Day 2 in Mozambique

12 June 2011, Maputo ~ Inhambane

Day two in Mozambique started with another glass of delicious freshly squeezed passion fruit juice (I have to mention it again as it was truly simply divine) and then we went for a walk around Maputo to bide our time before our flight to Inhambane.

We didn’t venture out in a specific direction but ambled along; keeping the cathedral peak insight so we could make our way back.

The after effects of the civil war are quite evident in the city as one stumbles upon many abandoned buildings in need of restoration. If I could pick up one of these empty shells and transport it back to Cape Town, I really would, as they are so full of old world character.

We stumbled upon a small garden with a lovely coffee shop on top of a hill overlooking the Maputo Bay, formerly called Delagoa Bay or Baia da Lagoa in Portuguese. I sampled a Maputo cappuccino but am yet to find a coffee that knocks my socks off in Mozambique. Therefore a small warning to coffee lovers; be prepared to semi-detox if you go to Mozambique.

Before we arrived in Inhambane we had a pleasant taxi ride to the airport but not such a pleasant flight. We did not know that the flight first flies all the way up to Vilanculos and then back down to Inhambane. Needless to say, I suffered dearly in the little 30 seat plane with the two take-offs and two landings but we arrived safe and sound in Inhambane.

If we thought Maputo International Airport was small, then Vilanculos is even smaller and Inhambane must be the tiniest of all the airports we have ever seen. There is no arrival or departure lounge, just a concrete open air courtyard where our luggage was wheeled to and placed on the floor for collection, Inhambane’s baggage claim style.

As you can see in the picture, Neil and the baggage claim man are in deep conversation. This was because the baggage claim man, without been asked, was already negotiating a taxi for us. So that was easy, from not knowing how we were going to get to the backpackers to having an instant taxi ride to Pahica Backpackers.

Pahica is located in a most beautiful setting, right on the water edge overlooking Maxixe.



Once we had settled in we took a walk along the promenade and sat and watched the dhows sailing in the bay.

The guidebook describes Inhambane as possessing an old world sleepiness and it is truly so. You step into a small, quiet village and the calm instantly surrounds you.

Continuing our exploration of Inhambane we stumbled upon a memorial erected for those who had died in the liberation struggle. Not such an impressionable monument but somehow Neil had made quite an impression with the two dogs you see in the picture. They continued to follow us all around town. Our own personal Inhambane body guards or tour guides.

Inhambane is a historical town and we were told that once upon a time, government officials used to live in this sleepy town. When walking around town you will notice the rusting, colonial architecture. We even came across an old cinema, although I doubt they will be showing any of the latest blockbusters. 

We had planned to take a ferry across to Maxixe so we could watch the sunset fall on Inhambane, however, the language proved to be somewhat of a barrier. The man selling the tickets spoke no English and we only knew one word in Portuguese, “h’ora”.

So in our conversation we couldn’t seem to make ourselves understood or understand the explanations given by the ticket man about what time the next ferry was going across or when the last one was coming back.

The man was kind enough to call the security guard who knew some English and did his best to interpret for us but in the end we could understand that the next ferry across was going to be in 40 minutes but we had no idea how the last ferry coming back could be at 1’o clock when the sun was going down already.

Having failed miserably at trying to communicate and thinking that if we ever had to compete in an Amazing Race, we would have missed our ferry and been knocked out the race so we might as well sit on the bench and watch the sun set over Maxixe, eating some nuts and let the world go by in the company of our two new found friends.

Many people were still coming and going from and to the jetty on their way home, the old lady was selling peanuts by the cup from a big bucket, little boys were kicking the soccer ball in the street and even the little girls were playing a singing game on the church steps.


Inhambane is also known as Terra de Boa Gente which means land of the good people in Portuguese and this is the same impression that you get when you walk around the town. The people here are very gentle and kind, even if you can't communicate and so shy. Neil made a girl blush today and he only smiled at her. While exiting the jetty earlier, a lady carrying a baby almost walked into us and she quickly side-stepped away and giggled while Neil flushed her a friendly smile.  It was very sweet.


We had a very relaxed night sitting at the backpackers, snacking on cashew nuts and drinking 2M (a locally brewed beer), playing Rummikub and sampling the famous Pahica pizza, all while enjoying the tranquillity of Inhambane and the view of Maxixe all lit up across the bay.

Keep posted for day three of my Mozambique Journal and the next beautiful sunset...