My return to Mozambique did have one significant event. I returned to Maputo for a week, and had time to get to know better someone I had met before. My new girlfriend, Nilza, is a student in Maputo that I met rather randomly. However, we hit it off really well and enjoy spending time together. While I have been in Maputo, Nilza has been able to show me her city, including nsome nice parks, the best beaches, and the best food. One of these is a small shop right near our Maputo office, that does rotisserie chicken. For those of you that are fans of Swiss Chalet, a spicy quarter chicken with fries (no little bun, but a good salad) and a Coke can be had for $1.50!!! This place happens to be the best tasting and the cheapest.
My new job with FH Mozambique is as a Logistics Advisor, working with the national Logistics team to review existing Operating Procedures, and implement some new/revised ideas. However, this doesn't mean that I'm not available for other tasks, and the first assignment was to bring two new cars from Maputo to Beira. This journey is about 1200 km. I and two mechanics started out early on Wednesday at 5, hoping to beat morning traffic. The drive passes through some beautiful areas of Mozambique, and follows the coast for most of the way. However, due to traffic, delays over fuel and meals, we soon found we were set back, and needed to stay the night in Villanculos, on the way. Unfortunately, 20 minutes before we stopped for the night, the other car hit or was hit by an ox, and we spent half the night with the police, on the side of a dark highway. The next day we limped on with the car, arriving in Beira after a total driving time of more than 30 hours, and a total time of 40. I was not amused. I have soent the last week in the Beira office, staying in the house of the Country Director and laying groundwork for the evaluation.
Next week I will visit all the district offices, including my old stomping ground, Caia, to do a logistic review there. I should be back in Beira around the end of the month. I will not have internet access for the time in the field, but will look for comments when I return.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Brazil Part 2
Well, not quite so rapid a succession of posts as I had hoped, but likely about what should be expected from me by now.
Rio de Janeiro- we spent less than 12 hours in the beautiful city, coming straight from Sao Pualo after the wedding. The highlight was when we took the cable car up to see the view from the Sugarloaf, and the clouds cleared enough to see the statue of Christ the Redeemer on the mountains opposite. Of course, Copacabana and Ipanema had stunning views as well, but it is winter in Rio, and it was rainy and chilly, so the beaches were pretty much empty. We wandered a bit, had a coffee, some authentic Brazilian countrystyle cooking, and took off just before dark by bus to Paraty. Special thanks to Claudia, our beautiful musician/tourguide for the day!
Paraty is an old port, where the Portuguese started the gold and diamond routes...it is a quaint old town, with nearby access to mountains, and incredible beaches. We spent a day on the beach (Well, an afternoon, all the rush from Sao Paulo to Rio and back to Paraty was a wee bit tiring), and it was perfect. Check the pictures on Facebook if you can, I don't know when they'll be posted elsewhere.
We also hiked one day on the Caminho do Ouro (Gold Trail), a Portuguese road from th 16oos that crosses over the mountains. I twas really cool to walk on the old granite stones, and see that people still use this path today. It rained while we were hiking, but that was certainly better than rain at the beach! Paraty was also a cool place to wander in the evenings, with European cuisine available everywhere, nice tourist shops to browse, cool cafes, etc. A great getaway!
We intended to try to catch a soccer match, and the Copa da Libertadores had a match playing on Wednesday in Santos. This is a championship for the best soccer team in South America, and it was a quarterfinal. However, our bus was late, and we missed a connection, so ended up in Campina, with more of Cleia's relatives, for more excellent food and great hospitality. The enxt morning we ended up racing to the airport to get me on a plane, because we tried to eat a traditional Brazilian churrasco lunch, and were short on time. So, I rushed into the airport, where the immigration officials were on strike, and stood in line for over three hours to try to leave the country. Departing Brazil, on a pathetic cramped Airbus340-200, I was really sorry to say goodbye to my first experience in Latin or South America.
Rio de Janeiro- we spent less than 12 hours in the beautiful city, coming straight from Sao Pualo after the wedding. The highlight was when we took the cable car up to see the view from the Sugarloaf, and the clouds cleared enough to see the statue of Christ the Redeemer on the mountains opposite. Of course, Copacabana and Ipanema had stunning views as well, but it is winter in Rio, and it was rainy and chilly, so the beaches were pretty much empty. We wandered a bit, had a coffee, some authentic Brazilian countrystyle cooking, and took off just before dark by bus to Paraty. Special thanks to Claudia, our beautiful musician/tourguide for the day!
