I don’t think I’ve forgotten anything! Picking the children up from school shortly and then home to wait for the taxi. I should be in Johannesburg around 9.30 tomorrow morning and then I have to wait for the connecting flight to Maputo. Arrival time is 2.55pm. As soon as I have an internet connection I will update the blog.

So much to do, so little time! That’s what it feels like anyway. The trip has come at a slightly awkward time really, the children back at school tomorrow. My Table Tennis league starts again in a couple of weeks and I’ve been collecting fees, team registrations and getting the website ready. My astronomical society starts its new session in a couple of weeks as well, so organising the speaker programme and arrnaging memberships before I go. And I haven’t even thought about packing yet…. gulp!!

Any avid readers of this blog (anyone?) will know that the primary purpose of this website is to provide an online diary during my trip to Mozambique. So I thought a bit of background should be in order!

Mozambique is a country in southeastern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel, between South Africa and Tanzania. The capital is Maputo (where I will be) which is in the extreme southern part of the country near the border with Swaziland and South Africa.

Almost five centuries as a Portuguese colony came to a close with independence in 1975. Large-scale emigration by whites, economic dependence on South Africa, a severe drought, and a prolonged civil war hindered the country’s development. The ruling party formally abandoned Marxism in 1989, and a new constitution the following year provided for multiparty elections and a free market economy. A UN-negotiated peace agreement ended the fighting in 1992. In the 21st century Mozambique has continued the sound economic policies that have encouraged foreign investment.

Interestingly …

Read More

What a brilliant, brilliant day. I’m stiff as a board and I’ve rediscovered muscles long forgotten about but it was such good fun. I got to shoot a live pump action shotgun (killed one hostage), fire an 81mm mortar (best activity of the day), fire replica pistols (killed one photographer), enter a killing house, fight unarmed combat and throw training grenades (kaboom!).

I think I got around 20 punishment press ups which are the first I’ve done since school I think, met some nice people and got shouted at a lot. What more could you ask for!

Last Christmas I was bought a Special Forces Training Day, my brother-in-law got one too! So tomorrow we’re off to Sussex to shoot some guns! The activites are…

• Close Quarter Battle School
• Grenade Range
• 81mm Mortar Range
• Minefield Infiltration
• Combat Shotgun (live firing range)
• Close Protection Weapons Range

It’s going to be a blast, literally!

Fist batch of jabs today - Polio, Tetanus, Diphtheria and Typhoid. My Yellow Fever expired two months ago (doh!) but luckily I don’t need it, that’s the one that makes you feel ill. I’ve got to go back for the Meningococcal ACWY and Hepatitis B vaccines next week. The following week I’ll have the 2nd Hepatitis jab.

Sounds like a lot, but I don’t mind jabs at all, I always watch them stick the needle in!

I’ll also be taking 11 weeks worth of anti-malarial tablets. All this for a website!

My tickets arrived today and the taxis are booked. I have a list of vaccinations as long as my arm to have, hopefully most will still be up to date from my trip to Kenya a few years ago.

Only fly in the ointment is my daughter who is getting a little clingy and has already said she doesn’t want Daddy to go. I’m going to set up Skype and a couple of webcams so we can talk to each other though. Of course my son seems non-plussed at the moment!

I’m also hoping that the flight delays are out of the way before I go, it seems things are starting to get back to normal.

I’m off to work in Mozambique for a few weeks in the autumn to design and develop a website for the documentation centre of the National Directorate of Geology. Flights were booked today, 7th Sep to 19th Oct. Getting excited now!

By the way you may have noticed that this is the first post for a while, not my fault honest! The host was having some difficulties which are now sorted hopefully.

Sometimes they come out with gems. This evening my wife got the old electric typewriter out for my daughter to play with. First thing she said after it was set up was “where’s the mouse mummy?”. It’s a generation used to technology that’s for sure!

I’m a very faddy (is that a word?) person. I move from one hobby/activity to the next on a rapid turnaround. At the moment I’m rediscovering a lot of the music I listened to years ago. I bought reissued live CDs of the Scorpions this week, Tokyo Tapes and World Wide Live. Still a couple of the best live albums I’ve ever listened to. Sure some of it is pretty naive now but tracks like Top of the Bill still get me stomping. I’m also listening to the Korn back catalogue and have also been listening to Mastodon’s epic album Leviathan this week.

We’re going to the Cornbury Festival on Sunday to see The Pretenders amongst others. Taking the children as well and this will be their first festival experience. Download next year for them?!