The Other Side of Maputo

My last day In Maputo was spent in the sleepy suburb of Catembe - reached by taking a short ferry ride from the port in the heart of the city across to Catembe itself. It is literally a stones throw from the city, and yet is a tale of contrasts in every sense, and provides the perfect foil to the city.

Catembe is unique in that it is nothing like the rest of Maputo, or any city for that matter, yet it fits the vibe perfectly. Bars line the dusty streets, frequented by the local 'fly girls and boys' who love to party at the weekends, and life is lived at the slowest of paces - which suited my mood perfectly at the time.

Smiling In The Face Of Adversity

With it being a Saturday the mood was relaxed as the locals enjoyed glasses of cold beer out on the dusty streets, in preparation for the party that would evolve later - and I was assured there would be a party, as there was every Saturday. I sat with my own beer, and book, watching the world go by, soaking up the atmosphere as the dulcet tones of music, from various bars, filled the cool air.

It is worth pointing out that these are not bars as you and I know them, but rather small shacks with no seating inside, that serve a seemingly endless supply of cold beers from the hatches at the front. Seats and tables deck the streets as patrons chat and play backgammon, periodically shouting, because of the music, for a fresh beer. Most share their beers, in order to make sure their amber nectar is always cold, and most seemed to accompany it with freshly roasted nuts, either cashews or peanuts.

Having sunk a few cold ones I ventured along the main, and only, street with bars on, mixing with the locals. Through the bits of Portuguese I had picked up, and their broken English I was able to hold half decent conversations with them, but it was a game of pool that proved the perfect ice-breaker. In keeping with the nature of the place the pool tables were out on the street and were run by a winner stays on system - meaning if you were good you could play for free all day.

Shooting Pool Maputo Style

I put my five metical coin down, in a row of nine, and stood by waiting for my turn. Many locals would just stop by for one game, often on their way back to the ferry or to take a break from drinking beer, but there was a hard core of about seven or eight who never left the tables. My turn soon came along, and it pitted me against a wily old man who had held the table for a number of games - hence it gave me great pleasure to bring his run to an end. Sadly that was as good as it got, with my next game coming to a premature end as I sunk the black a little too early!

With that it was time to catch the ferry back across to the city, knowing the next day would see me heading north to the costal village of Tofo - where life was even more laid back than in Catembe.

The View From Catembe To Maputo

The Other Side of Maputo

Maputo, Mozambique