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Was there much in the news over there about the Square Kilometer Array BBC?
It was just a little blip on the news here, I guess because we didn't get much of the contract.
My partner was really keen to work on the SKA in Australia. I said I'd be willing to travel. Apparently Mozambique is a nice place I said.
I'm not sure he is convinced yet.
Do you know how I'd go about finding out who gets the contract for road construction, building construction etc.
Meg
Hi Meg,Quote:
Originally Posted by DENLEE
I can say that it did not rate here in Tanzania, or down in Mozambique. and cannot speak for what sort of attention it achieved in South Africa.
There is so much energy & minerals based development already looming here in East Africa.
Cheers,
BBC
Where has 2012 gone?....nearly half over.
Back in Pemba, in northern Mozambique, have acquired an interim accommodation and office solution, a PO Box (that you wouldn't use if your life depended on it..), and obtaining local business registration (we are currently licenced in the city of Maputo..but coming to a different province and city needs more bureaucracy) and, the most important, scoping widely for the best land options.
Me, doing it by myself drives any proposal through the roof. They assume that the pockets are deep because the Oil & Gas boom here is driving everything up. We have partnered with the largest transport company up and down the country and I am with their Pemba Manager. He is a Portuguese Mozambican who was in the Portuguese military before 1974...as....a Sapper (Military Engineer). So, we have connected with our common background, as 'Sapadores'. Even he cannot show his face around a land negotiation. He has arranged a local trusted friend, who is doing the looking and then the meetings, then he does a 'drive past' with us to see if we are interested....all takes time.
These are some photos of the people who the negotiations have been with. Despite the poverty of the traditional existence that is here, these people are still proud and happy people...yes, they want more. Who doesn't? But they are happy within their families. Family is the strength that keeps you going in an uncertain world...a luta continua.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/369.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/370.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/371.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/372.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/373.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/374.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/375.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/376.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/377.jpg
They may be poor, but they are generally happy, and live close to some of the more beautiful places in this world.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/378.jpg
this was on during the week, not sure if you can view from where you are but shows some of the areas and issues you have brought to us in your travels.
Indian Ocean With Simon Reeve S1 Ep3 - The Horn of Africa : Video : SBS Documentary
interesting if anyone wants to see a little more of the area.
:)
BBC.
Just started to read your thread and I am blown away. What a sheltered life many of us lead. The things we take for granted. Very humbling. I plan to read from start to finish. AWESOME!!!!! Well done.
Regards
Robbo
Had a wonderful day today, had a meeting in the AM at which myself and two Mozambicans are pursuing land purchases and I, the Mulungu (the white bloke) can’t be seen, until the commitment has been made..all very subterfuge. I can only do drive pasts.
Then, this PM, I went for a long, lovely drive, down a rough red dirt road for 38km to a place on the coast called Mecufi. I am getting down all the roads I can, to familiarise myself as best as.
The road worsened all the way out, up and over hills, down onto a couple of mud flats, and then out to the District Village of Mecufi, where there was a small estuary entering the Indian Ocean
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/313.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/314.jpg https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/315.jpg https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/316.jpg
This was interesting to see, from 1932. Imagine what this part of the world was like then…in many parts, not much different then, to now.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/317.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/318.jpg
The District Governer’s place, a carryover from the colonial times:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/319.jpg
Some cute buildings, well preserved:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/320.jpg https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/321.jpg https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/322.jpg https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/323.jpg
This was a cracker….the Catholic Church. Anyone ever seen one smaller??
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/324.jpg https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/325.jpg
Clean streets, but zip bitumen:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/326.jpg https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/327.jpg https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/328.jpg https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/329.jpg https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/330.jpg https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/331.jpg https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/332.jpg https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/333.jpg https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/334.jpg https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/335.jpg
The road back:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/336.jpg https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/337.jpg
Then, I went down to a Bush Lodge for a beer and found this, it belonged to some really tragic Landy owners, who owned this, and another, and come from……….Germany. They have been driving around (as you can see from the rear door stickers) Africa for some years. Didn’t ask what they do in Germany, but they spend winter in both halves of the world and import/export their Landy to do it. This is from 1992 and was bought from Scotland. Lovely to meet and talk with them:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/338.jpg https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/339.jpg
See the damage to the front grille? Elephant tusked them in Zambia last year, pushed them some…interesting experience. Pierced their radiator. They said..."lucky we were in Africa, we were able to find people to fix it".......What would you say to RACV/Q/NRMA etc?
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/340.jpg https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/341.jpg https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/342.jpg https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/06/343.jpg
Both Landy AND African……tragics!
Why is that? Does it push the price up knowing a white bloke is sniffing around.Quote:
Originally Posted by BBC
Africa has a dual pricing schedule for most things, from shopping in a market to getting into a game park. Locals pay one price, Mzungus pay more. Even the traffic police prefer to stop Mzungus because the bribe is going to be much higher.
That's a remarkably clean village, even the rocks for borders are neatly painted, it indicates a lot of local pride. I've seen far worse villages in Asia.
Great to see an LR being used for what they do best, but their spare appears a bit bald. I can imagine calling the RACQ and trying to explain that my grille was tusked by an elephant! :D
As always, BBC, great pictures and very informative copy but when - oh, when? - are you going to get yourself a blinkin' Land Rover to drive around in???? :p