Laranjal

Orange grove.

I woke up to no power, which I don’t remember being typical of my previous stint. I hoped it wasn’t a sign of a worsening electricity network.

I headed out to get some items for a trip with Gisela over the river to Catembe. Maputo on a Sunday is particularly shuttered and quiet. Most activity was coming from a group of electricity workers furiously trying to figure out the problem in the neighbourhood.

Gisela’s family has land where there are a couple of buildings and groves of oranges and tangerines. We had drinks and prepared some churrasco and spent the afternoon catching up in the dry, cool (cool for Maputo - still t-shirt suitable) weather. Gisela laid out her plans to get the laranjais commercial in the coming year, rather than give away hundreds of kilos of oranges to friends. This could be quite a cool ethical business if kept organic (Manuel who tends the crops has been using a chilli paste to deter insects - which has worked) and ensuring benefits for the environment and people involved. She kept the door open for me to express interest in partnering in some way. I think I’ll mull it over, and first wait for my passport back from the Migration office, before committing to anything long term.