Tarmo RTW: More about Mozambique

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Day 342
37030 km from the beginning of the journey.

Written in Maputo.

One of the attractions of Maputo is a house designed by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel in the center of the city. The same Eiffel who has designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Except that this house in Maputo is unfit for living, and because of a very simple reason.

Namely, the whole house is made of metal. Eiffel himself had never been to Mozambique, and so he could not foresee how hot it could turn inside. And this kind of a house will not suit to our climate either.

The Iron House. Inside view.

And here's one more beautiful building - the Maputo Railway Station.

Built in the years of 1913 - 1916

This steam locomotive was used from 1899 until 1940.

C F M – Caminho dos Ferros de Mocambique.

Boat

Diesel motor boat

Nuts on sale at the roadside. To attract the attention a lot of empty plastic bags are inflated.

Mangoes and bananas. I wanted to buy 10 bananas, but they had no change, so I left with a larger amount of bananas than planned plus mangoes.

It is now Maputo

Could not find a classic camping site in Maputo and I was told there even wasn`t one. This is an overnight place at the parking lot of Fatima's Backbackers Hostel . The positive side was the roof, which gave a slight shadow. Already at 3 p.m. one could fall asleep as then the life calmed down.

And at the end - a short story on "How I went to have malaria tests done."

What concerns the testing of malaria – as soon as there is a kind of doubt- it is important to make it clear immediately and not expect that "all of a sudden it will go over." The symptoms are very similar to common cold. Being wise afterwards - the real reason in my case was the heat during the last few days and the drafts while driving with the windows open, but there is not any driving here in Africa with the windows closed

The first attempt - three hundred meters away there was a shop that sold all kind of goods connected to the topic of malaria – nets and sprays and creams, but they did not make instant malaria tests.

The second attempt - a private clinic was supposed to be about 1 km - that is four blocks away. Why not go on foot. Even it is much more accurate, because driving while feeling poorly - the consequences could be bad. So I started. But the sky was dark and for a few hours it had been as promising rain. Up to the point where I was 100 meters from the directed place. And then it began to pour, and it was such a genuine tropical downpour, the streets were under water. I waited under the roof eaves of a shop in the hope that it will rain a bit less soon, but there was no change whatever. So I went to the clinics through the rain, hoping that while inside I can dry out. But the right house did not have any label -there was only a guard in front of the door, and so it turned out that since the clinic went bankrupt, there was no testing or anything. Nice story indeed. Now I am waiting for the rain to end, but in vain. I would still have come by my own bus, I am wise afterwards. If I go back on foot now then having reached the hostel I will be soaking wet and so will be my passport in my pocket and this kind of a thing should not happen now.

Then, nearby a taxi stops. Through the rain I go and take it. Having reached the overnight place 150 local money or meticais is asked. One dollar is 27 local money or the price was 5,5 USD or 4 euro.

Metacais

The third attempt. Morning. The target is the Central Hospital 1 kilometer away. And as the sky was brighter I decided to walk and reached the right place. Having paid about 40 euro and some more I have my test done at last. The ordinary instant malaria test.
Anyway, the test did not show any malaria, and that's good. The whole procedure, with waiting and getting the right places took about 4 hours.

The last five pictures are of Zimbabwe.