Mozambique

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Zeb the Duck is in Maputo, Mozambique, but Now What??

I, Zeb the Duck, am in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, in southern Africa.   My hotel is nice and centrally located.

Hotel Maputo in Maputo, Mozmbique

Hotel Maputo in Maputo, Mozambique

But, there are no tourist offices, no tourist maps and no tourist information in sight.   So, mom and I head out and are greeted by vendors.   Persistent, but friendly, vendors.   We do not want to shop today, just look around and get oriented.   We head downhill, hopefully toward Maputo Bay.    Must be a government building?

Government building

Government building

This statue is of Marechal Samora Moises Machel, the first president of the Republic of Mozambique.

First president of the Republic of Mozambique

First president of the Republic of Mozambique

And here are the friendly, persistent vendors.   Still no shopping today.   We wander a little more, not sure where we are heading and what we are seeing.   A park, older homes, and our friendly, persistent vendors.   So, mom talks to Isaac, one of the vendors.   He is friendly and persistent, and we like him.   He agrees to be our tour guide today.   This is so much better.   I, Zeb the Duck, like Isaac, and he speaks a little English.   Mom wasn’t a very good tour guide here.   Isaac takes us to The Fort.   A short walk and we are here.

The Fort

The Fort

Inside is a garden and small museum.   I love the statues.   Here I am on a horse.

Love statues of humans on horses--and a duck

Love statues of humans on horses–and a duck

This wagon is great also.

Wagon

Wagon

This fort was build by the Portuguese in the mid 19th century, near the site of an earlier fort.   Portugal colonized Mozambique and the official language is Portuguese.   However, like many places in Africa, people speak a few tribal languages first, then learn the official language left by the Europeans.   These people speak many languages.   Here I am, sitting comfortably with Isaac, our guide, watching me.

Isaac is watching me.

Isaac is watching me.

Inside one of the small rooms of the small museum, I rest on the sealed carved wooden coffin of Ngungunhane, the final ruler of the famed kingdom of Gaza.

Wooden coffin

Wooden coffin

The Kingdom of Gaza, 1824-1895, dominated southeast Africa in what is now southern Mozambique, southeast Zimbabwe, and parts of South Africa.     The coffin lid carving is beautiful.

Carved coffin lid

Carved coffin lid

More wonderful carving on these wall panels.

Carvings

Carvings

More statues with me, Zeb the Duck.

Sculptures

Sculptures

And statues on wall panels.

Sculptures

Sculptures

This fort was well guarded.

Every fort needs canons.

Every fort needs canons.

Attacks from the water were always a very real threat.   This fort is on Maputo Bay which goes into the Indian Ocean.   Leaving The Fort, you can see that Maputo Bay, and the Indian Ocean are right here.

Leaving the Fort, Maputo Bay sparkles in the sun.

Leaving the Fort, Maputo Bay sparkles in the sun.

Mom and Isaac agree to meet again tomorrow morning at our hotel, and he will show us more of the Maputo area.   I am so glad she decided to hire Isaac.

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Last Minute Shopping in Zimbabwe with Zeb the Duck

Well, this is our last morning in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.   We love this town and, of course, we love the waterfalls.   Our hotel was near an indoor craft market and an outdoor craft or curio market.

Elephant's Walk Shopping Village next to our hotel

Elephant’s Walk Shopping Village next to our hotel

This sign is for the indoor market.   But, look what else humans can do here.

Crocodile Cage Diving??

Crocodile Cage Diving??

I am glad mom did not try this.   I don’t think this is the crocodile that would be a diving partner.

I like this crocodile

I like this crocodile

I do like this crocodile though.   Isn’t this the most colorful rhino you have ever seen?

New kind of rhino

New kind of rhino

It is a first for me, but in the middle of National Parks and game preserves, this rhino seems right at home.   I even made a new friend here.

I always find new friends

I always find new friends

I have seen so many hippos in the water, but now I can sit on this one.

Friendly hippos

Friendly hippos

Inside this market there are many nice craft stores and there is even a Fed Ex office here if you want to purchase items too large for you suitcase.   We did not.   Also inside there are various small market areas and individual stands.   The cloth is for Chitenges.

Chitenges

Chitenges and more

Chitenges are the cloth women buy and then wrap to make skirts.   We think the material is very pretty, but we did not purchase any.   We are waiting for our taxi to the airport, so we go outside.   This vendor was very nice.

My friend, the vendor

My friend, the vendor

He even asked mom to put me on some items for photos.    Our taxi is here so the suitcase goes in and so do we.  We are back at the Zimbabwe airport in Victoria Falls.

Back to the Zimbabwe airport in the city of Victoria Falls

Back to the Zimbabwe airport in the city of Victoria Falls

Inside this aerial view of Victoria Falls is nice.

Aerial view of Victoria Falls. Nice picture

Aerial view of Victoria Falls. Nice picture

We have plenty of time until our flight leaves.   We do a little more shopping.   Mom likes the shops here and we purchase more souvenirs.    Then we enter the small restaurant in the airport.   Even the chairs have African wild animals.

Small restaurant in this small airport

Small restaurant in this small airport

Look at this menu.

There it is. Crocodile Burger

There it is. Crocodile Burger

Crocodile burger?   We ask the waitress about it and she says it is good.   And, of course, it tastes like chicken.   We have never had a crocodile burger; never have seen it on a menu either.   Mom has eaten crocodile nuggets in South Africa and crocodile appetizers, almost like shoe string potatoes in Denver, but never a burger.   So, we order the crocodile burger.

Crocodile burger

Crocodile burger

It is very good, and it does taste like chicken.   However it is much more dense or heavy than chicken.   We liked it, but we may never see it again on a menu.   And for the curious, the official currency of Zimbabwe is the US Dollar, so yes, we did pay $15 for a crocodile burger.   Our flight is called now, so next time we will be in Mozambique.   More adventures to come.