Crossing from Mozambique to Swaziland is textbook, an efficient but dull sequence of good roads, empty border checkpoints, then even better roads. Though I'm dropped at Manzini and have to take another minibus to reach Mbabane, Swaziland's capital, it's barely midday when I arrive. Mbabane is like being back in England, and I can't imagine just how it ended up being twinned with Fort Worth in Texas. It's cold, dull and misty, and there is a shop just like WH Smith's from where I purchase a copy of the Economist, and could even have had Q if I was so inclined. King Pie sells me a couple of steak and kidney pies and the sounds of English are everywhere. I'm cautious about this sudden familiarity - it feels uncomfortably as though I've gone forward in time ... read more

The chapa out of Vilankulos takes an age to fill up, during which a local guy latches onto me. Swigging from a small bottle of gin (which he assures me will soon be replaced by a larger one), he sprays me with spittle while describing why he is different to other Mozambicans, be it in his excellent English from working for a time in South Africa, or his ability to see only a person where others see a white person. He introduces me to a friend who says his name, Fanito, then, after a pause, adds "Dog". This causes much laughter and leg-slapping among the other bystanders, and my gin-loving friend explains that Fanito has awarded himself this honorary surname as a nod to Snoop Doggy Dogg. I'm not the only one who finds this a ... read more

Unfortunately whale shark season finished several months back, and my interest in diving near Vilankulos wanes as soon as I hear that news. However S and I investigate an overnight dhow "safari" leaving the following day - it offers a night of camping on one of the islands of the Bazaruto Archipelago, plus snorkelling and walking, with transport being in a traditional dhow (with the main propulsion provided by a non-traditional outboard). It's expensive (not appreciably less than my land-based safaris in Kenya and Tanzania) but holds the promise of seeing interesting sealife including whales and dugongs. Our other companions are four thirty-something San Franciscans on a world tour after having been made redundant. They're inclusive in that admirable American way, and seem to be reliving some of their college days going by the cooler of ... read more

L has said he'll take me to the bus station the following morning but he gets up sufficiently late that I begin to wonder if I'll get out of Mocuba today. I'd been told that I should buy my ticket at least an hour in advance in order to ensure a seat, but we leave at a time where we'll barely make it to the station to catch the bus full stop, let alone get a seat on it. L realises this, and instead takes me to a pick-up spot in town where I should be able to flag down the bus when it passes. We say our farewells, and I'm grateful for that last piece of Malawian hospitality. I don't have to wait long for the bus and it's not surprisingly full however the aisle ... read more

There's little useful info on the web about crossing into Mozambique from Blantyre and I've met no-one who's done it recently - in fact, the only thing I've been able to glean is that the transport in northern Mozambique is shocking, though one poster had cheered me up by noting it was better than in Ethiopia. The closest border crossing to Blantyre is about 30km past Mt Mulanje - I would have gone there from Mulanje if I hadn't been so sore, short of cash, and suffering from diarrhoea after my hike there. Now (almost) healthy and with some money, it's time to try again. The conductor of the minibus is of the worst kind, a sadomasochist who can never have too many people in his vehicle. There's a Swahili saying that you never finish eating ... read more