Home again? Not sure I will ever get to the point where I can link Maputo and home in the same sentence. Guilt and the fact that I was scheduled to start working on January 17th propelled me to the airport. Carl called several times to check my flight info; didn't tell me until the plane landed that nothing had really changed here. Not quite true. The potholes had multiplied in both number and size; the heat cranked up; cyclone season was in full swing, and the trash was piled even higher. Then we both had some GI thing and cancelled a dinner for quality time in the bathroom.
The gravel pits
The potholes are a dominating factor in roads that are already less than ideal. Many roads are two lane by our standards, effectively four here,with no markings. Add in pedistrians, bicycles,and people pushing carts and it is the African version of NASCAR. Occasionally you see one guy with a shovel running out between cars to throw some dirt or sand in a hole. Once there was even a bobcat in front of our building filling an exceptionally large hole with sand. Sand has the staying power of...well it has no staying power. Some progress has been made. Pushcarts are no longer allowed on one of the pracas (circles).
How hot is it?
It was really, really, really hot - and humid. Made DC in August seem temperate.
Up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane...
No, it is a table? Although we did not get a full fledged cyclone, we got the remnants including exceptionally strong winds and torrential rains. We had pulled all the chairs and small tables inside from our verandah but left a large, 4' by 8' foot metal and heavy tempered glass table wedged in a corner. After one particularly strong storm we got a call from the guards. The table had actually blown over the three foot high wall, broken apart and the one set of legs hit another car. Fortunately for us it was a company car and insured.
The rains were almost as violent, enough to push water through the window frames. Our apartment looked like the beach with all the towels soaking up water. Drainage is a huge problem here. Actually there is no drainage. So many of the streets became rivers, complicating the ability of drivers to miss potholes.
An added wrinkle was the sudden onset of construction to widen the road in front of our apartment. This was supposed to begin last August and then one day in February we were awakened at 6 am by the sounds of trucks. Two frantic weeks of daily removal of trees and excavating for several miles - enough to remove parking and access to buildings. The crew seemed to consist of one backhoe, one dump truck and one guy with a shovel. In addition to dirt and trees, they also managed to excavate water, sewer, power and cable lines. As quickly as the construction began, it stopped. Rumor has it that the government closed it down because the South African contractor did not hire enough Mozambicans. So now the side of the road is crumbling off at the edges and the sewer breaks have created numerous ponds. A new OTB industry has been created placing odds on whether the work will be completed before the road totally disappears to undercuts and potholes.
Maputo by dark
In addition to the normal power outages we had the substation fires (see previous blog). After three days with no power, we started getting it back in fits and starts and this rerouted switches and rerouted them again. It was very frustrating as you never knew when and for how long it would be off. All our electrical appliances and equipment need to be reset each time the power comes back on. There was one night I came home and was very excited because the power was on and the tv worked. Then the power went out. I reset everything. Then the power went out again. I reset everything again. Then the power went out again. At that point I got a candle and a bottle of wine. We have now had five consecutive days with no outages, a virtual record.
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| Burned substation |
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| Burned sub- substation |
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| Dinner by candlelight |
One small step for mankind
Trash continues to be an ever growing problem, What is not dumped on the streets and sidewalks is burned so while stepping over garbage you can be enveloped by the smell of burning plastic. However, there is a small recycling project and expats can now assuage their consumer guilt. Ironically, the collection point sits about fifty feet from an overflowing dumpster.
Das boot
So let's recap - road destruction, flooding, flying patio furniture, heat, no power. To keep a good thing going add in broken foot. Two weeks after I returned I started running and felt a pain in my foot. Felt like my shoe was too tight. Stopped running and retied shoe. Started running and felt even more pain in my foot. Hobbled home, applied ice. Two days later it still hurt and was very swollen. Made numerous trips to the Health Clinic. Was diagnosed with arthritis, tendinitis, possible stress fracture, arthritis again, and gout. Went to the top orthopedist in the country when I could no longer even hobble. He took an x-ray and told me if it hurts, don't do it. Did give me a prescription for crutches since he noticed the hobbling. (side note: crutches are called canadianas here, literally "little Canadians". Not sure if that is supposed to be complimentary or derogatory). Over nine weeks I tried massage, accupuncture and physical therapy - and continued to hobble to work, store and gym. Never got back to running but did manage step and kickboxing and walking although the pain and the swelling never went away. Finally went to a doctor in South Africa. He took three x-rays. First thing he said was "How the hell did they miss that?" So now I am in a cast for six weeks. This is the longest I have gone without running in 39 years and it is taking a toll physically and mentally.
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| The boot, AKA the FP Walker Foam Pneumatic, a hard plastic, velcro wrapped contraption with inflatable/deflatable air bladders. Apparently the modern alternative to plaster. |
Oh, and that job I was supposed to begin on January 17th? Guess I should have had them specify what year. Missed forms, staff on vacation, more forms. Did not actually start until March 12. I am the Customer Service Manager for Facilities Management, the arm of government responsible for maintenance of all mission homes and buildings. I am based at the Warehouse which has all the charm of an old warehouse and is located in the part of the City which apparently is the nexus of discontent and the jump-off neighborhood for riots and demonstrations. I have to show an ID and the car is checked under the hood and under the carriage with mirrors in order to get in. The bar was low for job performance. Pretty much just showing up and answering the phone was a significant step forward. Housing here can look nice but quality control is not a factor. Demand is high, both in terms of work required and expectations. No Harry Homeowners here. This is not to say it can't be interesting. This past week there was a request to remove tree roots growing out of a toilet. The odd thing is, it was the second one since I started working. Good for training inside dogs.
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| My office - which I share with five men. Kind of like my home life for 18 years. |
Life in the fast lane
Trials and tribulations have been punctuated by some positive moments as well - visits to the Central food market, crafts market, eating out in the park. Our one cultural event was an exhibit of photographs of albinos sponsored by a group working to combat prejudice in the local communities. We also happened on a parade in celebration of Maputo Day.
On the plus side...
The heat is easing up and the humidity is down, which is good since all but two of our air conditioners blew out with the power outages. Internet is up and I got the second season of Downton Abbey for my birthday. We also just spent a week in Zanzibar. Stay tuned for...
On the Road to Zanzibar
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| Whoa...How did this get in here? |
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