Walking to the Waterfront in Mozambique
Today, Friday March 27th, I had an evening meeting planned with Rick, his wife Rachel, and daughter Claire. I first met Rick in Angola at the Flow Hotel. He works for the Canadian High Commission, or Canadian embassy, and they cover Angola and Eswatini from their base in Mozambique. We connected again and made plans to meet up.
Choosing to Walk Instead of Drive
After catching up on things in the morning, I decided to walk the 2 kilometers to their place rather than drive. Rick had warned me that Friday late afternoon traffic would be at a standstill, so I left my car in a good spot and set off on foot toward the waterfront.
Scenes Along the Waterfront
Walking toward the waterfront was a lot of fun. I got a feel for the beach and saw lots of little fishing boats floating around, with people working on their nets to repair them. It was a really enjoyable walk. I also observed a gas station with many long lines — fuel prices are expected to go up, and there are concerns about potential shortages, so people were rushing to fill up. I was really happy I wasn’t driving those short 2 kilometers, because it would have taken a very long time.
The Beach and Surroundings
The beach area was interesting, with some impressive hotels, a casino, and people trying to sell art. Eventually, I made it to the compound where Rick’s family lives — a protected area with fancy homes that the embassy arranges for their personnel.
Reconnecting with Rick and Family
The meeting was wonderful. It was great to reconnect with Rick and get to know daughter Claire and wife Rachel. We covered a lot of ground, discussing the things they deal with at the embassy and the experiences I’ve had traveling in the meantime. Before arriving, I grabbed a coffee at a place across the street from their compound.
A Great Exchange of Perspectives
Altogether it was a great experience, and I’d like to thank them again for having me over. It’s really valuable to exchange knowledge between someone who works at an embassy and someone who’s bumming around the continent. Thank you, Rick, Rachel, and Claire — and thanks for coming along!
