| Mozambique |
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| City: |
Maputo |
| Country: |
Mozambique |
| Submitter's Name: |
Susana |
| Nationality: |
Peru |
| Arrival Date: |
August 2007 |
| Date Submitted: |
September 10, 2007 |
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Locals are usually very friendly towards foreigners. We have sunny days most of the time and the temperature is quite nice during winter and parts of spring and fall. During the summer it is very hot, but not unbearably hot. Not many traffic problems, but lots of traffic cops that will stop you for a bribe (not a good idea as it just continues to the vicious circle).
Maputo is a great city for families especially with small children as the women helpers here are very good and loving and quite affordable. The night life can get quite crazy, with partying lasting the entire weekend. People are very laid back which is both great but at the same time frustrating if you want to get anything done or like to see things move fast. We have our share of armed robberies, which unfortunately seem to be increasing. This is a great city to relax in, but can be a little frustrating if you are here working mainly due to red tape and lack of materials. It's expensive !
to live here, too.
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Typically, housing for expats is provided by their company.
The most upscale neighborhood is called \"Sommerschield\", where most of the Embassies are. House or apt rent ranges from $1200 to $4000 per month. |
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Household help is very easy to find and very cheap. Most people (foreigners and not) have household help if they can afford it. Most can't. You can get help for pretty much anything: maids, drivers, gardeners, nannies. However, it is hard to find a good cook. Cost ranges from ($40 to $200 per month). |
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Cell phones are easy to find and cheap to use, even with international calls. Land line is optional but more expensive than cell phone. The quality of communication is fine, but sometimes you cannot get through the number you are trying to reach. SMSs seem to work best.
Internet is available from several different companies. Cost varies from $60 to $200 per month, depending on the connection speed you choose. You can connect via your telephone, cable, wireless and even through one of the cell phone companies. Not a lot of internet cafes.
The postal service is slow but amazingly more reliable than you would think/
Cable is about $70 per month. |
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Portuguese and several African languages. |
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Tap water is not safe to drink. Bottled water (big 20L bottles) can be ordered and delivered straight to your house for about
$4 each bottle. The city supply comes and goes so most houses have a back-up system. |
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The local currency is the Metical. Dealing with banks is a mess. Always plan 1 hour at the bank no matter what you need to do. ATMs are around, but either out of money or not working half of the time you try to use them.
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Medical care is fine. Competent for simple procedures without complications. Several women I know have had their babies here (including me). It's nothing fancy or state of the art, but fine. Medicines are sometimes difficult to find (depending on the type and how common it is), but usually cheap. For major problems, there's always South Africa less than 2 hours away by car. |
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Private schools include The American School (AISM) that offers the IB diploma, The International School (MIS), The Portuguese School, The French School. |
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Driving is easy and not too stressful. You have to watch out for the people more than for the other cars. You can use an international driver's license. |
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City Description
Healthcare
