Ragnar's World: A walk on the beach

I woke up fairly early. Had slept like a baby most of the night. It was great. The first streams of light from the sun rising in the west forced their way into the room. I decided to sleep in a bit longer. But about an hour later, I heard a noise that I assumed was coming from something of the local wildlife. A weird sound. I let it go. Closed my eyes and drowsed on. Around 9 I got up and had a shower, before going down for breakfast. Then I found the source of the sound. It was a powertool. They were renovating part of the hotel... I smiled.
There was a low tide. The restaurant at the end of the pier stood more or less on dry land. I was greeted by an ever polite waiter who invited me to sit wherever I liked, and eat whatever was on the buffet. I sat down by the window. Looked out towards Maputo, and the beach ahead. Beautiful view. But one thing I have found now is I regret not bringing a weater. I actually contemplated bringing a thin woolen sweater I have. But decided against it. If it weren't for the constant breeze, the temperature would have been great. But the breeze makes it slightly chilly. So I have to sit inside in the evening and morning. Before the temperature reaches 20C or thereabout. Then it's actually quite pleasant.
After breakfast, I had one prioritized task : getting certified copies of my passport and visa. The people here in Mozambique are on the whole very friendly and polite. But there is one group of people you should avoid at all cost : the police. They will rob you blind if they find any reason to do so. And they will. Actually, it is so bad that if you HAVE to go to the police station to fill in a report for insurance reasons, it is recommended that your bring as little valuables as possible. It has happened that people have come to the station, bringing lots of valuables, the police has arrested them for some made up crime and thrown them in a cell. Then robbed them blind and thrown them out. So therefore, I need a certified copy of passport and visa. If I had given them my passport, they might claim that something is wrong with the stamp or visa, and demand bribes to "ignore your crime". And of course, you need your passport. So they have you in a legal headlock. With a copy, they can do nothing. Telling them that you'll call the embassy might help, but not always. The advice is to avoid the police at all cost. But they normally roam around popular backpacker hotels and bus stations. So it is almost impossible to avoid them. But one should always try to stay where there a lots of others. They don't like to let others see what they are doing.
The receptionist copied my passport and the visa and called a hotel guard to take me to a notary office across the road. In the office, three ladies sat at each of their own desk. Obviously doing nothing. The guard showed me a chair where the upholstry was more gone than not. I sat down and felt my butt sinking through the whole seat. The first one took my passport and the copies, examined them. Stamped them. Then brought them to the lady with the biggest desk. She looked at it. Stamped it. The papers were brought to the third lady with the second biggest desk, and she looked at them, stamped them and signed. Then the first lady stamped them alot and signed all the stamps. 15 meticais please. About 50 cents. I gave her a 200 note. She sighed. The guard took the money and walked to the bank, which was next to the hotel. He came back and payed her and gave me the rest. We walked back to the hotel. I thanked him and went to my room to drop off my passport before heading out. I was going to go for a beach walk.
When I arrived yesterday, the receptionist asked whether I had walked on the beach to the hotel. I found the question a bit odd. But today I saw a lot of people doing that today. And I see why. The roads are in terrible condition, and the beach is leveled every high tide. So it is always in good condition. I decided to walk down to the ferry landing. People on the beach where preparing their nets for the tide to come in. Children were playing. People drove motorbikes. Dows and other boats sat on the beach waiting for the tide to lift them. Millions of sandcrabs had dug into the sand and dropping their sand-balls all over. I managed to take some photos of them before they disappeared into their holes. At the ferry landing, long lines of people where waiting to be crammed into the small boats crossing the bay. And cars waited for the large ferry to arrive to take them across. I took some photos of dows passing, the ferries coming and going, and a guy sitting on the dock fishing.
Beside the ferry landing, there is a small collection of bars and shops. And people walking to and fro selling stuff from baskets they are carrying. I wanted to find some bug spray for my journey. I found it in a small convenience store. When I was standing there, a young boy came to me and started to speak English to me. He asked me if I came over from Maputo. I said I lived in a hotel on the peninsula. "I work at your hotel!" he said and smiled. "Of course you do!" I said. That one was old three days after the first hotel was invented. He wanted to be my guide. I politely declined. He followed me around. I stopped at a local bar to have a coke. He jumped to my "rescue" and told me how much it would cost. I smiled. Put the money on the table. Then he started asking for money. I didn't like it, but I guess it is better to be a guide, than a thief...
After having refreshed myself on the coke, I decided to walk back the same way I came. Even thought the scene was the same, it was enjoyable. Almost back at the hotel, an army guy walked past me. I looked at him as we passed eachother, and he saluted me. I smiled a bit startld.
Back in the restaurant, I decided to try one of the Mozambiquan specialities. Seafood. I tried a shrimp cocktail. Normally, I would have been a bit weary about eating any such meal in many countries, but I know that here, it is always served fresh. And it was fresh. And delicious. With a wonderful sauce on a bed of vegetables. Yummy.
After the late lunch, I decided to use the last of the daylight to shoot some of the areas around the hotel. I walked whichever street I felt like and met people who smiled and waved. "Hello boss!" "Bom dia, boss!" I enjoyed it and only returned to my hotel because the sun was setting in the west. Killing the light. Not only for the camera, but also for me.
The past two days have been enjoyable. I am glad I went so far off from Maputo. Instead of shock-treatment, I smoothed into the country. Settling in after a long journey. It has been relaxing and pleasant. And I hope this has given me the energy I need to tackle the rest of the journey. Tomorrow, I am checking out and venturing into Maputo. My original plan was to go there today and buy a bus ticket for tomorrow morning. But today I decided to skip it, and spend one day in Maputo in som backpacker hotel. Then leave on Wednesday. Haven't yet decided where. But will do some surfing tonight for some ideas.
I have only included a small selection of todays images. Enjoy!