Sunday morning in Maputo

Awoken at 5.40am by some partygoer ramming his Audi into my neighbour's innocently parked Toyota in the street outside. The ensuing exchange of views precludes further sleep, so I get up and discover there's no water in the taps. No problem - I keep an emergency supply in 5-litre plastic bottles in the kitchen, for just such occasions. The wonderful thing about getting up so early is that I can brew myself a cup of coffee before the power goes off shortly after 6.00. I start the laptop and work on the masterpiece, cat curled on my lap, until the battery gives out. I breakfast off cornflakes and banana and yoghurt, then return to bed with a book.

Sometimes life just plays straight into your hands. After the last three weekends - one in Manica, one in Beira, one in Hlane - the summit of my desires is a quiet day at home.

(Power came back on between midday and one, water somewhat earlier.)

Rhino parade

No, they don't train the rhinos at Hlane to stand in neat chorus lines. These three were just equally worried when our safari guide jumped out of the truck to take a leak (a privilege permitted to none of the passengers). These are placid white rhino - the guide would never have left the truck had they been black rhino (smaller, but savage-tempered and quick). A more typical pose is displayed by the central group below.

Several people in the party asked different park staff on various occasions how many rhino lived in the park, but we were all told that such information couldn't be divulged for "security reasons". None of us could figure out what security issue might be at stake, though.