Bag search

I went for an afternoon walk around the botanical garden, the downtown area and along the road that fronts the bay. It was pleasing to get some air as I’ve spent far too much time in front of my laptop recently. The image is of the ferry jetty used to shuttle people across to Catembe, visible on the other side.

Some police stopped me on the street, performing the documentation checks on foreigners that they are legally allowed to do. I’m not sure that their mandate extends to bag searches and time-consuming scrutiny of every item. I told them I had a valid visa and that they weren’t going to find anything untoward, but was chastised for doing so. These street checks are the most annoying aspect of life in Maputo and are somewhat incongruous with the overall attitude to foreigners in Mozambique. Outsiders are not unwelcome here, but the police checks do create a degree of hassle when moving around.

I stopped for a pizza and chilled at the restaurant for a while. The server was lovely and she was telling me how much she enjoys her job, even the overnight shifts, when it stays open all through the weekend to keep Maputo fuelled with pepperoni and mozzarella.