Happy Nampula City Day!

August 22nd blog posting

Reflections of the countryside. No trash on streets, area in front of houses is swept clean. Houses are either constructed of handmade mud blocks or branches/twigs woven together. Almost all are thatched reed roofs; the new thatching was being placed. A small number have metal. Lots of people walking. Young women with many children – one at breast. My toilet break was in a concrete cube with water to wash it down.

Nampula is quite different – trash on the streets, many beggars. There is a ShopRite down the street so I can buy water. Thank goodness I brought energy bars as that has been most of my meals.

Emilio, local CNFA staff, and his finance Marla collected me at 7pm for an adventure. A temporary Irish pub! Jameson tasted great. There is a young Irish Catholic priest who lives here in the slums. Every August a group from his Irish parish come and work with him for 6 weeks. While they are here, they set up for 2 nights of beer, whiskey, songs and dancing.

The people are wonderful in all instances. In Nampula almost everyone smiles and says hello. I have walked the streets and am a curiosity! It is similar to Ghana 10 years ago when traffic would stop as I walked to the Women’s Market. There are much fewer cars here as people walk or bicycle.

The history of Mozambique includes destruction of major infrastructure components by the Portuguese as they left. Cement into wells, plants and buildings destroyed and knowledge/records were not passed on. Very different from Ghana where the British made the effort to transfer the country more or less intact.

I am off on Monday early am to Mogolovas Province where I will work and stay for 6 days. It is the bush. I will be training in 3 locations where the peanut farmers live. I was able to see one of the training rooms – 10 X 20 feet, handmade brick walls, thatched roof, dirt floor and no electricity. Need I say that training will be only during daylight! I assume the other two sites are similar. My lodging was to be in Government House but it is occupied. So……we visited the other lodging in the small village – extremely basic. Naked bulb overhead but a full bathroom! Note above: I will be taking my energy bars. No TV, no internet, no Irish pub. When I return to Nampula on Saturday night the 29th, the Executivo Hotel will seem like a palace.

TV is very interesting. Many stations in Portuguese, some in Indian dialect, some in French and only one that sometimes is in English. It comes from South Africa so often is in Boer. I have watched “All My Children” for the first time in my life – it was English. I am also listening to the French channel and am sometimes understanding most of it (take note Lizzie!). I depend on my MSN for US news. The wireless internet is spotty so have access and then don’t!

Paciência is the Portuguese world for patience. Like walking with Mr. Oliver the pug, this is essential for success in Mozambique.