A Maputo Wedding

It was with great delight that I recently received an invitation to participate in a wedding of one of our workers in Maputo. With the accompaniment of friend Hugo we headed for Ressano Garcia and the Mozambican border. Border crossing has become seriously easy travelling to Mozambique and before long we were experiencing the Indian Ocean breezes of Maputo. According to the Lonely Planet guide, Maputo, with its Mediterranean-style architecture, waterside setting and wide avenues lined with jacaranda

and flame trees, is easily one of Africa's most attractive capitals. Normally December means high temperatures and high humidity in Maputo but for now the sky was overcast and a cool breeze made for a very pleasant stay.  The purpose of course was to participate in a wedding but it was also a time to explore this exotic and historically fascinating city. The town of Maputo initially emerged around a Portuguese fortress built in 1787, became known as Lourenco Marques, and is now the dynamic capital of Mozambique.

 Galao and Pastel de nata were a definite must at one of the many sidewalk cafes. Craft and flower markets as well as visiting the railway museum with its well maintained architectural structures became part of the agenda as we ventured out from Fatima's - a backpackers haven in the centre of the city. Except for a few suggested 'no go' areas the city is comfortable and quite safe to explore in vehicle and on foot. People are friendly and helpful but a rudimentary knowledge of Portugues, the lingua franca, is a definite asset.

But now to the wedding...!

 

It was a North American / Mozambican wedding full of surprises delightfully simple and complex with the groom being held up by Maputo gridlock and having to walk several kilometres to get to the church while others stayed with the vehicle. The civil ceremony took place in a local church with family, friends and MCC colleagues blessing the happily married couple. The celebrations took place in the 'Chicken Palace' - a vast series of banquet halls offering sumptuous and plentiful food.

 

Here's to blessings to you Victor and Katie as you share your life journey together across cultures and continents!  We walk with you and uphold you in our prayers of gratitude and love.