All a bit mundane

Today Maputo smells distinctly of sewerage. No particularly pleasant and I can't pinpoint the source - seems generalised. Maputo has no main-line sewerage works that I know of. Every house or building has a series of septic tanks and the fondly named `poo-trucks' come and clean them out when they get full. It was the same in Oman. In fact I remember Muscat smelling much like today, on some hot evenings.
The local elections have come and gone and all seems well. There was pre-election trouble, I suppose predictably, up in Beira and some fifty people were hurt in clashes, but that's about it. The MDM was very vocal and issued copious warning about election fraud, to the point of telling their potential voters to bring their own pens (presumably to avoid rigged pens). Of course, Renamo, to all intents and purposes, boycotted the elections...so well, um , not quite sure what the results reflect. Any-way, so Frelimo is mostly still secure, although not  reportedly in as large a majority as before. And, predictably, the MDM are grumbling that all was not free and fair. So yup - nothing much to report. The elections have come and gone and not lived up to the fear and trouble we thought they might bring.
The kidnappings also seem to have come to a sudden halt following the execution style killing of a crime boss up in Matola. Much speculation about that one...
Worrying news from up North is that young men are apparantly being forcibley recruited into the armed forces. Not the actions of a government secure in its standing. So more to watch.
On the bright side, the recent tensions might mean that we have fewer South Africans coming in for December. (And this is going to sound awful to my South African friends...)December has traditionally been a high crime month in Maputo as criminals follow in the tourists. Armed robberies in public places, scarcely heard of the rest of the year, crop up like a rash in December. There is much speculation that the criminals are from over the border.... Which is not to say that the criminals won't take a chance on rich locals blowing money over the festive season. ..
So yes, all seems quite normal in Mozambique.