We had to get up at 5AM to meet Felicity, our tour
guide.We then made a stop at a large resort to get more passengers (two families). Seeing the sunrise was a great start to the day. We were both very glad that we took this trip, but we were utterly appalled by the abject poverty of most of the citizens of this third world country.The roads were lined with stalls where people sell carvings, jewelry, shells, fabrics, & bowls.
Cars crammed with people pulled trailers over-loaded with all of their
belongings. Many women carried large packages on their heads.
Felicity parked the van behind this lovely train station, and we climbed aboard the small train (upper rt). We had a 2-hour ride around Maputo, the capitol city. We saw grand hotels, embassies, and large homes surrounded by rubble and ruined buildings filled with squatters.
at lower left is a small part of the tent-covered market. I thought I had been dropped into hell!! At rt is the train driver & guide posing with Lorraine and me.
One of the families asked if we could visit a posh hotel they planned to use for their daughter's wedding venue. This was the saving grace of this trip. The place was beautifully built and landscaped with beachfront on the Indian Ocean.
Lorraine thought I should pose as a lady of leisure in the grand lobby (below). All-in-all, the trip was worth doing, but we agreed that we would not do it again. Our guide was great, and we really enjoyed meeting our fellow travelers.