Adventure..

(jennifer.taylor@hotmail.co.uk)

pictures at www.jlo79.smugmug.com

Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya, Uganda, Congo, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa...

My adventures, from the beginning....
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Hey all. I am in Nouakachott, Mauritania. Thought I would post a detailed update as I approach the end of my 5th week on the road. Here is an outline of the past few weeks.

6 Nov - London to Spain
Met Terry and Jon, Bram and Paul and James (The Brothers) at Luton airport. Arrived in Malaga and headed to the campsite. Out to dinner and then Nat arrived. First night of the rest of the trip!! Very excited!

7 Nov - Malaga
Bren arrives with truck. Driven from Middle East. Not the truck we were expecting and not sure its actually up to the job! More chatting and getting to know each other. Simon and American Paul arrived and we finally meet the guy who has been sleeping on the restaurant floor!! Bernie!!

8 Nov - Malaga
Big clean of whole truck. The realisation hitting me that I will be travelling for the next 6 months with no thoughts about London or work. Lovely! Still all getting to know each other but we all muck in to get the truck organised... First night of sleeping in my tent....

9 Nov - Malaga
A free day and some people went to the big super market to stock the truck. I went down the beach as the weather is gorgeous. Just generally getting organised as we head to Morocco tomorrow...

10 to 11 Nov – Chef Chouen
Did the rock of Gilbrater on our way to Morocco.. Chef Chouen is a very quaint blue and white wash town. Playing hopscotch with the kids. Stunning mountains but very chilly. First try at bartering and first of many mint teas.

13 Nov – Rabat
First proper medina experience. Tasting all the delicious market foods and dried fruits and nuts. You could get lost in the medinas, they are another world. Pretty rainy in Rabat and Sale and spend quite a few days feeling cold and damp.

15 Nov – Casablanca
The beautiful Hassan II mosque at sunset. Shafts of hazy orange light filtering through high archways and the waves crashing in the background. Simply stunning.

17 Nov – Fez
Tour of the medina and the tanneries. Like going back hundreds of years.

21 – 26 Nov – making our own way from Midelt to Marrakesh via Morrocan public transport!!

21 Nov - Merzuga
Bus from Midelt to Erfoud was packed and hectic. Lots of shouting and pushing and shoving. Quite an experience. Later that day we took a landrover onward from Erfoud to Merzuga. A gorgeous auberge in the desert surrounded by sand dunes. We all sat around feasting on beef tajin and listening to the local guys playing drums.

22 Nov -Merzuga
Went for a walk out into the dunes and later that day we all headed out on a camel trek and stayed over night at a traditional berber camp in the desert. Would you believe it though. It rained. Crazy. I swear that rain has been following us the past few weeks.

23 Nov- Boumaine Dades
We organised transport from Merzuga to Boumaine Dades. The beautiful gorges. The transport was not very comfortable. Seven hours in the back of a Merc van. No seats. Very funny days driving and a very numb bum at the end. Boumaine Dades was lovely though. A great feeling to that town. We headed out to dinner and while we were out we got chatting to a guide and organised a trek for the next day.

24 Nov – Boumaine Dades
A 7 hour trek through the Dades gorge. It was beautiful. Stunning sunny weather. The scenery magnificent with jagged brown mountains and deep valleys filled with lush green and rivers. It was an exhilarating day and sometimes you felt like you were in a fairy tale.

25 Nov - Marrakesh
We took the bus from Boumaine to Marrakesh. The worst bus ride ever. All the locals puking all over the place. Nasty. At least that made me concentrate on the scenery. We arrived in Marrakesh in the afo and just had a stroll around. The city is crazy and heaving with street sellers and entertainers in the evenings.

26 Nov - Marrakesh
Took a horse and cart ride round the city and just hung out.

27 Nov - Marrakesh
Met up with the truck again which was such a relief. Nice to have a base again and change clothes etc. I ate way too much delicious sweet white breads and cakes from the patisseries in Marrakesh. Walked round the medina several times and each time you see something different. Watching all the different trades people making the metal work and weaving is so interesting. The freshly squeezed orange juice they sell is gorgeous too. Only 15p.

29 Nov - Essouira
Drove from Marrakesh to Essouira so pretty much a full days drive. Bush camped just outside Essouira.

30 Nov - Agadir
Drive from Essouira to Agadir. The coast road to Agadir was mezmerising as the sun shimmered on the sea. Gorgeous beaches and beautiful crisp blue sky. We camped close to the beach and had a big BBQ.

1 Dec - Laayoune
Woke to the sound of the sea and carried on driving. Reached Laayoune and bush camped just outside of the town. The scenery is getting barer and the weather hotter.

3 Dec - Mauritania
Crossed the border into Mauritania at about lunchtime. Starting to feel like Africa and the weather is scorching.

5 Dec - Nouakachott
Arrive in Noakachott and did some shopping. Headed to the beach for a couple of hours before heading to a bush camp. The beach was stunning and we bartered for some fresh fish for dinner. We bush camped just outside Tajit. I am sleeping out most nights now as no need for tent. The stars are amazing. So many shooting ones.

6 Dec - Chinguitty
Drove into an oasis in Tajit. Lolled around under lush palm trees. First wash for a while. Had abit of a sand scrub. Felt very exotic. We drove to Atar for lunch and then headed out to a place called Chinguitty. Way into the sahara. Further than any other overland trip. It was magnificent. The auberge we stayed at felt very ‘Arabian nights’. We stay on the roof at a lot of these places so lots more star gazing.

7 Dec - Chinguitty
Up early this morning as a few of us headed out into the dunes to watch the sun rise. Beautiful blue,oranges, pinks. Headed back for brekkie and the first shower in a week. It was cold but I didn’t care. It was a shower in a private cubicle. Baby wipes are this trips compulsory must have. Later in the daywe headed out into the desert on the top of a landrover. Great feeling. We drove for a while then stopped for tea at an oasis. It was lush. I must say I had a quick thought about work as I was relaxing on a mattress under a big tent surrounded by palm trees drinking sweet tea. Couldn’t get further away from the normal routine. Had a walk around the town and went to a museum. Very interesting. Mauritania was called Chinguitty until 1903. Chinguitty is the 7th most important Islamic city. The original 7th century city is 30 metres under ground. Bush camped again in the eve.

Dec 8 - Nouakachott
Back to Noakachott for a couple of days. Very early start and arrived by 2ish. Wondered round town and had a hot shower. First one for 2 weeks or so. I have come to appreciate hot showers and western toilets. You don’t get many.....

Dec 9 - Nouakachott
Day on beach in Noakachott, chill day.

Dec 10
The next 3 to 4 days bush camping as we head to Mali. More baby wipes showers, star gazing and watching the gorgeous scenery go by. We have an 8 to 9 day trip planned, combining trek and boat etc when we get to Mali. Coming out of Timbuktu on Xmas day. Will be in Burkina Faso for New Years and we have a big party in the planning…….. In general Every day has been great and as a whole I am loving it. Even digging my toilet hole in the bush. Haha. As a group we are getting on well and seem pretty laid back. We have bumped into the two other overland trucks doing the trans this year and they are heaving with 30 people each. We are only 13 plus the two guides. There is an American with a Texan twang and he goes off every now an again and meets us further down as he likes to do treks and stuff. Bernie the aussie has been overlanding for years on shorter trips. He looks like santa and all the little kids chase him through the streets shouting 'papa noel'. He comes out with some classic one liners. There is a set of brothers called James and Paul. Pretty chilled guys and really into their music. Terry and Jon have been travelling for a few months already. Nice couple. A guy called Simon who is pretty quiet but a good guy and likes to draw. Bram is dutch and crazy. Just shaved his hair into a Mohican. Willy is dutch too. Model looks and a nice guy. Very into photography. Mark and Caroline. Another sweet couple from Hull. Both nurses. Guy called Ian. Nice guy with lots of gags. Poor thing was quite ill at the beginning but all OK now. Our guides Nat and Bren are aussies and have overlanded all over the place so have lots of stories and are great people. Bren sings and plays the guitar so we have had a few musical nights around the camp fire.

Anyway I have caught up now and will hopefully update again in the new year with stories about Mali, Timbuktu, Bukina Faso and then heading into Ghana….. Hope everyone is well and please keep texting and emailing with news and happenings. The days are merging into one and sometimes have to look up the day as there is not much reference to time. Lots of exciting stuff around the corner and looking forward to every minute. Have a great Xmas and New Year. Lots of love XXXXX

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Hi there from Accra in Ghana!! Finally I am able to catch up on the blog.....here goes....

9th Dec - Nouakchott
I left you last time in Nouakchott....after updating we left the calm of the internet cafe and headed back out onto the smelly, dusty streets. We hailed a cab/shell on wheels to get down to the beach. Plastic bags of fresh fruit in hand, we bundled into the car and had a real life banger racing experience. (Just like Sundays at Smallwood Kez and Dan!!) We pulled up to a very unobvious entrance to the beach, palmed the guy some money and breathed a sigh of relief to be off the 'race track'!! The beach was a haven. We chilled out with not a soul for miles. Abit later we were approached by a tall athletic local guy. He only spoke French so we tried to pool together our hashed up french and somehow we were able to converse.

