Bem vindo

The approach south of Maputo after the plane looped around to land. Maputo isn't a huge city in the scale of world capitals, so it was good to absorb it from the air. On past visits I've always entered and exited Mozambique overland.

Huge swaths of Mozambique's mega long coastline still look undisturbed. The country is evolving fast and there are certainly issues with unsustainable fishing and oil and gas exploration and extraction offshore. When I came here between 2004 and 2008 it was because the expeditions I was running stopped off in the capital and headed for the coast 500 kilometres further north where the marine life and diving are unsurpassed. In Asia I usually had to feign excitement when people would rave over Thai dive spots, as nothing for me has rivalled the reefs of the Mozambique Channel. Their position, depth, currents and cooler temperatures attract megafauna: the largest manta rays you're likely to see and big conglomerations of whale sharks at certain times of the year.

Enough reverie about the Mozambique coast. I should get the chance to explore it again if I become embroiled in our programme here. The rest of the day was spent resting as it transpires that Mozambique is a long way from the UK. I did manage a trip to the absolutely massive SPAR over the road. Serious flashbacks to epic shopping trips stocking up on rations for groups of volunteers with various food quirks. Including one person who had a crippling fear of tomato ketchup, even in the bottle. I wouldn't normally condone someone being goaded by others in the group for their phobias, but when it happened it was hard to keep a straight face. What an absolutely ridiculous thing to be afraid of.

I truly wish I had been blipping back then, not least to document the ketchup palaver. Bananablip did her part in haranguing me, but I didn't latch on.