A mostly free day

Today was a mostly free day for all the participants who did not need training on the procurement procedures for SWIOFP. We do have a presentation on tuna fisheries at 16:30 but other than that the day has been our own.

After my morning run and breakfast I set off up the hill to the Maputo Natural History Museum. This is a very old museum established in 1911 making it 100 years old. I think that most of the exhibits were, however, also set up in 1911. The stuffed animals were quite moth-eaten and many had lost most of their colouration but they were also quite amusing. Some of the animals had the most bizarre expressions on their faces. The entrance fee was only around R15 so I wasn't complaining at all. There were two things in the museum that I would definitely have paid more that R15 to see. The first was the coelacanth and the second was the progressive development of an elephant embryo from the1st month to the 22nd month of gestation. It was in all a good way to spend some of the morning. Below are some photos from the museum.
The entrance to the museum
 A sorry looking cheetah but its expression did make me laugh
 Very dramatic scene
 The elephant embryos
 This photo is for Jo - it is how she prefers to see baboons LOL!
 Some of the animals look fairly realistic but maybe need some teeth cleaning
 The African wildlife experience
 Some people apparently file their front teeth to sharp points - it has got to be painful both during and after the procedure!
 A bit of ivory anyone?
 The coelacanth
The view from the museum's balcony

From the museum I crossed over the road and went to the Café Arcacia for a coke and an ice-cream. This café is in the Jardin de Professor and has a lovely view of Maputo Bay. I really enjoyed the peace and quiet while I watched a hoepoe busy in the bushes below the café.
The view from Café Arcacia

Next on the list of places to go was the catholic cathedral. I really enjoy this stark building. The only issue with going their though is that I get hounded by wannabe guides who are quite persistent that I need a guide. The photo after the church is some government/municipal building which I just like - I have no idea what it is though.

After taking in these two buildings and a few others, I wandered down Avenida Vladimir Lenine to the shopping mall near the hotel. I have walked passed this mall a few times on other trips but had never been inside so here was my chance. Nothing in particular caught my attention so I returned to the hotel for lunch. I also had a bit of work to do but that was quickly finished so now I am waiting to hear a, hopefully, scintillating talk on tunas!

Just one more day left in Maputo!

Take care everyone.

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