We ended up going to his family home and meeting his mother and brothers and sisters. The welcome was a refreshing mint tea and and an apple. His house was a shed. Just one of hundreds in what seemed to be miles of shacks. Makeshift streets divided by crates of rubbish and penned in animals. It was downtown Nouakchott. His home was decorated with old milk cartons and family photos. It was a memorable afternoon seeing his life and where he comes from.

10-11 Dec – toward Mali
We drove from Nouakchott toward Mail. Long days on the road. Lots of games of hang man and 'yes,no'. Plenty of music. The landscape has started to take on more colour and shape. There are more trees. (thank god for the girls! More places to hide for a wee!) The land is still pretty dry with lots of spiky shrubbery. Bush camping along the way....cooking dinner as the scorching sun sets above us.

12 Dec - Mali
Crossed into Mali. We cruised past lots of villages stopping at a few along the way for cold drinks and snacks. At one stop we were lured in by the smell of freshly cooked meat being cut straight from the bone. We had some for lunch followed by a big hunk of watermelon. Something about Africa, everything is freshly cooked and prepared!!

13 Dec - Bamako
Today was a great day. The final leg to Bamako. The first 3-4 hours was on uneven roads. Bodies and items being thrown around in the back of the truck.

Lunch stop was in a town full of stalls crammed together selling everything and anything. Black faces and bold prints. shouting and singing. Lots of hands everywhere and big wide eyes for the white people. 'Madame, madame - un cadeaux, un cadeaux' Women with huge baskets of fruit balanced precisely on their heads. Swaying bottoms sashaying down the street. This felt like Africa. After this town the road was tarred and it was a great run to Bamako. Dry rusty red earth either side. Deep green grasses and trees. The contrast of colours on the clear blue sky was picture perfect. All along the road were small villages with clusters of pale yellow mud huts. Many children cycling along the road. Lots of waving and smiling faces. The prize at the end of the red road was CRAZY Bamako!

We parked up and headed straight out in to hustle and bustle.Unpaved bumpy streets cluttered with small shops selling everything from ice to hardware - sometimes in the same place! People, cars, animals, flies, dirt and noise came at us from every angle.

Later that night it was time to hit an African bar and boogie on down to some local music. The club was full. It was dark and sweaty with the obligatory wall mirrors and disco ball. Everyone jostling for space on the dance floor...I had a good dance and a laugh trying to copy the impossible African bendy dancing!! We hung up our dancing shoes and escaped the heat of the club at about 12ish....

We were in a cab back to the camp when we were pulled over by the police. Lack of i.d resulted in demands for money, which we refused so we were herded into the back of their open back truck. Nat said it was all for show and just to go with it so we piled on. They ended up driving us around Bamako for about an hour while they accosted local scoundrels and also bundled them on with us. It ended up being a tight fit in the back but also really funny. After a while even the police were breaking a smile. They dropped us at the police station and within minutes we were told to go home. Crazy!! My first brush with the law and it had to be in Africa!!

14-17 Dec - Bamako
We hit the Bamako streets. Headed to a museum to check on the Mali and specifically the Dogon history. Had a day around the markets and a good look around the fetish markets too. Piles of strange things like dried birds heads and lizards and strange looking 'herbs' for different uses. Tried some street food and plenty of iced ginger. A godsend in the heat. On the 17th we set off for Djenne and bushcamped that night.

18 Dec - Djenne
The journey to Djenne was broken up with a couple of stops. One to Segou, a quiet little river village. Walking along the rivers edge it was easy to absorb the atmosphere and get a feel for the town. Women pounding washing or picking at fish. Men in the distance throwing nets and hauling in their catch. The 2nd stop was San. The main reason was to look at a mud mosque there but we ended up hanging out for while with the crowd of kids we had accumulated around us. We bought all we could in the way of cold drinks and frozen cordial off of the locals. It was scorching.

We arrived in Djenne just as the sun was starting to set. It is famous for having the biggest mud building in Africa. The structure was very impressive. Rising up at one end of a small bustly market. The wooden poles sticking out act like scaffolding for any damage done in the rains. The first thing I noticed was it symmetry. There was a great mood about Djenne and its mosque.We bumped into a couple that we have seen intermittedly along the way and they came bush camping with us. The moon was full and bright that night and we all sat around chatting and having beers.

The night of the half burglary! Someone, probably a kid, wandered into camp and took a bag and some clothes. He only scattered them about and didnt actually take them. Nothing serious but I think it is a warning as we head deeper into Africa we need to be more careful and vigilent.

19 Dec – Djenne and Dogon trek
Monday markets in Djenne. The biggest day of the week. People come from all over to setup here. Watching them set up is unbelievable. Their stalls consist of a bundle of sticks and a tatty tarpaulin slung over their shoulder. All put together in minutes. A wheel barrow of goods to sell. The town slowly came alive. After some sickly sweet coffee in a local coffee shack we wondered the market square and took in more of the mosque.

By 11 we were on our way to Bandiagara, ready for out 3 day trek.By 4pm we were out on the escarpment ready for a downwards walk into the valley of the Dogon. Negotiating every rocky step we slowly made out way down. Just to show us how inept we were there were plenty of kids teasing us as they ran past, knowing every step to take. They were there and then gone. Sunset came upon us very quickly and we were speeding up to get to the bottom before dark. The low light created shadows on the rocks, looking out over arid bush land below. The flat came not a minute too soon and we made our way into town and into the middle of a night market. We got to the auberge and they fed and watered us before we wrapped up and fell asleep on their roof.

20 Dec - Dogon
We walked all day...civilisation felt a million miles away. We were swallowed into the valley, stepping back in time. Plenty of time to see everything ahead and around you and the land mixed together. High jagged rocks, sandy valley bottom. Huge narled trees scattered with dry grasses. We walked through fields with cows and bulls. Passed meandering donkey carts.

We were invited to watch a traditional dance in the afternoon which was a nice relief from the midday sun. Local people in yellow and pink costumes moved around the circle. Masks depicting different animals danced past us. The wild beat of the drums pulling them all together. Some of the masks were intricately made and lured you in to try and see the eyes behind. Their feet moved quicker than I thought humanly possible.....

That evening we arrived at a lovely auberge and chilled out. Later on we could hear some loud drumming. It sounded magical so we went to explore and were welcomed into an African 'dance off'! It was mezmerizing. The drumming rhythum was powerful and you couldnt help but tap your foot and click your fingers. The dancing was fast and energetic with chanting and screeching. Some of the dancers looked manic and possessed. We stayed for a millet beer then headed off to bed. I snuggled up staring at the stars and listening to the sound of the drumming in the distance.

21 Dec - Dogon
This morning was truly wonderful. We woke in the auberge a few metres from the valley wall. The early morning sunlight created a honey coloured hue all around us. High up on the escarpment were ancient Dogon dwellings. The cylindrical structures melted into the rock and it was impossible to try and visualise the route that they use to use to get up to them. Even higher up were openings where the Dogon place their dead. We headed alittle way up to take a closer look at these dwellings and get a feel for old Dogon times. Slowly we were surrounded by kids and by the time we got back down to the auberge we were holding hands and singing our merry way.By 11 we started the final bit of the trek. It was flat for most of the day, just leisurely walking through the base of the valley. We stopped for a lunch of pasta before we had to make the tough climb back out of the escarpment. A long step path of giant rock steps led us out and towards the truck. We reached the top with bright red cheeks and in desperate need of a cold drink. The views and the time close to the earth and away from all things modern was fantastic.

22-24 Dec – boat trip to Timbuktu
Early drive to Mopti to meet with our Pinas (yeah, yeah) boat. It was a long slim boat with seats under a canopy. We piled in and set off down the river Niger toward Timbuktu. The scenery didnt really change much along the way. We just chilled out most of the time reading and playing games. We passed viallges scattered along the shore line, miles from each other.

Fishing boats were out on their daily catch. It was a very peaceful and relaxing couple of days.We pulled into Timbuktu later afternoon on Xmas eve. We got to the auberge, had a rinse and headed out for dinner. We toasted the most unChristmassy Christmas any of us had had....

Timbuktu conjured up thoughts of a cowboy town. As we were walking around I was waiting for the tumble weed to cross our path. The roads are wide and sandy. Any shops or stalls are set way back off the road so the town looked pretty deserted.

Xmas day – Timbuktu and Sevare
We wondered some more around Timbuktu but there wasnt anything that significant to do as its not the town as it used to be years ago. There are still some very important mosques in the town though.

The rest of the day was spent in the back of a landrover taking us to Sevare. Speeding over rough terrain, being knocked about in the back was not the best experience but the delicious Xmas dinner waiting for us at the end made it worth it. Nat and Bren had cooked us pig on a spit with veges, salads, roast pots and banoffee pie. The campsite had a live African band that we sat around listeing to.

Boxing day - Sevare
A bit of R and R. Caught up on washing and organising bags. Lovely chilled day.

27-28 Dec – Burkina Faso / Ouagadougou
Headed to Burkina Faso, crossed the border on 27th and reached Ouagadougou (Ouga) on the eve of 28th.Burkina - land of the beautiful people! We hit the huge sprawling city of Ouga late in the day. Hundreds of scooters on the roads, their fumes creating a smog that hung heavy in the air. This city looked much richer than any in Mali even though Burkina is one of the poorest countries in Africa. Ouga was more westerised than I would have imagined. Seeing traffic lights, separate lanes and roundabouts again was a novelty!

