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.