The last four cruise ships with Maputo on their schedules were unable to dock there. Beurocratic screw-ups, like the people with the stamps were unavailable. And other ridiculous reasons. Maputo is poor, terribly poor. Cruise ship, full of tourists with fat wallets, are essential to the economy. Thousands make a living selling trinkets, driving buses, guiding tours.
We were lucky. We docked without incident. Despite the stats on Maputo, it's a pleasant looking town with old colonial buildings, good cuisine, interesting history and surprisingly clean. But the AIDS rate is sky high, birth rate is 5/woman, the government is screwed. The Chinese are a presence, as they are all over Africa, building bridges and other infrastructure; hauling out minerals and other natural resources in payment.
In spite of it being one of the poorest countries of the world I saw a billboard advertising liposuction. The last thing you'd expect to see.
The only two flags in the world which feature guns are Mozambique and Guatemala.
In the Natural History museum there's a display of elephant fetuses preserved after hundreds of the animals were killed. They've been preserved for more than a century.
In a colourful artists market scarves and art were blowing in the wind.
Beautiful women in Mozambique.
Richard buying a trinket.
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