29 Dec - Ouga
Unfortunately it turned out that we couldn't stay in Ouga as long as we planned so we had to seize this day to explore. I went out on a push bike with American Paul to take in the city...and a good few lung fulls of pollution. It was great to see the city from ground level and get in with the locals on bikes, as this seems to be the most popular way of getting around. We saw some sights and got some errands done. It felt like we had gone from one end of Ouga to the other. After a tiring but invigorating morning, the afternoon was spend feasting on tuna salad followed by lolling in the pool of the hotel. (making the most of a very rare occurance!). There are some great stories from this day but it would mean me going on and on.... Lets just say I bought a guitar and posted it home using half the post office staff to pack it nicely. American Paul got his hair cut at Elvis’s…the first white man hair cut the guy had done so you can imagine! We also had a failed brake and a puncture that were repaired within minutes as there was a bike shop on every corner.

30 Dec - Ouga
Shopped for out NYE party then headed out of Ouga and bush camped.

31 Dec - Tiebele
After a couple of different plans we ended up spending NYE is a small village called Tiebele. Famous for its painted buildings that signify marriage and good luck/good fortune. The paintings looked like giant doodles on the outer walls. Black and white perfectly balanced patterns.Originally we were only going to pass through but we found an auberge that was having abit of a do and they welcomed us in. We made food and rum punch and started the party around 5ish. We saw in the new year to loud african music pumping through chunky speakers on a make shift dance floor. Then it was 2006! Another new year and still another 6 months of fabulous travel ahead!

1 Jan 2006 - Ghana
A slow day as we headed across the border into Ghana, with thumping heads and the taste of tropical rum punch still in our mouths! Bush camped that night and slept very well!....Ghana – land of white hot humid days and flaming red sunsets...

2 Jan - Mole
We headed to Mole National Park. Arriving around lunch time to the sight of two huge elephants gracefully making their way to a watering hole. my first big game sight brought a lump to my throat. In the late afternoon we headed out with a guide to camp out in the bush. We stayed in a set of buildings that was apparently a small village at one time. Very ery but also very peaceful as the sounds of all the animals gained volume and took you into your own relaxation tape.

3 Jan - Mole
We drove back to the hotel near the entrance of the park to go out on an early morning game walk. As we pulled in a huge elephant was walking around the grounds and we were just 20 metres away. I was in awe. He was just going about his daily business snuffling food and fanning his ears. Completely unphased by the gawping snap happy humans. Beautiful.

4 Jan - Kumasi
On our way to Kumasi. The further into Ghana we go the denser the vegetation. Long green and yellow grasses either side of the road. The hilly landscape spilling over with trees and palms. The distance is a heat haze of tree outlines as the weather is getting more hot and humid...

4-6 Jan - Kumasi
Arrived in Kumasi and stayed in a peaceful sanctuary that was the Prespertarian Mission. The usual hot, smoggy busy African city life hit us. Kumasi has the biggest markets in West Africa.

We ventured into them early in the day on 5th. Another crazy, packed, loud and smelly market. It was huge and at one point we could survey the whole market from above. It seemed to go on for miles and miles into the distance. It was so big there were different districts. One for food, one for clothes, one for shoes...

We also went to the Ashanti museum which was based in a cultural centre. Lots of African arts and crafts scattered around a quaint park area. It was great to see them at work and how things are made. The history of the Ashanti was also very interesting. Being shown round the museum by a quirky Whoopi Goldberg lookalike!

7-9 Jan – Brenu beach, Cape Coast
Spending a couple of days chilling at the Brenu beach resort on the Cape coast. This coast is steeped in slavery history with many run down ghostly looking forts scattered along the coast. We walked into a cool village called Elmina. Didnt realise it was 8Km before we started though. Pretty hot and bothered by the time we got there but at least it was along the coast so we could cool off in the sea along the way. Excellent place that felt abit mediterranean...had a stroll around and people watched as the locals headed to church in their Sunday best.

9 Jan - Accra
Got to Accra and stayed in the car park of Ryans Irish pub. Steaming hot and another sprawling crazy African city. So many religious connotations to everything. ‘God Bless Beauty Salon’. ‘God is great electrical repairs’!!

10-13 Jan – Big Millies, Kokrobitey
Staying at Big Millies beach resort in Kokrobitey. Another few days of chilling out on white sandy beaches with palm trees. Big Millies is abit livlier than Brenu. Lots of bars along the beach and its Reggae night tonight (I am just back in Accra for a couple of hours to catch up on blogging).

Its a great resort and Ghana is very cheap.Yesterday we took ourselves off to a nature reserve. Setting off at 7am to catch the monkeys. Unfortunately they had other ideas and kept their distance but we could see them jumping from tree to tree alittle way in the distance. We then went along some lakes that were separated from the sea by about 20 metres of beach. We spied lots of wild life including some stunningly colourful birds. Along the lakes and along the beach we could watch all the different types of ways that the locals fish. Some pulling in nets, some just wading through and picking up crabs from the bottom. Some just sitting along the edge with small nets. It was a very friendly atmosphere and eventually we ended up at a beach shack where we got out and chilled for abit. One side looked out onto the sea and the other onto the lakes….it was pretty close to paradise and if you ever wanted to get away from it all and just isolate yourself then it only costs $5 per night….for a bed in a wooden shack on stilts (with a bar about 50 metres away).

We took the long way back to Kokrobitey through 4 villages, stopping for the local speciality of fish and rice in a hot sauce on the way. We leave Big Millies and head toward lake Volta on Sunday. We should be in Togo by 19th/20th. These days on the beach are fabulously luxurious and relaxing. You don’t even think about being a budget traveller as the facilities are fine and they are all you need. I am used to getting my own water from the well. Having a bucket shower and just accepting that things take a lot longer in Africa….not that there is anything to rush for when you are lounging on the beach…. :-)

Other info We have a new route plan as Sudan is off the agenda….We will now go from Nigeria to Cameroon, Congo, DRC, Gabon and Angola….popping out into Namibia….then we will do all the east coast countries from Cape up to Kenya. Angola was suggested as the last overland trip did it. It has settled down abit out there now apparently and is slowly opening up to tourism again. It will certainly be an experience as it is pretty untouched by tourism due to the troubles. Cameroon to Namibia will take about 6 weeks and we have been warned it will be hard due to us hitting it at the beginning of the wet season….but I am up for the challenge :-)

A couple of people have already gone down with malaria but they have been treated and back on their feet again. As long as you treat it quickly and rest up its not too bad. They were pretty sick for a few days and it literally comes on in hours but they are OK now.I have had quite a few dodgy bellies but just think it’s the different food, water, climate etc and nothing major to report….

Things I find amazing about Africa is you can get anything and have anything made that you want. They have people selling fresh fruit in traffic jams. They have Fanyog (frozen yoghurt) sold along the street along with bags of water. The buses go when they are full and everyone has an opinion and no one is afraid to shout. I love the noises they make when calling to each other. Lots of “OH’S” and clicking of the tongue. The new experiences are never ending and I would rather be nowhere else….Well that’s it for now, hope I haven’t bored you all too much. I am heading back down the beach now as Accra is way too manic for my liking….! I have to go and grab a ‘tro tro’ (local transport) so that could be a crazy couple of hours getting back but hopefully fun. I will update the blog again just before we head out of Cameroon as there will be no communication for much of DRC, Gabon, Angola….I am looking forward to getting back to lounging in the sunshine with Big Millies special freshly made banana milkshake – maybe abit of body surfing too….Oh yes - and I have had my hair braided and am weighed down with beads and have 'invested' in some great bold and colourful African printed skirts!!.... :-)lots of love xxxx

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Hi from the breezy coast of Limbe in Cameroon....well what a fun packed past couple of months...here goes...

Fri 13th Jan - Kokrobitey
After catching up with internet business I swiftly made my way back to chilled Kokrobitey. Tonight we had BBQ, drumming and dancing. This was all on the beach outside Big Millies back gate and the place was heaving with people waiting to watch the african dancing. The atmosphere was electric and when the dancing started so did the crowd...and the kids and the animals and just about anyone in the close vicinity. The sound of the impossibly fast and hard drumming was awesome. It was a loud, fast and wild night under the stars....fantastic to watch as I sipped on my Big Millies house rum punch with a wiggle of the bum....

Sat 14 Jan - Kokrobitey
More beach action today. Big Millies is palms, mud huts, thatched rooves, hamocs and a good helping of friendly Ghanaians. I had a drum lesson on the beach in the afternoon. An hour and a half of concentration on traditional beats. As soon as you think you had it down your hand would fly in a different direction and the rhythm lost...but I kept trying. My teacher was Mackanacky and he had wild dreadlocked hair, a gold tooth and glazed eyes...He was very patient but he worked me hard and I headed back to the hotel with sore palms but a great feeling....Live reggae was on the agenda for this evening and I danced my socks off...I showed the local chicks a thing or two! :-)

Sun 15 Jan - Kokrobitey
Recovery from my african dance off. Got chatting to a crazy American lady from California, in her 70's. Got suckered into buying some shell jewellrey as I sat there with my mouth open as she talked and talked and talked....and talked.....!

