| Page Views: 3,392 Last Visit to Maputo: November, 2005 | NICE COUNTRY - BAD GOVERNMENT by DAO - last update: Apr 4, 2007 |
TROPICAL CAPITAL | PEOPLE EATING OUT OF THE RUBBISH |
When you first arrive in Maputo you feel 2 things at once:
* The vibrant buzz of a tropical, but poor country full of life and culture
* Unsafe - crime, dangerous drivers and corrupt Police
Colonial Architecture is adjacent to Eastern European Soviet-style tower blocs all crammed onto avenues of varying sizes named after Communists Heroes and/or butchers. The atmosphere is sultry and tropical and the pace is active. Street sellers operate near the port area and Jazz bars can be found nearby. It is an intoxication mixture as long as you are vigilant.%f* |
| EX-COLONIAL OFFICE BUILDING – NOW APARTMENTS |
|  | NOT QUITE READY Maputo is like a well made cake. It has all the ingredients, but it is just not ready for tourism. It is a crazy place to drive seeming full of life without a lot of the needed organisation. A walking tour will set you back about $5-10 and is the best way to see the riches the city has to offer. You will see the potential the city has to be a ‘must see’ destination – in 10 tears time. You will also see the problems the lack of a well run government brings. Be careful at night. Unlike many large cities, you will not see a lot of private security guards and the Police can be the problem rather than the solution.
I stayed at a hostel that noted that the Police would take knives off you if you carried them for protection. They would then fine you. And you needed to carry your Passport or they would fine you. I had my Passport seized on my drive into the city and not given back until I paid a fine for having the wrong kind of papers for my car (too smooth I was told). You get the idea. |
IT'S NOT ALL BAD ! Reading my page you may think the place is completely bleak. It is not. Too many pages on VT only show all the nice parts. Maputo and Mozambique have problems. I am sure it will work out. Please do go on to read my tips. I hope you find them helpful. I believe you have to tell the good and the bad about any location. Take precautions and you will enjoy the electric rhythms of this fabulous city.
THE GOOD PICTURES ARE ON THE TIPS ! | | | LOCAL PEOPLE TRYING TO EARN A LIVING |
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| Pros: | "Art, Climate, easy to walk" | | Cons: | "Crime, Corruption and more Crime" | | In A Nutshell: | "Ready for tourism in 10 years" |
 DAO's Maputo Travelogues | | | |
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 Comments for DAO about Maputo | | | | |
SLLiew Sat Dec 8, 2007 14:19 UTC
Excellent page of Maputo. Great tips for any first time visitors. | SoulFisher Wed Sep 5, 2007 01:10 UTC
TAP is acronym of Transportes Aéreos Portugueses. "La Aerolinea" is Spanish for "The Airline", and it's translated to Portuguese as "As linhas aereas". There was never an airline in Portugal or Moçambique called "La Aerolinea Portuguesa". Cheers | Gerald_D Sat Mar 24, 2007 17:17 UTC
LOUIS TREGARDT MEMORIAL .....More common spelling is Louis Trichardt. | moiraistyx Mon Feb 5, 2007 15:15 UTC
Great page DAO, how is it that you get to travel so much? |
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