Saturday, 30 March: Beira

The plane I took to Beira was very small. It could only hold at most 30 people, but there were only 11 people on board. Even though the flight was less than 2 hours, we were still served lunch. Again I poorly choose chicken (but it was so good!). This time it came with sliced peppers on it and other spicy tidbits in the couscous. I made a final trip to the bathroom after I finished eating and then sat back to enjoy the descent into Beira.

It was extremely cloudy so I peered out the window expectantly waiting to catch a glimpse of the city. The plane seemed to be lost in the sea of clouds. When we finally broke through, I was met with the most spectacular view of the Púnguè (pron. "Pun-gway") River. As the plane banked, I watched as the delta spilled into the Indian Ocean. Seeing this view, I knew without a doubt that this was where I was supposed to be. The plane seemed to bank forever until it finally touched down on the runway.

View of the river delta.

As I walked off the plane onto the tarmac, the heat and humidity hit me. Wearing blue jeans and a hoodie was a bit much for the tropical climate. It was sprinkling slightly as we walked across the tarmac towards Beira International Airport (Aeroporto Internacional da Beira).

Inside the airport I filled out my Immigration form and got my visa stamped. Next, it was off to the baggage claim to get my two suitcases which thankfully had both arrived with the flight I was on. The customs officers only gave me a little hassle over the suitcase I was carrying for Jonathan and Becky Owen, missionaries serving in Malawi. Now that I was through customs, I was officially in Mozambique! Reality check #5 that the Lord wants me in Africa. Now the question is, "What does the Lord want me to learn in Africa?"

As I headed into the lobby, I was greeted with a hug by Steve. We loaded my suitcases into his white Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and headed for his house. I tried desperately to adjust to driving on the opposite side of the road as Steve explained the rules of the road in Beira. Basically, they don't exist. Avoiding the potholes takes precedence.

The airport is outside the city. As we drove, we passed by endless rice fields (except where new construction was happening). Beira is built upon a marshland so most of the open fields are underwater and provide an excellent environment for growing rice. Beira is a very poor city with little in terms of economy besides the port.

There were two things that really stuck out on my first trip through Beira. First was the smell as we drove by the Bay of Mozambique. Combine the salty ocean smell with sunbaked trash and sewage and you can imagine it for yourself. Strangely, this smell seemed to grow on me with each visit to the beach (Figuratively, that is. If it had literally grown on me, I'd probably have a much different opinion of it.).

The second was an abandoned hotel. Steve explained that there are two hotels in Beira that are now abandoned. The one we passed had been stripped of everything right down to the concrete. He also explained that somehow the owner had been able to keep the squatters out. This is not the case for the other one, the Grande Hotel. Thousands of squatters have moved into the Grande Hotel, turning it into a slum. There are many abandoned buildings in the city showing that at one time there was a lot of promise in Beira. But, this was before the Mozambican Civil War, one of the longest and bloodiest in Southern Africa.

Abandoned hotel we passed coming back from the airport.

After a while, we left the paved road (still in the city, mind you) and came to a gate. The guard lifted the gate and we continued into the compound, made a right turn and parked behind a red Toyota Hilux. Chris came out of the house to meet us and we carried my belongings into their house. Walking into the Newcomers' house, the first thing I noticed was the temperature difference. The air conditioning was a welcome relief.

After moving my stuff into the guest room, I was able to take a shower to wash away the greasiness of flying 15+ hours. The shower was a bit perilous as the non-skid bath mats became detached while the water filled the tub. Fortunately, I didn't have any major slips. Feeling clean and changing into a fresh pair of clothes added to the refreshment of the air conditioning.

Steve & Chris Newcomer

I spent the rest of the evening relaxing and catching up with Steve and Chris. An early bedtime of 8:00 pm was much appreciated after not sleeping well on the plane.