Mon 16 Jan - Accra
Back on the road again to Accra to collect out Nigerian visa. Bush camped on the road to the volta region.

Tue 17 - Thu 19 Jan- Volta Region
We arrive in Hohoe. American Paul and myself fancied separating from the truck to go and check out an Eco village on the lake. We grabbed enough stuff for a few days and jumped into a packed tro tro heading for the next junction. We jumped off and grabbed a cab for the next leg to the village. Over some extremely bumpy and uneven roads thick with wild vegetation we finally arrived at XOFA Eco village.

In a secluded and remote location it was very tranquil. The accomodation was stone huts hidden amonst trees and flowers with the Ghanaian colours incorporated in the decoration. Many of the patio areas were laid with shells and the whole place was creatively decorated with lots of care. Winding paths would lead to other areas of the village as you got lost in your thoughts. XOFA is run by rastas and everything was 'alrie' (alright). The place was so laid back you were nearly falling over. Slightly different than described in the rough guide as XOFA wasnt really a village but just a small resort(ish) on the lake. Described as a volunteer project there was only one volunteer and she was building a meditation room. Its a great place and extremely unstructured. Paul and I had gone there on the promise of drumming and dancing lessons but the people that did this were not in camp and no one knew when they might return....you just have to take it as it comes. Swimming in the lake, walking, reading and listening to nature was what XOFA was best for.

I sat by the lake one day and all I could hear was the breeze through the trees, the lapping water and the birds over head. The peacefulness was ear popping.We went on a leaky canoe ride to some other islands on the lake and stopped for a coke in one village where the bar was someones front room and he was playing Boys to Men on the music player - slightly surreal....kind of altered the feeling of remoteness but also made me laugh at the same time....

Thus 19th - Sat 21st Jan- Tafi Atome
Thats enough quiet time. Now off to Tafi-Atome. Two tro tros and a taxi later we arrived at the town famous for its mona monkeys. Basically the monkeys live in the forest near the town and the town needs money so they call it a monkey sanctuary...you cant blame them really.The town had a great positive feel about it but they were very enclosed. There was very low crime and very high education. We dumped our stuff and headed out, met some young people who didnt drink or smoke and only drank the nasty tasting Malta drink....'for strength!' They were interested in what we were doing and where we were from....our religious interest and understanding of politics. I just sat back and listened as they seemed to have a lot to say and no one to say it too before now!...

We had one early start to catch the monkeys feeding but infact the people of Tafi Atome feed them bananas to get them to come to the tourist so not exactly their natural life. Anyhow the mona monkeys are long tail monkeys with white eye brows and black smudges around their eyes that look like they have sunglasses on. They are quiet and fly through the trees at effortless speed. They come close, grab the banana and run....they know the system.... We also took a bike ride to try and get to the next town but never made it. It was too steep and too hot with no shade whatsoever along the road. Heaving with plantations the road was very pretty but very tedious, so after an hour and a half we turned back and made back into Tafi Atome just before heat stroke set in!...good bit of exercise but maybe something alittle less exposed next time!

Out in the forest of Tafi Atome we met a couple of volunteers over for a few months planting trees. One was a Kiwi and one a Brit. We stopped in for coffee with them a couple of times as they werent that far out of town. They originally came over to work in an orphanage but that turned out to be abit of a circus so somehow they fell into Tafi Atome and started planting and cultivating fruit trees for the monkeys. As fast as they are planting, I think the chain saws are faster and once they leave I wonder if the project will be maintained....but they were great people and it was nice to have a chat at their little hut amongst the trees.

Sat 21 Jan - Lome, Togo
Today we had to bid farewell to Ghana and head across to Togo. After a leisurely goodbye to everyone at Tafi-Atome we got the first tro tro out of there to the border. The border was utter chaos (as most are I have learnt). Hundreds of people milling about. Food stalls, animals, kids, jokers, beggars, taxi drivers, money changers...all coming at you at the same time. Once our 'chat' with officials was over and the Ghana exit stamp and the Togo entry stamp had been issued we were on our way into Togo. Today was super hot and getting to the border, crossing and getting away from the border takes most of the day. By the time we reached Lome we were just about ready to fall asleep....

Sun 22nd Jan - Lome
The Lome that I saw coming through yesterday in the taxi was very industrial with a massive port and many smoking towers.. Spreadout and unwelcoming we were not that keen to venture in again. We had to venture in for a few things and some of the streets were very quaint with cobble type stones and small shops. Hot days and unrelenting sun we chilled out most of the time not able to leave the sand and the waves.

Out in the sea you could make out the old road to Benin that was destroyed as tides have ventured further in land. All along that coast it was very evident that erosion is a real problem. Many remnants of hotels that have been gobbled up and washed away...

Along the beach sat a shanty town with shouting and music flowing from behind the wooden frontage. Guys playing football and kids mucking about. In contrast, at the opposite end of the beach stood a posh mediterranean style hotel with private beach and thatched umbrealla. We had positioned ourselves in the middle of two very extremely different ways of life. The truck was meant to arrive today for us to jump back on and see the rest of Togo....it didnt arrive! Mon

23rd Jan- Lake Togo
Bored with Lome we headed to Lake Togo. We stayed at a great auberge with white wash cottage type rooms looking out onto the lake. Paul took out the small sailing boat they had....and proceeded to break it. :-) The mast came away from the bottom so he had to float for a couple of hours wondering if anyone would come to the rescue. He finally beached and started to set up camp, as any good boy scout would do! Eventually he was found and brought back to the auberge (to his disappointment I reckon!) Anyway, the owner was very understanding and Paul showed him what went wrong and what needed to be done so it didnt happen again....The owner may have been all smiles but the 'chicken' that night was abit dubious...Paul reckons cat was the order of the day! Delicious all the same.... :-)

Tues 24th- Wed 25th Jan - Togoville
We headed further along Togo to Togoville. We were able to take a canoe from the auberge over to Togoville. As we hauled ourselves onto shore I was abit unsure what we might find. It was a very simple town with the usual mud huts and sandy, gravelly roads. Then we found the Nachtigal hotel. Not what we were expecting. A big cement hotel with adequate rooms and a pool and atrium....not what you would expect to find in such a town.

We organised for a guide to take us round town and at about 4ish Victor turned up. An older man with crooked teeth, squinty eyes and a walking stick. We followed him around to all the sights and he tried to explain them in a mixture of english and french. Numerous voodoo/fetish structures were scattered around the town as that is the largely followed belief in Togo. Some were very peculiar and strange looking.

In the morning on the 25th we headed out early to go to the royal residence. There was a very small museum set in a small courtyard of the royal residence. Old photos, chairs, instruments and other objects were laid out in the room. Togoville has very close links with Germany and we were kindly met by the prince of Togoville to tell us more of this history. Togoville is the first town of Togo and they are fighting for it to be recognised as the capital rather than Lome. He is keen to have a prime minister that is not governed by the military and royalty. Political decisions get made and not everyone gets heard. He was a very peaceful man who looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders...

Wed 25th to Fri 27th Jan - Aneho
Later on 25th we headed to Aneho...the last town before Benin. Still no sign of the truck but at least we found out that it had broken down in Ghana and went back to Accra....fingers crossed we meet them in Benin!In Aneho the beach was vivid yellow and the sea a deep aqua. The waves were huge and very powerful. A try at body surfing turned into a pounding into the sand! We stayed here for a couple of nights at a little gem of a hotel that was newly open but still pretty cheap. The chef, Felix, cooked us some great seafood dishes and looked after us superbly. Always a big warm smile with dimples and a jolly temperament with his rotund belly jingling as he laughed.

Fri 27th Jan - Cotonou, Benin
We grabbed a moto for the couple fo Kms to the border of Benin. More hot and humid chaos. We were held up a while by the policeman completing our forms. Just a case of making us wait while he chatted to his friends or just stared in to space....eventually we got out of there....biting our tongues! We made our way to Cotonou and kept our fingers crossed that the truck would come....

Sat 28th Jan - Cotonou
Took a moto around Cotonou to check out the town and what it had to offer. Although big and bustly it had a good feel to it and wasnt so intimidating as some other cities. The moto guys took us around for errands and then onto a cultural centre selling hand made arts and crafts. Some beautiful textiles and carvings laid out infront of poky wooden shops crammed full of goodies. I bought a drum similar to that which I had my lesson on in Ghana. Hand carved base and deep strong sound. Another instrument to add to the Africa collection. They also took us to a fantastic ice cream parlour where we indulged! Still no sign of the truck...

Sun 29th Jan - Ganvie Island
With no sign of the truck we got on with seeing some sights of Benin. We moto'ed to Calvey to pick up a boat to Ganvie Island. Supplied with the boat was french speaking guide and snoopy sail... :-) It took an hour or so to get out to the stilt village and once there it was just another chaotic african town but this time out on the water supported by stilts!

Shops and markets were held on boats and that was the only way of getting around. The town had not changed in many many years, neither had it developed so some houses were virtually falling back into the water and there was no way of getting between them (such as a walk way) other than by boat. The water was think with rubbish and sanitary waste which was a shame. Visiting on a Sunday meant the town was heaving with locals (normally the men are out fishing). It has definitely been over run by tourists but it doesnt look like Ganvie itself sees any of this money. It was amazing to see how a town can survive on stilts out in a lake isolated from the mainland but I must say the people did not look very happy and it really looks like a hard life for the 30,000 that live there....

