On one of our outings to Maputo (the capital), we drove a good 4 lane road with a sidewalk that skirted the Indian Ocean. We passed by fishing boats, flamingoes, several kite surfers, a beach volleyball game & people enjoying the huge beach. Vendor stalls & a few nice food trailers lined much of the road. Chicken was cooking over charcoal fires and tables & chairs were set up under trees. The buildings overlooking the ocean were much bigger & nicer than any we'd seen. Several were embassies based on the flag flying in front. The largest & most elegant was a Chinese hotel. As I've mentioned, the Chinese do most the construction here.
After we left the tall buildings behind, we cam to flat fields many with large & small sections walled off but nothing inside. We were told that if you buy land in Mozambique, the first thing you must do is wall it or the gov't will claim it back. The owner than may take years to build on it. Many building we saw were only partially built. Loans here are very expensive and hard to get.
Vehicles are an equal mix of newer & jalopies. No window, no door, no trunk panel...no problem. In less than an hour, I saw three cars being pushed. Buses are an equal mix of bigger & cleaner or crappy & crowded. Vans is the most common way to get around & they can squished over 20 in them. Over 20 also can ride in the back of a truck and at least there they have air flow...and if the tailgate doesn't open...they seem better off!.
The rule of the road seems to be: get there however you can. Sidewalks, wrong side of road, between parked or stopped cars...wherever. I haven't spotted a parking meter or a line down the center yet.
In spite of this, our drivers always seem calm & seldom use their horn! I have learned to avoid looking out the front window and enjoy looking out the side window.
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