I’ve decided to take the easy way out and do a ‘must see’ post on Maputo first. I think all of MZ is ‘must see’ (while being careful around ‘unexplored’ areas), but since I’ve only made it as far as Inhambane so far, I’ll dwell on Maputo. According to the mindmap, Maputo 101 will have a total of nine posts. Two posts exploring ‘must see’ and ‘must shop’ places. Then we do the thing I find most drool-worthy about this city, the azulejos. Then two posts on the mundane (transport, accommodation), then a bit of history (which is the second-most drool-worthy thing about MZ). Then something on Inhaca and Portuguese islands (not necessarily in the order laid out above).
My posts will draw heavily on the following sources:
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Finnegan 1993
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Lourenco Marques guide 1964
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My experiences and loads of hearsay from wenyeji I’ve interacted with through the years.
The first thing you need to know about Maputo is that there are two cities (and no, I don’t mean the much-talked about satellite city - Matola - that the Chinese were rumoured to have volunteered to build up, across Rio Espirito Sante). There’s the awesomely laid out concrete city and then there’s the cane city. Most of my account will be about the concrete city. You’re asking what the difference between the two is? Well, according to Finnegan (1993: 169), “Most people in Maputo live[d] not in the cement city but in the cane city, the archipelago of shantytowns that surrounds the capital. While the cement city commands a view of the sea and the harbor, most of the shantytowns are built on low ground, subject to seasonal floods. They are immense scenes of poverty and squalor, yet in the morning commuters emerge from them in the thousands, many in starched, pressed office clothes, hurrying down sand roads and dirt paths, through the thick wood smoke and low, cool sunshine, heading for the modern city.”
But first, why even visit the place? (especially now that I’ve introduced that ‘haves and have nots’ dichotomy so early in our tale) I’ll quote from Alexander (1971: 42), something that remains true 37 years on: “Lourenco Marques [the colonial name for Maputo] is one of Africa’s most beautiful cities. It casts a spell over you the moment you arrive. Cosmopolitan and Continental, it has charm and atmosphere. Its exciting air, handsome skyline and vivid splashes of colour never fail to thrill the visitor. There is no place in southern Africa to compare with it for exuberant architectural styles, for the splendour of its broad, tree-lined boulevards, for the kaleidoscopic variety of its life and for the majestic sweep of its vast blue bay”.
I first visited this city in 2000. It was one of those quick, fly in and fly out and only see the hotel, meeting room, and restaurants next to the hotel. I stayed at the then brand-spanking-new Hotel Avenida and was very impressed by the room quality. Please note, though, that by that point, my expectations had taken a hammering (from other hotels in other parts of SADC) and had been realistically adjusted to “clean room and linen, and a power outlet”. Which is where they still are today, happily. Anything more is always a happy surprise.
I’d flown SAA, ordered the fish meal (a deadly mistake I plan to never repeat), consequently being sick while waiting to board the flight to Maputo, and had for once in my life, used several airsickness bags. Fish on a flight? N.E.V.E.R! So I got there bleary-eyed, drove down roads that looked just like Kenyan roads did at that time: people driving, not in the proper lane, but on the side with least potholes, so lots of swerving to barely avoid head-on collisions. That was the road from the airport. The floods (which ones, right?) had just happened, so the Avenida was operations central for all kinds of army personnel, volunteers, and tech guys who had come for rescue efforts and to help rebuild the infrastructure that had been destroyed.
I immediately loved the vibe of the city. It was a refreshing breeze, having come from oppressive and Victorian East Africa where, in my line of work, you were forced to wear loooong skirts/dresses and hide anything that could remotely be viewed as a turn-on for people you interacted with in the course of your work day. Here, girls wore short skirts that were see-thru (with no petticoats!), no bras, and no one bothered them. NO ONE. Everyone went about their business without nitpicking. Oh to live in a place (in Africa) where men aren’t idle enough to take issue with your clothes! The men were very well turned-out, and cared about their appearance. It was here, in Maputo, that I met the most good looking man I’ve ever seen. I remember my lips moving, but have no clue what words they were forming. Sigh! Those were the days.
The restaurants I visited were, of course, on Julius Nyerere: Mundo’s next door (pasta galore), PiriPiri around the corner (chips and chicken), Mimmo’s further off (pizza, etc.) and Cristal (remember a fabulous multi-course dinner here). And of course, room service (when CNN proved too riveting). I later heard that the Avenida had a pool on the roof. Would never have known, even if it was there during the early days ’cause there were too many people to see. Their breakfast was to die for though, quite the lavish spread of cereals, pastries, and meats. Recently did drinks at the bar, and it appears to have kept up its quality, if not improved.
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[though we sho' as heck ain't all supermodels].