Mon 30 Jan - Ouidah
Ouidah was on the agenda today. A famous slave port town that now has a museum and archway to commemorate both those that died and those that lived. We took the walk of 'no return' that the slaves would have taken from Ouidah town out to the beach. As you reach the beach a great expanse of sand and sparkling crystal sea opens up before you. It was hard to imagine this spectacular view was the last thing the slaves saw and it would have been a view of horror as they were loaded into boats for America and Europe. There would have been thousands of people jostling for space and the commemorative arch that now stands there tries to depict the scene.

The Ouidah museum contained the history and information on the significant people involved. One picture was quite sickening as it depicted how the slaves were laid out in the bottom of the boats. Just laying side by side with no space to move and hardly any air to breath. The museum was set in a very peaceful compound away from the town and it gave you a chance to reflect on the whole of this coast line and its slavery past.

Tues 31st Jan - Thu 2nd Feb - Cotonou
This time was spent in Cotonou just swimming, walking and taking motos around town. The truck eventually turned up but still coughing and spluttering. We tried to leave for Nigeria on the 2nd but the truck gave up again and we were back in Cotonou by dinner time.

Fri 3rd Feb - Lagos, Nigeria
American Paul and I decided to cross into Nigeria ourselves as the truck was kaput indefinitely at this stage. Day bag packed with some essentials we set out early for the notorious Nigerian border. Taxi to Porto Novo and crossing into Idioko.

I was very nervous as so many stories had been banded around about the Nigerians and their lack of hospitality to the whites! We were dropped off on the muddy road leading up to the border and it was heaving with lorries and trucks all in absolute chaos with no one knowing which way was which. We were quickly stamped out of Benin with no problem then we walked over to the Nigerian immigration. My heart was beating so fast and I just wanted to get it over with. I was expecting to be held up for hours having to fend off bribery requests and ridiculous demands. We duckd into the official office and surprise surprise we were welcomed into Nigeria and on our way to Lagos within the hour....unfortunately we were given abit of hassle along the road as there are police check points every 200 yards for a few Kms but apart from that all was OK.

Took about 3 hours to get into Lagos and as we got closer the fresh air got less and the fumes more and more overwhelming. The air was still and the traffic thick all through Lagos. Lagos is huge and we were heading for the nicer part of Lagos, Ikoyi. Main Lagos Island was very industrial with huge shanty towns spread along the motorway. The smells were potent and not of the nice kind but it was an experience to be here....

We arrived at the YMCA in Awolowo Rd and jumped out the car and straight into a restaurant for some fried chicken. It had been a long morning!That evening we came across a guy called Charles who lives at the YMCA and uses the room as an art studio. He was in the midst of creating 200 pieces for an exibition to raise money to set up an art school for under priveliged kids. His art was very african. Big and bold colours and shapes but very original and appealing. He took us out that evening to a bar on Victoria Island. We sat chatting in the open air listening to music and sipping on our fist Nigerian beer!

Sat 4th Feb - Lagos
Charles took us to some galleries on Awolowo road and pointed us in the direction of some interesting shops. The art in the galleries was amazing. I am attracted by big paintings with bold colours or those of people and facial expressions. One gallery was heaving with stacks of oil paintings. I was in my element looking through them all. Some of the carvings were ceiling high and inticately made. We even found something of Charles'....

There were some good music and book shops along the road which kept us amused for a few hours.

My parents went to Nigeria on their honeymoon 30 odd years ago and they have a great black and white photo of them standing outside an office in Lagos. The office was the Lagos office of the company my mum worked at in London. I have always loved the photo of them standing in their 70's get up looking cool and I texted my mum for the address of the office in Lagos to see whether we were near by. I know it sounds corny but I fancied getting a photo of me outside the same address 30 years later. Well, it just so happened that we didnt need to go very far to find this office as in fact it was right across the street from the YMCA in Awolowo Road!! Unbeliveable!...I was smiling for a long time and loved that I ended up being in the same place as my parents had been 30 years ago....Anyway enough sentimantalism. :-)

That evening Charles took us to the French Cultural Centre to watch a guy called Aladin. He is up and coming Nigerian pop star mixing african music to RnB beats. He was OK but even better were the band especially the saxophonist! The girl backing singers who had a chance to shine were excellent too....a fantastic night!....I am loving Lagos!

Sun 5th Feb - Abeokuta
A packed tro tro to Abeokuta today. The tro tro is a cheap but uncomfortable method of transport. Crammed into a small camper van size van with sliding door normally falling off its hinges. Cracks in the glass and pretty much just a shell inside with extra seats fitted for maximum capacity!...the most people we have counted squeezed into one is 21 people! Thats alot in such a small space believe me! We got to Abeokuta and had a look around the town. Hardly anything was open as it was Sunday so we just sat around absorbing the town and people watching.

Mon 6th Feb - Ife
Spent the morning seeing the sites of Abeokuta whilst getting drizzled on. The famous rock was shut as it had just been modernized for tourists but no one was sure when the first day of opening was! Bit of a shame really as the rock is now tainted by red metal steps all the way to the top so no longer looks like a natural wonder. We got to go half way up before being thrown out.. We checked out the oldest church in Nigeria which looked pretty much like all the other churches and was on the brink of crumbling into the ground.We were being shown around by a bit of a overpowering idiot so we lost him after an hour or so and just wondered around looking at the different architecture and the markets.

In the afternoon we decided there was nothing else to keep us in Abeokuta so we would go and check out Ife... We had time to take a moto into the 2nd biggest university complex in the world when we got there. It may have been the second biggest but no money seems to have been invested in it since it was built. Ife was an interesting and friendly town. A university town it was heaving with students.

Tues 7th Feb - Oshogbo
Food markets and and stalls selling western clothes spilled into the streets of Ife. The museum and palace were one of the main things to visit this morning. Ife was set in a triangle and we walked most of it to see what else was going on.In the afternoon we set off for Oshogbo....to also hopefully meet the truck!We arrived in Oshogbo and headed for the nearest bar for a cooling beer. It turned out the Ebenezers bar also had rooms so we stopped there for a night. They had musicians practising in the back yard, so we sat and watched for a couple of hours. The speakers were so loud the music was distorted but everyone was loving it and the bar was full of jamming musicians.

Wed 8th Feb- Oshogbo
We took a moto down the road to the Jungle Communications Centre. We were greeted by a drunken but very warm welcome from Okonfo Kawawa, a famous (!!) Nigerian musician. His house was very out of town and backed onto the sacred forest. There was a stream running along the back where we could wash and do washing - the lifestyle was very simple but enjoyable. He has lived there 20 years, travelling down from Germany in a big old truck (the original overland!) He has many statues in amongst the overgrown gardens. Also a big theatre type building for music jamming and concerts. He has toured Germany and Belgium and it due over in the US very soon! He is a crazy guy. Alway laughing and joking. Very generous and his house is full of music and kids practising the drums. An interetsing character who starts on the gin and spliffs at 7am!

Thu 9th Feb - Oshogbo
Today we went into the sacred forest to see the big cement structures created decades ago by a European woman who went to Oshogbo and stayed...she discovered a palace of an ancient chief of the Yoruba clan in the forest and preceeded to develop these sculptures to depict the Yoruba beliefs. The forest had a very mystical feel about it with the big shapes revealing themselves through the trees and bushes. We also took motos to see the Brazilian district of the town with Brazilian style houses along one street. The street was teaming with colours which was a big contrast to the rest of town. Some were very run down but still you could see the south american influence. Oshogbo is a very musical and artistic town so we also went to a couple of local galleries stocked with local african art and textiles. Back to Okonfos for dinner and a night of drumming under the stars.

Fri 10th Feb - Lagos
We decided to head back to Lagos for the weekend as there were a couple of musical things going on and the truck was nowhere in sight. We bid farewell to Okonfo and the clan and made the exhausting journey back to Lagos. We met up with some others from the truck who also chose to cross into Nigeria rather than wait for the truck to be repaired.

Sat 11th Feb - Lagos
Back at the YMCA we checked in on Charles and then went to the National museum. A guide took us around each section explaining some history on each of the areas and tribes in Nigeria, also their beliefs and traditions. Also to be seen were some old weapons and clothing from way back.That evening we were back at the French Cultural Centre for more Aladin and other acts. It was a fantastic night with Aladin putting on a good show and also an hilarious comedienne called Princess who had us in stitches. She also latched onto Paul for the night with a plan of showing him her place! :-)

The other acts were Nigerias answer to Christina Aguilera and Tina Turner. Amazing voices on these women. So powerful and emotional, they got a rapturous applause. Also there was a very clever guy doing body beats. Playing songs by hitting his cheeks and making them sound like different tones. He also was well received. The atmosphere was buzzing. I even got dragged up onto stage to be shown how to shake your booty the African way! (Jules I still cant do it!)

We went for a drink afterwards in a bizarre Texan restaurant that you would never expect to find or be popular in the middle of Lagos but still....

