Our apartment and life in Maputo
on Karen in Maputo (Mozambique), 07/Dec/2008 17:14, 34 days ago
Our apartment is about a 20 minute walk from HQ. It has 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, a large kitchen and eating area, a nice living room (we have yet to sit in) and a balcony to hang our laundry (well used). The stove and frig and mosquito nets are yet to arrive.Monday night, after my clinic visit, the taxi picked us up and took to eat at a popular local restaurant called Mimmo’s which serves pizza, pasta etc. When we arrived home – the boxes containing the frig and stove were blocking our doorway. There is a serious 2 bolt outer metal door with padlocks and an inner door to unlock for secure entry into the apt. Dolly and I used our considerable strength to move themupstairs off the tiny, tiny landing to be able to open the doors and then hefted them into the hallway inside. Lest you think we are amazons – the frig is double a bar size frig and the gas stove was not too heavy.Tuesday– we got lost on our way to our VSO briefing (a new location) and were late. We met Diane Miles, a teacher who had just volunteered for 5 years in Namibia, who has since joined us at our apartment where Diane and I are sharing a room. The three of us get along very well and had a fun experience helping Sergio, the maintenance man, hang our mosquito nets over our beds. In the end, we may write a small tome about the 1001 “other” uses for dental floss (thank you Dr. Fred Ross in Ottawa!!!)Some other recently-arrived VSO volunteers– Simone, Ethjel and Carolina - took us around Maputo to show us a quiet internet cafe and supermarket. We used a “chappa” to get around – a small van with jump seats in it, no seatbelts and triple (or more) the passenger capacity. It costs 5M for a ride. It is very economical for local transportation. There are about 25M to a $1 US – if that helps. Internet cafes charge 35 to 60M for an hour. Since there were several crashes when I was there, I am writing my emails offline to save time and money and then loading them up when I get to the closest cafe. Hours are short on Saturday andthey are closed, as are most stores, on Sunday.Yesterday, we had a tour of Maputo and saw the central market for food, the craft market– I bought two wooden masks and a bowl, the local hospital and police station, museums (okay – my request), the port and ferry to cross the bay, and lots of different architectural building styles . The Chinese designed buildings are beautiful .Street vendors sell everything from individually wrapped candies to pairs of shoes, watches, buckets and mops, socks and hankies on poles, underwear, fruits and vegetables, and cell phone cards. MCEL seems to a popular provider of cell phone minutes in Maputo.It is sunny and hot but with an occasional cooling breeze and the summer rains have started. It can really pour but it is warm so very nice and refreshing. Today was laundry day– by hand in a bucket and hanging it out on our balcony to dry – on our new clothesline. Bamboo clothes pegs cost 10M for about 20. With any luck my clothes will be dry when I get home!!!Until I can find a bodum or coffer plunger I am drinking Nescafe instant coffee! My mother will be laughing at my downward slide– she likes hot, hot coffee and instant works for her. I think of her with every sip I take.We are eating green salad with tomatoes and fruit salad most nights. Mangos and small, sweet, green bananas are cheap (15M / kg) but grapes, pears and apples are expensive.Tomorrow we start our Portuguese language lessons - 5 hours per day for 5 weeks. Our teacher is coming to our apartment which will be very nice - handy and cheap - since we can eat lunch at home.Okay must sign off at the internet cafe - Pirala - they are playing my favourite song - the Righteous Brothers singing "Unchained Melody" - I may cry soon!!!!! My heart is palpitating for sure and I am in love after 17 years - what a shocker for me!!!!Ciao, Karen