Paraty is an old port, where the Portuguese started the gold and diamond routes...it is a quaint old town, with nearby access to mountains, and incredible beaches. We spent a day on the beach (Well, an afternoon, all the rush from Sao Paulo to Rio and back to Paraty was a wee bit tiring), and it was perfect. Check the pictures on Facebook if you can, I don't know when they'll be posted elsewhere.
We also hiked one day on the Caminho do Ouro (Gold Trail), a Portuguese road from th 16oos that crosses over the mountains. I twas really cool to walk on the old granite stones, and see that people still use this path today. It rained while we were hiking, but that was certainly better than rain at the beach! Paraty was also a cool place to wander in the evenings, with European cuisine available everywhere, nice tourist shops to browse, cool cafes, etc. A great getaway!
We intended to try to catch a soccer match, and the Copa da Libertadores had a match playing on Wednesday in Santos. This is a championship for the best soccer team in South America, and it was a quarterfinal. However, our bus was late, and we missed a connection, so ended up in Campina, with more of Cleia's relatives, for more excellent food and great hospitality. The enxt morning we ended up racing to the airport to get me on a plane, because we tried to eat a traditional Brazilian churrasco lunch, and were short on time. So, I rushed into the airport, where the immigration officials were on strike, and stood in line for over three hours to try to leave the country. Departing Brazil, on a pathetic cramped Airbus340-200, I was really sorry to say goodbye to my first experience in Latin or South America.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Brazil Part 1
A rapid succession of posts will follow, as I recall memories of the flurry that was the last two weeks. First...BRAZIL!!!!
After sitting in Pretoria, South Africa for a few days (read - spending heaps of cash because food and drinks were cheaper than American prices, and it was so nice to have fine foods in a pleasant atmosphere), I flew to Sao Paulo on Thursday, the 17th. Not a bad flight with South African Airlines, on a new Airbus340-800. Inflight movies included Apocolytpo (Mel is the new Kevin Costner "Quit while you're ahead Mel!"), a South African indie film, a chick flick, an action flick. 10 hours of brain damage...
I arrived in Sao Paulo, and Cleia, who works in a different city, didn't have the day off, so her brother picked me up. Her brother who's wedding I was invited to the next day, who didn't speak any English, just Portuguese. It was fine, we hit it off well, and he took me to his place, where I met his (also Cleia's) parents, and we chatted for hours in Portuguese-English-German (Mrs. dos Santos is a German immigrant's daughter).
Friday, Jordan arrived from the airport, and Cleia went to pick him up, and ask if he would stand up in the wedding with her, due to an unfortunate cancellation by another friend. Then, we were off to have Jordan's tuxedo fitted and finally left late for the drive to Cleia's house for the night. Cleia works at a university, and lives just off campus. We arrived at her house really late, ate spaghetti, talked until 1 AM, met her roommates, crashed.
Saturday morning, we got up for a nice pancake breakfast with the maple syrup Jordan had brought Cleia as a gift, and then scrambled to get ready for church. Cleia is a 7th Day Adventist, so her church services are held on Saturday, and she works at a religious university, so the church there is quite big, and was worth visiting.
After church, we rushed to pack, got a ride to the bus, and bussed to Campinhas, where Cleia's uncle and aunt live. An incredible formal dinner ensued (secret salad, casseroles, incredible chocolate moussey desert , wow. The meal (and the lack of sleep, jet lag, etc.) required a nap, after which we got ready for the wedding and drove to Sao Paulo.
The wedding started at 8 pm, but when we arrived at 8:15, Cleia's sister and brother-in-law (not the bride and groom) weren't there with my suit (no biggie), and Jordan's tux (important). There we were, dirts in T-shirts, creeping into the back door of a church and hoping for the best. After a hurried dressing (the bride was sitting in the limo out front the whole time), I sat with some nephews and nieces I had met, and the procession started.
Words can not describe the grandeur of this wedding. Chamber orchestra in the loft, a different piece for each entry, 12 pairs of attendants, a bridal train more than 5 meters long, candles, a tenor solo of the Lord's Prayer...