Sun 12th Feb - Lagos
This afternoon we went to see an African music festival in Victoria Island. It was not so much a festival but a troupe of actors and dancers trying to convey their feelings about the political situation in Nigeria. Alot of it was in local language but when they performed a story through dance it was easy to understand the messsage they were trying to get across. We did not know the background or have all the information on how Nigeria is run but these young people were very brave to project a message that could infact get them into trouble in a place like Nigeria. It was in a lovely clean setting of a large school hall type room. The young people were full of energy and enthusiam and as per usual the white people in the front row were noted but also welcomed in to try and understand their message.

Mon 13th Feb - Oshogbo
We headed back to Oshogbo for more overwhelming hospitality from Okonfo and the clan. Also the truck finally made it through to Nigeria and turned up late in the evening.

Tues 14th Feb - Sat 18th Feb - Kaduna
These days were taken up with bush camp and a few days at Nats friends house in Kaduna, Northern Nigeria. The chairman of ChangChangi airlines, his house was like a playboy mansion compared to what we have been used to. Showers, toilets, MTV and cold beer. He threw us a welcome BBQ and took us to the local rugby club. We used his pool and lazed around his house. He was a great guy as we did kind of take over the place. We had some of the best food we've had in a while and he invited all his friends over for abit of a soiree! Kaduna was a nice clean town. I didnt really see much of it but it was pleasant and hospitable as far as I could tell. Sun

19th Feb - Yankari
We left the comfort of Johns house in Kaduna and headed for Yankari game reserve. The dry season has drained the land of colour and everything is very dry. There is not much game in Yankari but the setting is nice and it is home to Wiki Warm Springs. After spending a couple of hours wallowing in the springs we hung out near the truck only to be approached by nosey baboons and warthogs. Some came very close. The warthogs were rolling around in a puddle of water made by a dripping tap and then would loiter waiting for any scraps to be accidently dropped. The baboons were more interested in seeing if they could get inside the truck and as they peered through the windows you could see them eyeing up the bread in the front! We spent that evening down at the spring again. This time without being nipped by tse tse flies. It was very relaxing and slowly the evening fire flies came out from the bushes the entertain us.

Mon 20th - Wed 22nd Feb - driving
A couple of days of driving and bush camping as we headed down to Calabar. We caught the tale end of a riot in Bauchi over the Danish cartoon. There were fires and all the shops were shut up. People had dispersed by the time we were driving cautiously through the town but still the smouldering fires had dead bodies in which was abit unpleasant.

Wed 22nd - Fri 24th Feb - Calabar
Late in the day on 22nd we arrived at the Drill Ranch monkey sanctuary in Calabar. The journey had been hot and humid and we were glad to arrive to the hospitality of Liza and Peter who run the sanctuary. That evening we all went out for drinks and it started to rain really heavily. None of us moved as it was a welcome relief to the previous days still heat. It was a joy as we sat there getting soaked through. That evening I went to bed feeling remarkable cool for once! We spent much time looking around the sanctuary who specialise in Drill monkeys and chimps but infact dont turn much else away either. They are all rescued from being pets or if their parents have been killed. Those chimps are cheeky. I had water and wood chippings aimed in my direction a couple of times! Calabar was probably the cleanest place I have seen so far in Africa. Very friendly and a simple but diverse town. We spent some time at a hotel pool chilling out and also went out for drinks to check out the local nightlife.

Fri 24th - Sat 25th Feb - Afi mountain
We headed to Afi mountain to see the Drill sanctuarys other base. This time the monkeys had huge amounts of space to play and run around. The chimps are into throwing stones and the Drill monkeys are into showing you their manliness!....it was a lovely location with the back drop of the mountain and wooden huts for shelter and food stores. We went on a walk through the forest to find a stream to wash and swim in. I also spent some time taking pictures of the beautiful butterflies and natural scenes that surrounded us.

Sun 26th Feb - Wed 1st March - no mans land!
Early, early we set out for the Cameroon border....and proceeded to be stuck in large amount of mud for 4 days as we tried to make it the 200kms to Limbe! The roads from the Cameroon border to Mamfe and then onto Limbe were infact mud.

They had had early rains so the mud roads developed huge pot holes. Deep enough for me to disappear into and sludgy enough for the truck to sink. After hours of digging, pushing and sometimes just saying stuff it and going full pelt towards the hole to see how far we could get we finally managed to get off of that road.

Some of the scenes were hilarious as the locals preferred to go round us than help us and then they would get stuck and we would have to push them out before we could carry on getting ourselves out. The scenery along the road was stunning rainforest swarming with exotic butterfliess but we were knackered and collapsed into our beds each night only to put on rank damp clothes the next day to carry on into the unknown.

It was scolding hot and the flies were out in their squillions. We spent five hours trying to get out of one hole. It was in front of a village packed with males that insisted on walking around grabbing their balls and not getting their flipflops dirty! One guy called Valentine was fantastic though and worked like a horse trying to get us out.

Limbe was a vision of loveliness as we pulled into the Botanical Gardens and setup tents in the Miramar hotel. A shower has never felt so good.

2nd - 9th March - Limbe
We have been in Limbe for a week or so at the Miramar. Taking advantage of their pool and the breezy location. Set in the Botanical gardens the location is very green and lush. The view from the hotel grounds is out to sea and it is on a stunning rugged piece of coastline. While in Limbe we have visited the Drill monkey sanctuary that they have here. This time they shelter rescued gorillas. They obviously do not have enough space but then again if they were in the wild they would die. They have all been rescued after their parents have been killed. Some rescued from traders and pet shops and entertainers. They all look pretty happy and well fed.

A few of us set off for a trek into the rainforest on Mount Cameroon. Not wanting to do the peak as alot of that is through farming lands we wanted to stick to the rainforest. For three days we trekked through dense bush and trees. The path being macheted out by the guide in front of us. Leaves and vines brushing past our skin as we got deeper and deeper into the forest. The first day the rain thundered in our direction and would not let up for an hour and a half so we tried to shelter as much as possible with not too much success. It is the 2nd wettest place in the world I guess! The guide that took us had more fitness and energy than all of us put together and he was leading us up and up and up (before the down, down, down) to a waterfall. We didnt make it in one day so stayed in the bush and set off for the last leg to the waterfall the next morning.

Getting down to the waterfall was virtually done on your bum as it was so steep and slippery. Getting out of the waterfall was ten times as hard!!!....It was an exhausting but also amazing couple of days lost in an alien environment. We were walking on a bed of thick damp leaves and the light was sometimes very dim as the canopy got thicker the further we got into the rainforest. We camped for two nights in amongst the trees and we were swallowed by the sounds of the forest. That experience will stay with me forever.

After my foree into the rainforest I now have an infected bite on my leg which I am now taking antibiotics for and cleaning regularly. Its not a pretty sight but there you go....I wanted adventure!

We had to bid farewell to Betty (the truck, named after the Betty Ford Clinic as she needed alot of help) as she was just not going to make it through Angola and we were running out of time with all the break downs. She is now on a ship back to the UK.

What are we doing now!? Well this evening at midnight we fly to Nairobi in Kenya to pick up a new truck to head down the East side for the next 11 weeks...

As I pass the 4 month mark on this trip I can see the next few weeks flying by. I am pretty used to truck life although it can get hard being with the same people day in and day out. We are grouped together in 3's and have a rota for cooking, washing up, security and truck clean so there is always something to do. Alot of our bush camps we do not camp until dusk so it can be hard work getting motivated to cook for everyone. We have all got on together fairly well Id say although I was off the truck for nearly a month and you do miss the support that the truck gives you in getting around Africa.

We wash and do washing wherever it is possible. Crappy showers in rundown campsites, streams, lakes, and sometimes nice showers at nice campsites!West Africa is a tough place and a big learning curve. Not really setup that much for the tourist this area of Africa is a constant education on the real Africa. The east apparently contrasts this hugely and will be much easier (no less poorer though) but much more touristy.The biggest surprise for me was Nigeria. A great country with great people who made us feel welcome everywhere. I felt safe in Lagos (to an extent) and everyone just wanted to show that Nigeria was not like it is in the press.... Well I am off to finish packing....I hope I havent missed anything about the West (even with a few moans to friends - thanks for listening by the way - I have had a great time)....see you in Kenya... P.s...Jules I hope you had a fab 30th Bday and Kez good luck with baby Burner next month and I cant wait to see him/her when I get back!!Lots of lovexxxJen

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Hey from Kampala in Uganda! Thought I would try to keep up with the Blog abit more now as the next few weeks are going to be packed!

10th March - arrive in Eastern Africa - Nairobi, Kenya
After a pretty easy flight, apart from leaving at midnight and arriving at 06:45am (2 hours ahead of the West), we landed in Nairobi. With numb bums and red rimmed eyes we made our way out to be met by our new kermit green truck. Here the East Africa adventure begins!We were taken to NPS campsite, dropped our stuff, had a quick nose around the truck and then forgot about sleep and just got in a cab to Nairobbery!

We didnt get robbed, infact we had a nice wander around this 70's feel city. It was a real mishmash of old and new. We stayed about an hour, thats all our tired nerves could take of the traffic and crowds. We did manage to go to our first westernized supermarket since Morocco and I was beside myself. Branston pickle and mature cheddar....bacon!!!...oh and I did succumb to a NOW! magazine... it was fun reading abit a celeb gossip after 4 months :-) We headed back to NPS, chilled out and got ready for the Masai Mara.....

