Clothes, swimming things, sunscreen, malaria tabs, mosquito repellent… and a tent.

The alure and excitement of this particular trip now a little tainted by the fact that there is now the possible prospect of camping. Not that I mind camping that much. Now, at any rate. A few years ago I would have been completely against the idea. I’m more comfortable with it now. In fact, camping can be fun. My reservations relate to the fact that camping holidays, in my experience, require rather more preparation and planning than other kinds of travel.

Oh, well, the people with whom I am travelling are all highly competent and intelligent. I’m sure we’ll be able to problem-solve our way out of potential issues.

I have a backpack all packed and ready to go. I fly up to Joburg tomorrow afternoon and then we head off by bus from Joburg on Saturday morning. Head off to a couple of weeks of sun and sea and new places and new people, a couple of weeks outside of ‘normal’ reality.

They say that travel is important not just because it adds to what you know but because it changes who you are. I feel like this year has been a difficult one but also in many ways a stagnant one. I’ve done a lot. A lot of it has been in new places or new ways. But very little of it has really challenged me. Ok, that’s not true. I’ve found several of the situations and people extremely challenging.

But none of them have expanded who I am. I’m hoping the next couple of weeks will. I’m pretty sure that hope will be realised. Whatever happens with the country, the company is capable of challenging me beyond most anything else I’ve encountered for a while. Even if it involves camping.

One travel website describes Maputo as follows, “this city is clean and well looked after. Full of character and charm, a stay in Maputo is a pleasant and colourful African experience.”

A week and a bit off the Mozambique experience. I am a little jealous of one of my friends who is off on a bit of a solo run before the rest of us descend on Maputo. I feel a similar pull towards solo exploration of the world.
But I will have to put it off for now. Probably a good thing for the moment – I’m not entirely sure several parental figures and other friends and family would cope with me wandering off alone just at this stage

They will cope, however, with me heading off with a bunch of trustworthy friends. It makes life a whole lot safer to be travelling with others.

I looked at a job today – well, I’ve been communicating with them on and off – in Sudan. The idea freaks out everyone I talk to. I suppose I”m not really considering it. I’d love to work in Africa but if I’m going to be in a war/genocide zone it will probably involve me fixing things bigger than people’s grasp on English. But it’s a fun idea to play with.

Part of me wonders if this trip isn’t possibly the worst possible thing right now. A step out of all comfort zones into a world without the usual restrictions. But then I think about the gemstone-blue sea and the peerless white beaches and my soul longs for the freedom of a little piece of paradise.