Maputo

Our first stop in Mozambique was the capital city of Maputo. Maputo has the feel of a city that was in long decline and has only recently started thinking of the future. As one traveler put it, there's an awful lot of deferred maintenance. Relatively modern buildings from the late colonial period are abundant, but they look like they haven't received a coat of paint since the Portguese suddenly pulled out in the early 1970s.

There a few interesting sites -- a steel building designed by Eiffel, a lovely railroad station, the local market, and the derilict building where thieves live (don't drop in) -- but nothing particularly striking. There were some signs of new development, particularly along the bay front, but we took it as a bad sign when our local guide said that politicians own the most expensive houses.