11th - 13th March - Masai Mara
Early start and after admin formalities in Nairobi we were on our way. We stopped part way to take in the view of the rift valley and then we were back in the landrover for a few more hours. Long bumpy, potholed roads, a couple of gift shops and some great scenery later we arrived at the Masai Mara Game Reserve. Masai women gathered around selling jewellrey and woodwork. They were virtually bald with long, long earrings dragging on their ears and brightly coloured cloths draped over their shoulders and tied around their waist.

As we entered the park our first game drive began.During our time on the Masai we saw a couple of lazy lionesses watching over some boistrous cubs and three lions at different points, all lazing in the shade. Big strong animals they looked like they had been in the wars throughout their life. They just took the odd look around to check out what was going on every now and again. We saw beautiful elegant giraffes munching on prickly bushes and slowly moving across the plain. A mother elephant, closely followed by baby, appeared out of some dense vegetation. The baby carelessy lolloping betweens its mama's legs as she tried to nuzzle it along. We saw many many exotic birds, most with vibrant colours and smooth shimmering feathers. Some with headress feathers and others with oversized beaks.

Our treat of the Masai was spotting a cheetah running through a heard of gazelle just as we were heading out of the park. It was a sight straight from a wildlife programme.

The Masai was at its most impressive at sunrise and sunset. In the morning there was a misty haze rolling down from the Esoit Oloololo Escarpment with hot air balloons rising up in the distance. As the bright morning rays shone down onto the massive expanse of the Masai plain all the grass sparkled, heavy with the morning dew. The heat was blazing by 10am so the roof came down and we were able the stand up and scan for wildlife.As the sun goes goes down the thick heavy persil white clouds are saturated with pinks, oranges and purples. As the sky creeps from day to night the landscape is spotted with giant shadows and it takes on the evening calm. A whole host of new animals come out at night but we were eating our bangers and mash and chatting about the sights of the day back at camp by then....

14th March - Nairobi
After a morning doing shopping and running a couple of errands around Nairobi a couple of us went to a giraffe sanctuary. Made up of 3 wooden buildings. The gift shop, the cafe and the giraffe feeding veranda come info centre. It was right on the outskirts of Nairobi in a quiet location with space for the giraffes as far as the eye could see.

The giraffes in the sanctuary are an endangered breed so they keep the adults they have rescued but release the new offsping back into the wild to build up the population again. They looked smaller than the Masai giraffe but just as elegant with perfect facial features and huge glassy eyes. It was a lovely feeling getting so close to them and to be able to examine their buttery coloured fur with milk chocolate coloured blotches. Their wide inquisitive eyes lined with eyelashes as long as your little finger. We were able to feed them which was a treat. Big slimy pointed tongue coming out for you to drop food into and get a handful of saliva at the same time. Apparently giraffe siliva is a very potent anticeptic which heals any cuts and grazes the giraffes get in 24 mins! They were gorgeous and I wanted to take one home...

Today we said goodbye to Bernie! :-(He only signed up for half the trip and we saw him off in the morning before he embarked on the long journey back to Oz....farewell to Bernie and his many, many funny sayings!

15th - 16th March - Kenya/Uganda
Long drive towards Uganda. A great bush camp in a pine forest one night and then onwards to the Uganda border. The border was heaving but they had a very orderly queue system going so it only took a couple of hours or so. Late afternoon on 16th we arrived in Jinja.

We stayed at Nile Explorers which is set high up and has a great view of the rushing Nile and the surrounding mountains. Uganda is very beautiful with some of the most amazing scenery I have seen so far. Many hills overflowing with deep green grasses or patchwork farmland. Half a dozen variations of the colour green scattered over the hills separated by thick thicket bushes. Many houses are sunk into the sides of the hills and the roads are a deep rusty red. The mist from the mountains would sometimes swamp the scenery in the valley below creating a white whole as you looked down from the high windy road.

17th March - Jinja
This afternoon a couple of us went quadbiking through villages and over dirt tracks. It was fun to let rip on the long straights but taking a few sharp corners was abit hairy...along with watching out for stray goats and children!...it was a great way to see some of the villages along deep red roads lined with tall plaintain trees and small crumbly looking mud huts.

18th March - Jinja - white water rafting at the source of the Nile (grade 5)OOOOOOOHHHH MMMMMMYYYYY GGGGGOOOOOOOODDDDD!!
We jumped in the open back converted cattle truck to their Jinja base where we were treated with a light brekkie and some coffee. By 10am we were kitted out with life jacket, helmet and paddle. After a few safety points we were allocated our guide, Jane. With 17 years experience and a pretty tough look on her face we quickly listened to what she had to say.

We were straight on the water to practise paddling in time, falling out and flipping and then came the first rapid!....and we flipped! The anticipation was worse than the actual flip but you just have to bring your legs up and go with the rest of the rapid. The advice is to take short breaths as you are up and under a few times before you stay up, but to be honest short breaths are all you can take....inbetween gulps of water! I was crap at getting back in the boat but luckily there were some stong guys to haul me in by my life jacket. All very elegant as you can imagine!

We had some flat half way through the day so we had a chance to snack on some fruit and biscuits and have a swim. Although at this point the thunder roared, the lightening cracked and the heavens opened with what felt like shingle being hurled from the sky. The dark, dark clouds blended into the mountains and there was a ghostly mist rising up from the water as it was being stippled with the shingle rain. There was so much electricity in the air that everyones fine hairs on the top of their head were standing up on end. The wind picked up and we had to nestle for abit but very soon we just ended up going for it and went straight down the middle of the next rapid.

The water was warmer than outside so any chance we had we jumped in to warm up. We paddled hard and finally reached some blue sky but still we were shivering. Luckily we still had a couple of rapids to go and that kept us on our toes!

The whole day was one long adrenaline rush through rapids with names such as 'The dead dutchman' and 'The bad place'!! I got picked up by the safety kayaks many times and think our boat had the record number of flips that day! The day ended with a beer and a delicious BBQ before heading back to camp with some new bruises and muscle aches. I loved every minute!

19th - 20th March - drive/Kisoro
Another long drive and bush camp. This time we got free milk off the farmer whose land we were camping on. Very nice man! We arrived in Kisoro in the pm of 20th and just took a stroll round town. It was a very small town with more people than space. It was market day and the crowds bustling around, all shouting to be heard. We then headed back to camp to prepare for gorilla trek the next day.

21st March - Democratic Republic of Congo - gorilla trek
A very early start to the border of the DRC from Kisoro. We met up with a guy called Thomas who saw us through all the border formalities. The gate between Uganda and DRC was a rickety old fence and a tyre for a gate. Although the guy next to it did have a big gun...We jumped into a landrover and drove for an hour or so out through villages and into the countryside. The villages along the road were all mud and wood shacks hidden amongst the trees. The roads were rocky and muddy with children and animals running back and forth.

We reached the office of the national park and met our guide who quickly got us together and started the walk to the gorillas. We walked for an hour or so through cultivated farmlands towards the forest. All around us were mountains with hats of mist perched on top.When we got to the forest we had to leave our bags and get our cameras at the ready.

As we entered the long grass had to be macheted down so we could squeeze through. It was very dense but very quickly we were able to see the gorillas. We were told they are called the big nose family due to their rather large nostrils! We were fantastically close to the silverback and 5-6 others in his family including some young playful ones. The silverback and adults were resting and grooming while the younger ones were rolling about and playfighting. Their thick black fur had a silver shimmer to it under the sunshine. They also had much bigger bellies than I imagined. Their hands and feet were chunky grey and very rough looking. They were very uninteretsed in us as the guides made gorilla noises to put them at ease. It was a joy watching the smaller ones with their big wide hazel eyes throwing themselves around with the same lack of fear as human babies.

To watch how gentle the huge 200kg silverback was while grooming one of his ladies felt like we were disturbing some quality time between them. Towards the end of our time the group prepared to move off as it was feeding time. Very suddenly the silverback got up and starting heading for us. He came past about 18 inches away and stood on a mound to watch over his family as they slowly made their way deeper into the forest again......a wonderful memory.

22nd - 23rd March - Lake Bunyonyi
After a bumpy but very scenic drive to the lake we arrived to a sight of tens of UN trucks. We had hit the campsite in the middle of a UN Food Program convention. Lake Bunyonyi is apparently the 2nd deepest lake in Africa at over 2000 metres down. It is huge and surrounded again by lush green grasses and trees with hillsides all around. It is very still with the odd canoe creeping across leaving a snail trail of ripples behind it. We went into the nearest town, Kabale, for a while too. A quaint friendly little town with a big indian culture and influence.24th - 25th March - KampalaAnd here we are in Kampala. Extremely westernised, big, bustly and with mall and supermarkets so not really much more to say. It has a nice feel to it and is very spread out. Off to do some shopping and then back to red chilli campsite.... Thats it for now we will be going on to Sipi falls tomorrow and then back into Kenya for Lake Naivasha....then Tanzania, Zanzibar, Malawi.....on and on.....Lots of LoveXXXJen

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Hi there from Flatdogs Camp in South Luangwa, Zambia.....last few weeks....

