be radioactive. I'd asked around and nobody had ever had it, nor did they know what it was. I bought it! I don't know what it did to my insides, but it was rather pleasant. Nothing fizzy, just a pineapple flavoured thing. I wouldn't buy it again, but I'm glad I took the plunge. At least I won't have sleepless nights wondering what it could taste like.
7 and a half hours later, there were people, loads of them. The most I've seen since, well, since I was last in Maputo, 5-6 weeks ago. It was a nice to change to see some relatively fast paced action.
At the same overpriced hostel - Fatima's Backpackers - I was met by the same shrivelled, cattaract-ed and scarred Shar-pei dogs (I didn't touch them) and after my first hot shower in a while, I met a few new friends that were staying at the hostel. A Dane and I decided to go for some piri-piri chicken at a oddly named place called Piri-Piri, it was good, but I ashamedly might still prefer Nando's. And then to watch the end of the Chelsea v United game - we joined with 10 minutes to go, so we didn't understand much.
A Norwegian girl bought these shortbread biscuits along with her. I've already tried them, they're quite good, but I'd forgotten to take a picture. I think the name is too good not to share:
My first whole day in Maputo (today) has been spent wandering around on my lonesome. If you ever get a chance to spend some time in Maputo, don't spend long! It's pretty grey.
It was recommended that I visited a shopping mall (it was shite, absolutely terrible!!), probably good by Mozambique standards and Piri-Piri. Having done both of those and having been charged at least 50mts above the going rate (because I'm white) in every taxi or tuktuk, I'm just about ready for my flight tomorrow at 14:00.
Having said that, there has been one exciting thing to come out of my day of aimless wandering: I got a Mozambique national team football shirt! The Mambas to those in the know. I'll try to get you a picture at a later date; I'm currently wearing it.
And so that's it, you're up to date. Right now I'm sat in a rather swanky hotel using their free Wi-Fi: me, I'm sat in summery shorts and football shirt, everyone around me is wearing shirts and trousers and giving me disapproving looks - I have bought a burger so they can't throw me out!
I'm planning a final blog that I'll finish when I get home. So for now I'll say bye, I'll update you if there's anything interesting to say about my flight, but for now let's all just pray for TV’s in the headrests - Ethiopian Airlines aren't known for their quality!
