Have a Coke and a Frown

If this country were to ever revolt and overthrow the gov't, I would completely understand. You see, here in Mozambique, we don't have stock tickers and 401k's and 18 month t-bonds and Standard and Poor ratings to gauge our economic strength, we have prices. Prices are so fixed on a vast majority of goods that when they are raised it usually makes the national news for days at a time. In 2010, the gov't attempted to raise the price of bread. It would have made a hoagie-sized loaf go from 5 mets to 7.5 mets. The city responded with four days of rioting. People died and the gov't nixed the price hike.

Here in Nampula, on January 1st the price of a bus ride across town went from 5 mets to 10 mets. IT DOUBLED! The effect, lots of angry people pleading to ride for only 5 mets and in about 8 trips this year, not once have I been on a full bus. This is vastly different from before when I don't think I ever rode on an empty bus. Ridership is way down.

But that I could deal with. For me, it is the difference in paying 20 cents or 40 cents for a bus ride. The thing I could not put up with is my coca-cola.

I love coke, and I'm so glad that it's the only thing available here (and Fanta orange). There are only two choices for pop here. It's incredible simple. Coke or Fanta. And a year ago at this time, a case of 24 bottles of coke (trading in your old bottles) cost me 180 mets.

This price increased little by little until coke plaster official signs and billboards across the country saying the official price is 205 mets. I was fine with that, actually. It was an increase, but a standard one. And then everybody knew the price was always the same because it was plastered all over the city.

Then last week I went to buy a couple cases of coke for the kids. To my surprise, a case of coke now costs 250 mets. For those of you keeping track at home, thats just shy of $10. After being steady for about six months, the price of coke just jumped by 22%. It also means that in a year's time, coke has increased by almost 40%. And, just to rub it in the nose of doubters like me, the new price is actually printed on the bottle cap. It adds insult to my already injured wallet.

Not that this is really hurting my wallet, because I don't often buy coke, and I can always not buy coke, this could start hurting my wallet. So now when you read the news about the coca-cola riots in Mozambique and don't hear anything on this site for a week or two, I hope you'll be smart enough to figure out where I am.