Gardens

Cooler air descended on Maputo today, and I’d forgotten these breezy days are common here from April to September. By cool I mean any reasonably settled UK summer day, as I was still in flip flops and a t-shirt, reading on a bench for a couple of hours. If Maputo’s Sé Cathedral is my go-to photo in the same way King’s College, Cambridge has been, then Tunduru Gardens are my River Cam grassy lounging spot. Greenery equals a switching off from deadlines and emails, so I’m grateful for having Tunduru only several minutes’ walk away. At weekends there are always several wedding parties singing and taking photographs, and there is always a nice vibe to soak up as they pass.

I strolled from Tunduru into Baixa, headed for some falafel shawarma, at a place I haven’t frequented since I came back. I always spot the buses imported from or donated by China at some point, which still display ‘Guangzhou train station’ in bright red moving letters. I avoided the belt and perfume hawkers hanging around a loud bar blasting out Stuck on You mid-afternoon.

The falafel was crispy and delicious. I’m a flip flop fidgeter, which I think accounts for my high rate of snapping the toe bit, which I did today under the table, as I shovelled falafel. I had to get back home barefoot, which drew the inevitable stares.