“If Mary had been here....,” retorted Caroline, as I laughed at her because a small herd of cows raced towards us.

Our credibility suffered quite a blow as Caroline screamed and squeezed my arm tightly. What was strange about the scene was that we were shopping in Mtwara’s main street and no-one else blinked, least of all the young boy shooing the cows across the busy road.

I was off for a haircut a kunyoa. Daniel, the hairdresser, was very attentive. He took twice as long on my hair as other customers. Maybe it was because he wasn’t as confident with mzungo hair or maybe he just felt better about charging me triple the local price. (£1.25 as opposed to 40p). I smiled and told him next time I’ll pay him the right price.

Anyway, a cold beer in Green Garden pub (no garden in sight, just a dusty yard, plastic tables and Eminem blaring out), home for a shower (five jugs of cold water), rice and beans for tea (local chillie sauce as well) and an evening with Henning Mankell (novel) was the end of a tiring and trying day for both of us. The heat is relentless and the absence of the comforts we’re used to at times makes life hard. We were reminded yesterday, however, that living with a flush toilet probably places us in the top 5% of Tanzanians. Being able to buy cold beer when we want, being able to take a bijaji up the coast when we want and all manner of other comforts that we afford ourselves that few here could afford, cossets us from the true harshness of life here.

The cows that alarmed Caroline earlier were, I think, joining the others that have been moved to graze near our house . They have mooed loudly all afternoon. Roosters, rats, dogs, cows, geckos, even a stray cat comprise our nearest and noisiest neighbours. (well the gecko isn’t exactly noisy, it just poos a lot...) .