This morning at around 7:00 we docked in the city of Maputo, in the country of Mozambique. The first impressions of the city were formed by the dock area, the array of docked fishing boats in image number 1, the Maputo-Katembe Bridge and its grounded companion ship the Volopas shown in the 3rd and 2nd last photo and the Mozambique Naval Ship in the last photo which was also in the process of docking when we arrived. So what was that impression? It was of a modern city that was somewhat run-down. The city tour that occupied most of our day expanded on that impression.

As you can see from some of the early photos the first stop of our city tour was the Central Railway Station. This is a pretty impressive Colonial Style Building which is still operatiing as a railway station and also houses a Museum. It is clear from the attention the building is getting, that the railway was very important historically during colonial times and is still important.

From the Central Station we drove to the city's Central Market. The light in the market was not great for photos so there are only a few that are worth showing. One of the surprising features of the market was the large number of shops that were selling wigs and other hair extensions and accessories for women.

Then followed a brief visit to Maputo Fort. It did not seem very interesting architecturally, but the history of the site which can be found in this wikipedia link is interesting (at least to me) as the site has been built on a number of times by a series of different European countries, Dutch, Austrian, Portuguese, French and English. The unfortunate locals got a lot of experience with European occupiers.

For me the highlight of the day was a visit to Maputo's Cathedral. Not because I have an interest in religious buildings but because of the two gardeners I met on the front steps of the building. They had obviously been cutting the lawns that surroound the Cathedral when the front axle of their mower broke away from the mower frame. When I found them they were sitting on the steps patching the mower back together with a small welder. Notice all the safety equipment they are wearing,... NOT.

The final stop of the day was a place called Feima Market. This is a very nice park that is also a place for local artists of all forms to sell their creations. But it is also a place that highlights or emphasises another feature of Maputo. I have never been to a place where so many people are trying to sell souvenirs to tourists, or where they are as aggressive/desperate. There were many hundreds, probably thousands, of people doing this all over the city. I cannot help but conclude that it says something about the difficulty of finding a job and making a living in Maputo.