It’s nice to be somewhere and know that it’s exactly where I’m supposed to be. My journey between Mozambique and Malawi has been a slow one, but clearly quite eventful. I had expected to cross into Malawi this afternoon and then I arrived at the border town and found it to be stunning. Also, after last night, I was due to arrive at a hotel during daylight hours, and I’m so fortunate to be able to look out the window at one of the most beautiful countries on earth.
I realize that I’ve not said much about Mozambique, and I’m about to leave it. I’m not sure that I have much to say besides raving about it’s beauty and cautioning about it’s bumpy roads.
Mozambique is a very large country, and certainly the longest of any of the countries that I will be visiting. And I’ve just seen a small slice of the top third of the country, which is the least developed. Since I don’t know as much as I should, here’s what Lonely Planet has to say:
If southern Mozambique’s lures are the accessible beaches and relaxing resorts, in the north it’s the paradisal coastal landscapes, the sense of space and the sheer adventure of travel. This is one of Africa’s last frontiers – wild, beautiful and untamed. Inland are vast expanses of bush where enough lions and elephants still roam to be the stuff of local lore and wreak havoc on villages. Along the coast is an almost endless succession of unspoiled beaches and islands, plus Ilha de Moçambique – one of Southern Africa’s top attractions.
In many respects, the north – the provinces of Nampula, Niassa and Cabo Delgado – might as well be a separate country. It’s divided from the rest of Mozambique by several major rivers and hundreds of kilometres of road. And, although home to one-third of Mozambique’s population, it accounts for only one-fifth of the gross national product, has the lowest adult literacy rates and often seems to drop out of sight for the southern-oriented government.
Culturally, northern Mozambique is intriguing as the home of many matrilineal tribes, in contrast with the strictly patrilineal south. Islamic influences are also stronger here, with centuries-old ties to the old Swahili trading networks. The north is also the birthplace of Mozambique’s independence struggle. It was here, in the bush, that the Frelimo cadres did their training, and it was here – in the unlikely village of Chai – that the first shots of war were fired.
My experience has been a bit strange because it’s the first place where I should know the language. I know enough Portuguese to have people start talking to me way too quickly, and not enough to understand more than 40% of what they’re saying. Since I learned Portuguese mostly in Brazil, I get a bit of Brazil feel here, yet it’s more of Brazil meets Islam…the rhythm is there but it’s more subdued, less in your face, but still a tad aggressive at times.
And it’s poor. Prices seem very high, especially for food, and I’m struck at how little people earn. In some of the factories that I visited, workers were making $2 a day on a good day, and would ask me for money when the boss was not around. It’s really a wonder that this is the case because the north of the country seems ideal for agriculture. But I guess years of war has set “development” back, and I’ve seen no shortage of beggars, including a good number with birth defects, which suggests that health indices might not be as good as in neighboring countries. I’ve also heard from many people that the work ethic is less than ideal here, but it would be hard for me to be inspired to work for $2/day and I’d likely 1) take it easy, 2) not show up for work regularly, and/or 3) steal from the workplace. Long and short is that this is a place with lots of potential, though it may take a while, and just like the stock market at 6500, it seems like a wise time to invest.
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