Peri Peri, the condiment of champions!

Aye!  What a week this has been.  All was going well and then early in the week this position was almost eliminated due to a very real and also perceived issue with the type of Visa I have for working in Mozambique.  Hours/days of jaw clenching stress later - really, what would this type of work be without some kind of huge issue that results in jaw clenching stress - a very creative idea was proposed and alas, I was able to keep my job.  Basically, because of what I have been hired to do, the fact that I didn't have an official work permit was possibly going to result in me being deported or jailed.  All is right in the world now and it appears that I will be based in Pretoria, South Africa and travel to Maputo a few weeks each month.  Simples!  So here I am, in lovely Maputo until the end of the month.  I don't speak the language, so when people speak to me I have about as much comprehension as my cat when I speak to him - total oblivion ...  so I will be working on my Portuguese.

Maputo... let's see, I LOVE this place!  It's kind of crazy, tons of energy, excellent weather, vibrant street life and I happened to find a fabulous place to stay while here.  I'm actually living in some extra rooms in a house occupied by a really cool Indian/Portuguese couple.  They live upstairs and I'm downstairs - deck and pool level, overlooking the Indian Ocean.  I hang with their four labs - one of which leaves me blushing every time he gets up close and personal in a way that lifts one off their toes. I will be working on that, and after day 1 and being covered in hair and slobber, I am thankfully no longer the interesting shiny new penny.  The owner drove me all over to show me around and point out where to go, what to avoid and suggest some great trips.  Speaking of trips, he certainly is one and in the best way.  Has a really fantastic wife and two very cute kids, but certainly is missing his bachelor days - really fun guy and has been a very gracious host.  I enjoyed lunch with them the first day and tore into the best Indian meal I have ever consumed, courtesy of their live-in Indian chef. Had a  nice dinner and a few drinks out, then very early to bed as it was an extremely long day. They also have a pet bunny who roams the front yard on the street level.  One of the best things about this place is that I am not "checked-in" to any hotel with my passport, so I can be here in relative anonymity which further secures some of the issues that could arise with my work here.

the deck outside my rooms

view from my sleeping chamber :)

sunset

office/bar area that I have use of - my rooms are the sliding doors

view from my table the first night here

sunrise - I was up early

my walk back to my residence this afternoon

So, today I woke up to a beautiful sunrise over the ocean - from my bedroom - and strolled down the street to enjoy an evilly delicious Portuguese pastry and cappuccino. Wow, those are going to be dangerous.  Walked all over the main area where most of the cafes and restaurants are, hung out in the sun on the deck here at my abode, applied for a few jobs and then it was feeding time again.  I strolled down to another outside eatery and ordered a special burger and salad, but what I received what some chicken sandwich on a pineapple in a bun with a side of peri-peri sauce for which the Mozambicans are famous.  I slathered it on everything and it was delicious - also so damn hot that at one point I thought my mouth was going to try to run away from my face - perfect!!  So, three beers later - which were necessary to put the furnace out in my mouth - I was ready to stroll home.  Seriously, I can still feel that stuff and wonder if it will literally eat a hole right thru me, my moneymaker and any furniture I happen to by occupying at the time.  I plan to eat this at every opportunity - plus hot food helps to quell the nasties that may be inhabiting my food and can make one quite sick - I've had some questionable water sources, greens, etc. that made me take pause in reference to what may happen to the old GI system.  The Wino will keep you posted, because what would an adventure blog be without some detailed description of nasty intestinal issues.  I'm still hoping for the best though :)

Tonight I am going to experience Maputo nightlife courtesy of my host's wild friend Naby - the plan is food, drink, music, drink, food ... you get the picture and I hope the ol' Wino can hang - I'm not really worried about that actually.  It should be fun and also a great way to check things out in order to be better prepared to entertain myself.  Oh yes, I am here to actually work, so I will be in the office here Monday and that's when the fun begins.  Should be crazy, that's for sure.  I will complete the rest of this after my night out with Naby.

Oh my ... what a night and what a fun, fun guy - food, music, drink, music, drink ... home at 4:15am. You get the idea.  Met a ton of fun people - lots of other international workers here on contracts, etc.  So, in sum, it was really fun but I was totally gassed out all day today.
Tomorrow is the first day of work in the Mozambique office - should be interesting!

Drink of the night: Coke Light - my liver requested a well deserved break!