Clouseau: “I tell you Cato there is something fishy in Maputo”.

How wonderfully correct the Great Chief Inspector is in his astute conclusion. However, even he would be pleasantly surprised to discover that “something fishy” is not always a bad thing.

After a nice walk from our hostel, we arrive at the Maputo Fish Market to discover that so far it is all that we expected it to be. The atmosphere is buzzing with noise and chatter as bargains are being made for various selections from the fresh catches of the day.

Fortunately for me, members of my group understand a bit of the local language and seem adept at bargaining. I enjoy the scenery as they go about making purchases for what will turn out to be one tremendous feast for all of us.

From crabs and shrimps to lobsters and fresh fish we are about to have a meal fit for a king. Part of the experience here is to make your seafood selections and then have it prepared by one of the local restaurants located behind the market. With our selections completed, a bargain is negotiated with a local smiling cook to prepare our meal.

Finding a table in an outdoor covered patio area, rounds of beers are ordered as we converse and listen to relaxing background music. Vendors come by with their wares but none of us are interested in souvenirs. For most of us, our souvenirs are our travel experiences we share like this one. Our group is made up of all different nationalities which makes this an even more fun experience for me.

Our food starts to arrive and our smiles could not be any wider as we begin to dig in. Crabs that were once blue are now bright orange and succulent. I chow down like in my childhood years when I had honed my skills to separate in my mouth the meat from the bones. Fond and delicious memories.

For a group that only met a few hours ago, we are passing plates and sharing drinks and food like a good old-fashioned family Thanksgiving Dinner. Proof that, your family and your home can be who and wherever you chose it to be.

With full stomachs and about seventeen beers later, we all agree this has been an awesome experience. For me, I cannot imagine there are too many places or restaurants in the world where so many people can have such a seafood feast for around US$100.

If you find such a place, I would definitely have the Great Chief Inspector investigate it because there maybe truly “Something fishy in Denmark”.


Video:http://youtu.be/zxMZar8MZcQ