We entered the Maputo Harbor by 6 this morning. Seeing the city from the water, it was quite a surprise. The skyline is considerably modern, with a new, long bridge nearly complete, near the port.
Soon after our ship was berthed, we disembarked to take a look around. We walked past several places with obvious Portuguese and French influences, and we met our guide Hendy, at 9:30. Hendy knew the history of Mozambique and shared so much with us.
“The voyage of Vasco da Gama in 1498 marked the arrival of the Portuguese, who began a process of colonization and settlement. After over 400 years of Portuguese rule, Mozambique gained independence in 1975. After just two years of independence, the country descended into civil war lasting from 1977 to 1992. They held their first multiparty elections in 1994 and have remained a relatively stable republic since.
Maputo sits at the southern end of Mozambique, just north of the South African border. It is on the Indian Ocean at the mouth of a river, with a large natural harbor. The town developed around a Portuguese fortress completed in 1787. In the early 20th century, the seaport was developed and the city became a lively cosmopolitan place, attracting European investment and architecture.
Mozambique is rich with natural resources. The country’s economy is based largely on agriculture, food, beverages, chemical manufacturing, and aluminum and petroleum production. Tourism is expanding. Since 2001, Mozambique’s annual average GDP growth has been among the world’s highest, but they are still one of the poorest and most underdeveloped countries in the world. The official language of Mozambique is Portuguese. The largest religion is Christianity, with significant minorities following Islam and African traditional religions.”
We visited the Se’ Cathedral, built between 1936-1944. Across the street is the Maputo City Hall, with a large statue of the former President of Mozambique, Samora Michel, who was killed in a plane crash in 1986 at the age of 53. We walked through the Jardim Tunduru, designed in the 1880’s by a British architect. The gardens are well maintained and are the site of locals wedding photos. We walked down Avenida Samora Michel to see Casa de Ferro, an iron house designed by Gustav Eiffel. We went to the Fortaleza, past numerous Portuguese style buildings, to the train station, with its dome also designed by Gustav Eiffel. The Maputo Train Station is considered one of the top 10 most beautiful train stations in the world! Our next stop was Central Market, full of fruits, vegetables, cashews, spices, fresh fish, crafts, and hair. It seems most local Maputo women wear hair extensions. Our last stop was Elefante Fabric Store, where I bought several pieces of African inspired fabrics. Hendy was one of the best guides we’ve had on our entire trip. People were helpful and friendly. We really enjoyed our day in Maputo!
We returned to Cape Town, to check in at our hotel. We had lunch at the V&A Waterfront. Loved it! At 4, we left the hotel in a hurry, to get to Greenmarket Square, to join a walking tour of Historic Cape Town. We stopped for short history lessons in front of Cape Town City Hall, the Slave Market, Parliament, the Company Garden where the Dutch East India Company grew fruits and vegetables from the 1650’s to replenish ships sailing around the cape and is a popular place to walk and relax today, St. George’s Cathedral (Desmond Tutu’s Church), and more. We enjoyed every moment of the whole day!
