Londres

I think Yann Arthus-Bertrand's job is safe, and apologies for the quality, but I thought London looked cool and exciting during pre-dawn as we circled before landing.

On the plane I met a South African woman called Monique who lives in Dorset and organises and DJs at festivals. She was just returning from one in South Africa and in a few days will go to Goa. She was cool. People are interesting.

I remember an arrival feeling like this when I previously visited the UK as someone living overseas. A mixture of eagerness to experience the familiar and the definite notion that I am now removed from the intricacies of UK life. I'm not wild to be here in February but there's a palpable excitement at seeing old faces and I do miss the buzz of the office here, which teems with fun, talented colleagues. In Mozambique as we restart our programme I've been a clinger-on in the office of a partner, but they're having to move premises whilst I'm away. With the uncertainty of where I'll work when I get back to Maputo, and the need to secure renewed paperwork to be based there, I have an undercurrent of anxiety that this trip should help reduce.

I arrived at Berry and Helen's place as they've kindly agreed to let me lodge for a few weeks, as my flat has a colleague living in it. We ate cheese on toast and then Helen and I walked along the river so I could retrieve my bike from the basement of my flat. One of my beaten up bikes was there and Helen had to remind me that the other I'd dumped at the office. More faffing ensued, but I bumped into some familiar faces along the way. Despite the overnight flight I was strangely energetic and able to join Helen and Berry at the pub for a Six Nations game and a cheeky shandy. Of course, being in Cambridge sometimes entails irritating bike issues so Day 1 back here saw a snapped bike key and having to stash my bike behind some trees in Barclays car park so it wouldn't be nicked. Now it's occupying space in Berry and Helen's utility room, which I'm sure is fairly annoying.