Mozambique and Durban

Though we are now far removed from the abject poverty and desperation of The French Nation Islands, their plight remains in my heart and mind. Surely there is something that someone, somewhere can do for these people to improve their situation and restore the islands to the wonder God created... Not saying that everyone should live as you and I do, but surely, drinkable water and sanitary living conditions would certainly make life a little better for them.

Our next port down the Mozambique Channel (still part of the Indian Ocean which I promise seems to go on forever) is Maputo, Mozambique. The Insignia docked here in 2023 and that is when I saw the lady who shall be my inspiration for the remainder of my life.

"...and yet She smiles," was doing her presumably daily marketing when her brilliant smile caught my attention. Compared to Mayotte and Nosy Be, Maputo is a prosperous haven of economic stability. In reality, they are struggling, but with will and determination. Their beautiful bridge connecting business and residential districts remains under-utilized. These people are not fools. Why would anyone pay an exorbitant toll to drive across a bridge to work where there is no place to park? No. Much more practical and economically feasible to park said car at south end of bridge, board a city bus for a small fee, work all day then reverse process. So what if there is no money at the end of the ninety-nine year lease of said bridge to repay the Chinese for its construction. Neither they nor I will be around at that time to worry about it...

And then came Durban, South Africa. Because of my inland trip to Victoria Falls and Botswana in 2023, I did not get to visit Durban. So, this visit will just have to do double duty. Prior to our arrival in Durban, we were repeatedly advised to be extremely cautious as Durban was not free of crime. (What large city is????) Durban is the third largest city in South Africa. I really, really liked what I saw and learned of Durban. It is clean, modern, relatively affluent, maintains the oldest and largest port in South Africa - dating back to the 18th century, if memory serves me correctly, and probably many other attributes I'm not recalling at this writing.

My visit to Durban began with an Oceania excursion entitled "Scenic Durban by Heli with Mountain Picnic." Yes, it was as magnificent as it sounds. I have been able to see, do and learn so very much more than I could ever have imagined possible in this life... it simply blows my mind. This was another of those experiences. Some ten to twelve of us traveled by bus to the Victoria Heliport, revealed our height and weight for safety reasons, listened intently to the safety briefing, posed for pictures outside our assigned helicopter, climbed aboard, fastened our seatbelts, donned our headphones and took off...

Get in, we're going choppin'...

Unlike in Dubai, I was assigned the shotgun seat and could see for miles and miles and miles. Our trip to the mountain top took approximately 25 minutes. It could have lasted for days as far as I was concerned. Ours was the last of three helicopters to arrive, so the grazing cows were not terribly disturbed by our landing - though I did hear a bit of mooing off to the right...

Shotgun!

A View from the Helicopter

The three pilots hastily began picnic preparations. A folding lawn chair was set up for each of us alongside a folding table offering anything one might wish for - from individual quiche to large bags of Lays Potato Chips to wine and champagne. (The Lays Potato Chips were the first to disappear.) Our job was to sit back, relax, eat, drink and soak up the ambiance. That we did for 45 minutes or so, along with taking hundreds of photos. This was described as a mountain and it certainly was high enough to earn that name, but unlike most mountains I've seen in this world was virtually flat on top. So, help me out here, was it really a mountainous plateau? Others surrounded it. A rose by any other name... When Alex, our pilot announced it was time to depart, I conceded my shotgun seat to the other lady aboard. I did this without any knowledge of what Alex had in store for us, but am so glad I did. After clearing the edge of the mountain plateau, he took a steep dive into the valley below. My heart skipped more than a few beats at this maneuver and I was in back! We passed a beautiful waterfall, lots and lots of farms, many commuter residential neighborhoods, Durban's beautiful, new stadium built for World Cup competition, upscale commercial buildings and a beach that Galvestonians would die for! All in and around Durban, South Africa. Truly an experience of a lifetime!

But my day in Durban does not end here. At 5:55 pm, I boarded a bus with a guide who instructed us to just call her "Baby, Baby" - as we were not likely to be able to pronounce her given name. This was for a "Gondola Night Ride and City Lights Tour." Another excellent choice. There were no singing gondoliers nor Venice landmarks, but very very enjoyable nonetheless. We traveled for some thirty minutes along manmade canals through luxurious high-rise apartment complexes, their world trade center and other commercial buildings - totally at peace with the world! After this most relaxing activity, we took a ten minute stroll along the shore and onto a pier out into the ocean. Beautiful. Peaceful. Quiet. Romantic, if only. . .

Back on the bus to return to the ship it was announced that "Baby Baby" will receive a degree in mechanical engineering from a local university on June 6th. A round of applause and congratulations ensued. With all our faults, we, the people, can be pretty awesome.

A Gondola for four

Goodnight, Durban!

Today is Someday! See the World & It's People!