15 months I ago I declared scottishgirlrunsafrica would be the next trip… And so with great excitement I packed my trainers up along with 9kg of all the other usual crap I stuff into my 50l rucksack, half of which is invariably completely inappropriate or not suitable for the climate I’m headed to. Also, I should really drop my obsession of bringing “just one nice top” when I’m travelling to the poorest countries in the world.

 

I had 16 days in which time I travelled south to north (and back again) in a country less safe than I’d anticipated. In fact I couldn’t overland the whole way as you had to join an armed convoy in order to travel by road through central Mozambique… And the convoy had been shot at the previous week. I only found this out after starting my journey north… So I travelled the South in endless local Chapas (minibuses) crowded with around 27 people in 12 seats, then flew north for ever more remote terrain… All the while loving the scenery, vibrant red earth and never ending arid landscape along the way.

I took many a wonderful boat trip, and met many an interesting person along the way, swam with dolphins in the sea, marvelled at schools of brightly coloured fish and, of course, I ran. I ran along picture postcard perfect beaches, waved at locals on country tracks and forced myself to push on through the heat on sandy back roads. Smothered in factor 50 and armed as ever with just my camera, I felt more free than at any other point during my trip – able to go wherever I please on my own terms. After hours of bone shaking journeys and cramped legs, a few miles on the open road was just what the doctor ordered.

But as ever, that “one nice top” remained unworn and was duly returned to H&M on my return. I should really just relent and bring more Lycra next time.