Nampula: 40+ degrees of heat, 6 degrees of separation

One the weekend I arrived in boiling hot Nampula, the 3rd largest city in Mozambique (just under half a million people). However, it is very different from Maputo, where I have spent the last week – hotter, much more “rural” and underdeveloped. That being said, it’s been good to get back to the “down to earth” side of Mozambique …

The interesting thing for me was how many people I bumped into here who I actually already knew from my other trips within Mozambique … all quite randomly!?

Inside a flower arranging shop: A consultant who I had met at a restaurant in Maputo 2 months ago (who I ended up going to an African dance party with)
On a home video I was watching at the place of one of the few people I actually knew in Nampula: One of my team members! At an Indian wedding!?
At an African dance party at 2:30am in the morning: A Scottish aid worker who I met in Lichinga – and at another dance party in Maputo one week earlier (!)
Watching the formula 1 race at a bar: A businessman from Chimoio that I was consulting to (who ironically is presently consulting to one of the members on my team! The consultant becomes ... the consulted.)

Despite the 20 million people here – and my relatively short time here (still less than 3 months!), I’m finding it’s a very small world after all for ex-pats in foreign countries.

Apart from that, spent the weekend poking my nose around Nampula. Went to the national museum – which was REALLY small (and a little scary! lots of weird masks) – and the markets – which were huge, but consisted almost entirely of 2nd hand clothing (at what I thought were exorbitant prices). Apart from that, spent far too long in an internet café, where about 10 people share what must be only a few dial up connections – 10 minutes to get into gmail = not fun. When I connected this morning on dial up internet in the office (about half the speed of normal dialup internet back home!) it felt like broadband! =)

Blessings
john