The reception started at 10ish, in a wedding hall covered in flowers, with a full disco dance floor (lasers, lights, music videos). Hors d'ouvres everywhere, waiters in tuxes, host bar, only one speech (yes! speeches are the stupidest part of any reception), photo slide show, dancing, a pasta dinner at 12:45 am, desserts at 2, party favours, sunglasses, boas, glow sticks, and a surprise visit from the King. Yes, Elvis was in the building. Oh, and I met Ronaldo, and Roberto Carlos was there....
OK, so it was Ronaldo, Cleia's cousin, and Roberto Carlos the singer, who was only there by music video projection, but it truly felt like we had all-access passes to some celebrity fete. Brazilians know how to party. We pulled out at 4, only because our ride was leaving, and we had to be on a flight to Rio at 9. What a night... pictures are on Facebook, and will be on google photos soon.
Next post - Rio
After sitting in Pretoria, South Africa for a few days (read - spending heaps of cash because food and drinks were cheaper than American prices, and it was so nice to have fine foods in a pleasant atmosphere), I flew to Sao Paulo on Thursday, the 17th. Not a bad flight with South African Airlines, on a new Airbus340-800. Inflight movies included Apocolytpo (Mel is the new Kevin Costner "Quit while you're ahead Mel!"), a South African indie film, a chick flick, an action flick. 10 hours of brain damage...
I arrived in Sao Paulo, and Cleia, who works in a different city, didn't have the day off, so her brother picked me up. Her brother who's wedding I was invited to the next day, who didn't speak any English, just Portuguese. It was fine, we hit it off well, and he took me to his place, where I met his (also Cleia's) parents, and we chatted for hours in Portuguese-English-German (Mrs. dos Santos is a German immigrant's daughter).
Friday, Jordan arrived from the airport, and Cleia went to pick him up, and ask if he would stand up in the wedding with her, due to an unfortunate cancellation by another friend. Then, we were off to have Jordan's tuxedo fitted and finally left late for the drive to Cleia's house for the night. Cleia works at a university, and lives just off campus. We arrived at her house really late, ate spaghetti, talked until 1 AM, met her roommates, crashed.
Saturday morning, we got up for a nice pancake breakfast with the maple syrup Jordan had brought Cleia as a gift, and then scrambled to get ready for church. Cleia is a 7th Day Adventist, so her church services are held on Saturday, and she works at a religious university, so the church there is quite big, and was worth visiting.
After church, we rushed to pack, got a ride to the bus, and bussed to Campinhas, where Cleia's uncle and aunt live. An incredible formal dinner ensued (secret salad, casseroles, incredible chocolate moussey desert , wow. The meal (and the lack of sleep, jet lag, etc.) required a nap, after which we got ready for the wedding and drove to Sao Paulo.
The wedding started at 8 pm, but when we arrived at 8:15, Cleia's sister and brother-in-law (not the bride and groom) weren't there with my suit (no biggie), and Jordan's tux (important). There we were, dirts in T-shirts, creeping into the back door of a church and hoping for the best. After a hurried dressing (the bride was sitting in the limo out front the whole time), I sat with some nephews and nieces I had met, and the procession started.
Words can not describe the grandeur of this wedding. Chamber orchestra in the loft, a different piece for each entry, 12 pairs of attendants, a bridal train more than 5 meters long, candles, a tenor solo of the Lord's Prayer...
The reception started at 10ish, in a wedding hall covered in flowers, with a full disco dance floor (lasers, lights, music videos). Hors d'ouvres everywhere, waiters in tuxes, host bar, only one speech (yes! speeches are the stupidest part of any reception), photo slide show, dancing, a pasta dinner at 12:45 am, desserts at 2, party favours, sunglasses, boas, glow sticks, and a surprise visit from the King. Yes, Elvis was in the building. Oh, and I met Ronaldo, and Roberto Carlos was there....
OK, so it was Ronaldo, Cleia's cousin, and Roberto Carlos the singer, who was only there by music video projection, but it truly felt like we had all-access passes to some celebrity fete. Brazilians know how to party. We pulled out at 4, only because our ride was leaving, and we had to be on a flight to Rio at 9. What a night... pictures are on Facebook, and will be on google photos soon.
Next post - Rio
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)