The flight over was really nice actually, even though I detest flying. I slept for most of the Transafrican part, the food was great and my seat mate and I had 3 seats to share between the two of us. That was more than luck, we're both tall and neither was talkative, so it was a match made in flight-heaven. The horror started after landing in South Af where my endless stop over of 6hs turned into 9, three of which were spent on board. Then we had to emergency land from midair, Nothing to worry about ladies and gentlemen, the captain said ...only a door open, we just need to close it and we'll be on our way.
Allrighty then. Let's do that. Let's close that door up...
When I arrived Francelina, my "contact in field" as SIDA likes to call it, was waiting for me with a big smile; LAURINHA!! she shouted. Thank God she recognized me, I would have gone with anyone who shouted Laurinha. She asked me about "o Gringo" (my brother) and then took me around some key places like the hotel Polana. In my days, it was a grand white gem located in a desolate area, today it's a tiny white, tiny blob in the midst of a trillion buildings. It almost looks like a typo. Actually that pretty much sums up my first day impression of Maputo - everything's the same but different, more constructions, more people, more buildings, more cars. Then there are some new new features like streets with asphalt and names, that's cool. Also I've seen a couple of street lights.
Yesterday, at night, me and Sandra took the Land Rover (the only safe, but polluting, way to go at night) for a spin around town. Somehow I was able to guide her to our old house. It was as if I was channelling something, I went ...turn left, turn right, continue a bit further, turn left, watch the bump, turn right... until we got there. We passed the president's area then up Iana's street, passed my old guitar teacher's house and then made a right.
When we got to o Bairro Coop, the neighborhood, and to our street, a Rúa D, I had to gasp for air. There it was, my house! That's MY house! Or no, more like... a piece of my heart, you know? Like your old house, that you may pass on a daily basis, or return to yearly or at least see from afar, from time to time. I have that too, it's just that it's on the other side of the world. It's where I had my turtle Skogman, where Pequenina grew up alongside me and my brother, it's where we used to throw huge asados and all our bdayparties. It's where José used to tell me stories and where Rosa made me french fries. It's where me and my brother hung a cardboard box from our giant tree in the back yard, stuffed it with pillows, got in and then had the other one hit the box with a baseball bat. It's where we got attacked by monkeys. It's where Franco broke my foot a couple of weeks before we were leaving for China with Love and his family... Seeing it again made me feel more real, more grounded, like I really exist, like I do have a past - it wasn't all just the invention of a bored, overactive mind!
Bla bla bla, rumble in the past. Now, it's time to live in the moment, hit the shower and then off to a party.
Have a good Friday, wherever you are.
Love, l