24th - 26th March - Kampala
Just milling around another city. Shopping for cook duty, catching up on internet and checking out the markets. We checked out the Kampala night life and ended up in a bar above the local chicken joint. The mzungu stood out like a sore thumb but the people and the music were fantastic and a few beers later I thought I was one of the Fame kids! 26th March - Kampala to Sipi Falls Abit of a damp and miserable day but that still didnt detract from the magnificent scenery as we climbed the narrow road to Sipi Falls.

We arrived in the late afternoon and sheltered from the rain in the camps quaint little bar restaurant, rain beating down on the corrugated roof. Sipi is very pretty, even in cloudy sunshine. The camp is opposite the falls about a mile away as the crow flies. Set in the side of a craggy hill it looked down into the valley below which could easily have been a setting for dungeons and dragons. The slow rising mist from the waterfall hanging in the air with lush green grasses leading the eye to edge of the waterfall where the rock face was jagged and had many secret crevices indeal for spitting dragons.

27th March - Sipi Falls / bush camp
A strong sun came up this morning burning off the rain and fending off the looming grey clouds. Some people went for a walk to the falls while others stayed near camp soaking up the sunshine and admiring the falls from a distance.In the afternoon we started our journey back to Kenya. It didnt take long to cross the border and that night we camped back in our favourite pine forest bush camp from before. The dense forest swooshed in the evening breeze as we set up camp and a fire in a clearing.

28th March - Lake Baringo
We arrived at Lake Baringo around 11ish in the searing dry heat. The camp we stayed at was right on the lake. We booked up for an afternoon boat trip, grabbed some lunch, had a wonder around and just generally pottered for abit. It was very dry and sandy with a few scattered trees for some relief from the sun.The boat was in a large wooden canoe which took us out to a couple of the islands on the lake.

I am not normally a fan of bird watching but found myself very snap happy at all the shapes, sizes and colours of birds I had never seen before. It was a clear blue afternoon with just a few fluffy white clouds hanging over the distant mountains.

As we came back in we passed a family of hippos wallowing. Most of the time it was just a few sets of eyes and ears popping up and down in the water. At one point one of them got abit camera shy and came straight for us so the guide whipped the engine to full and got out of the way. Undeterred he turned around and went back for more. I was slightly perterbed about but luckily said hippo had gone back to just wallowing and took no more notice of us.

The hippos would come through camp at night making their noise that sounds like they are having a hearty laugh. It made going to the toilet abit hazardous and I couldnt have picked a better time to have a dodgy stomach! Its hard to be stelth like when you are running to the loo at 3am!

29th March - Lake Nakuru / Lake Naivasha
Nothing like overdosing on lakes!We left Baringo and headed for Nakuru town to stock up on food. A couple of us organised an afternoon game drive in Nakura Park and would meet the others at Naivasha later on. Lake Nakuru is famous for its flamingos and it didnt disappoint. It was an awesome sight (and smell!) to see hundreds of flamingos in one small area.

Some were a vivid pink and others a much paler subdued pink but none the less they are beautiful birds and lovely to watch. The whole scene of the flamingos and their perfect reflections in the water against a backdrop of a hill covered in thick deep green shrubbery kept me there for a long time. So elegant and and careful footed as they pottered about their daily business. During the rest of the drive we saw white rhino, elephant and buffalo and also went up the a place called the baboon look out point where we could see all of the park below....as well as some cheeky little baboons eyeing up the landrover for food!

Nakuru was a real mixture of rocky areas, flats, the lake and also some areas were heaving with the beautiful yellow fever acacia trees. They look like they have been plastered in gold leaf when the sun shines onto them. We have seen these trees in most of the game parks but they always amaze me how unreal the golden effect looks.

Late in the pm we made our way to Lake Naivasha where there were preparations for Simons birthday. I helped ice the cake with the sickliest chocolate icing ever and we had BBQ'ed burgers and salad. Bren got his guitar out and we all sat around the camp fire listening to him and the hippos as they made their way out of the lake to graze.

30th March - Lake Naivasha / Elsamere
Unfortunately my dodgy belly started to play up again so I pulled out of a planned boat trip on the lake and just pottered around camp always witin sight of the toilet!In the afternoon we all went to Elsamere, Joy and George Adamson's old house (Born Free). We watched a video about their history and the foundation and then we were treated to a traditional English afternoon tea of cakes and tea. They were both murdered at different times but the house has been virtually left as it was and made into a museum/cultural centre.

In the living room hung many of Joy's beautiful paintings of animals and the tribal people of Africa. She has captured the life in their eyes so amazingly it was sometimes like looking at a photo. Not only was she a determined conservationist but a hugely talented painter aswel. Their garden looked out onto Lake Naivasha and was filled with old tall twisted trees and many different brightly coloured plants. The garden had a very peaceful, tranquil air to it. With storm clouds brewing in the distance it was very atmospheric.

31st March - 1st April - Kenya / Tanzania
The night of 31st we spent back at NPS before heading to Tanzania on 1st April. Most of the 1st was spent driving with a very easy crossing into our next country. We stopped in Arusha town for supplies and very quickly the truck was surrounded by local salesmen. One guy tried his hardest to sell me a giraffe tail bracelet. I said I'd think about it if he could get me one in pink! :-)

We arrived at the Snake Park campsite around 3ish.. the snake park campsite did infact contain a snake park ( these things should not be taken foregranted in Africa). We jumped off the truck, stretched our legs and went straight in to check out the poisonous snakes! They were all very securely enclosed in their glass cages with descriptions of how venomous they are at the side. Now I know what to look out for when looking for a good bush to use as a toilet! Although many had no antidote which didnt really put my mind at rest!

The snakes werent really doing very much so it didnt take long to get abit bored so we headed next door to the Masai museum that the owner of the snake park put together.Our masai guide took us around this very simple museum which illustrated masai life and their traditions through big replica structures of their living areas and bush camp areas. Also there were different dress according to the stage of life you were at and also other tools and body adornments. After that it was time to pack a bag and get ready for the Serengeti trip.

This evening Matt, Brens brother, arrived and he will be staying with us until Cape Town. Very cool guy its great to have another new personality on board!

2nd - 4th April - Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater
The Serengeti National Park is awesomely huge. As we drove the long road into the the park we were heading straight into a pile of thick black clouds. It felt like we were heading straight into the centre of the storm. The animals were hunkering down and the atmosphere felt electric. The grass was very low and there were beautiful flat top acacias scattered all across the plain. They look like oversized bonsai trees.

Very soon after entering the park we came across a bunch of hyena finishing off a zebra. Not much left of the zebra but there were vulchers and storks waiting in the wings for their turn of a snack. One or two would try their luck but very quickly would be chased away by a hyena. We saw the usual giraffe, elephant and imapala, all of which never fail to amaze me, but on the second day we were lucky enough to catch a leopard. He had just killed a baby wilderbeast. The poor thing was still wining abit. The leopard left it for a while and just went and lazed in the tree. We had to get back to camp to get organised for the crater but we went back later and the leopard was still in the tree. This time full from its feast. It was amazing to see the leopard so close. Its beautiful sleek fur, big claws. Just lazing in its own environment.

During our time in the Serengeti we were threatened by bloated dark clouds that spread far across the sky. It affects you deeply to be in an area where wildlife are living their natural way in such a huge vast area. The light from the sun on the land, on the trees and the animals is always so beautiful. You are surrounded by nature and all things natural. All the elements just as they are. You are just a spec.

The Ngorongoro crater is a remarkable place. We started to drive down into the crater before the sun was up. There was a thick mist and the sky was heaving with rain again. As we got lower we left the ring of fog behind and started to see the full view of the crater below. The thick clouds above us were like a lid over the crater. Shafts of sunshine would beam down through the cracks in the clouds looking like a bible sky.

It felt like I was in Jurassic park as the crater acts like an enclosure and you could see lots of animals in the far off. In the shadowy distance you could make out elephant, rhino and giraffe walking....just walking. We found a family of young lions and lionesses and pulled up to take photos and watch what they were up to. Slowly they all got up from the grass and one by one positioned themselves by the truck in the shade. They were so close you could have reached out and touched them....not that you would! It was stunning to watch. How they interacted with each other. The females would gently nudge each other as they came over. You could also see the scars on the lions faces from battles in the past.

The crater has an amazing feel about it and just feels like you have stepped back into prehistoric times . You seriously could expect a dinosaur to appear from the small forest at one side of the crater, it is so out of this world. The stormy skies and pale rainbows, the mist and the thick cloud just letting through small shafts of light, the deep colours, all created a magical atmosphere.

5th - 12th April - Zanzibar Island
It was abit of a last minute decision but on the 5th I ended up flying to Zanzibar with Ian and Paul. We wanted to go early to check out the exotic spice island so missed out Lushoto and would meet everyone else there on 8th. My stomach lurched when we got to the airport and I realised how small our plane was! A 12 seater Cesna together with Vincent our French pilot. It was strange to be able to see the pilot and his controls and as we took off I was full of nervous excitment about my first flight on a small plane.

The 1 1/2 hour flight flew by and I loved it. At only 13000 ft you could see much more landscape and we could also make out the peak of Kilimanjaro through the clouds at one point. As we reached the coast the Indian ocean was luring me in and then we had landed and were out of the airport and into the hot afternoon sunshine of Stone Town, Zanzibar. In the pm we wondered the street markets looking for nothing in particular and that evening went for a curry for Ians Birthday.

Stone Town has a great vibe about it and the small streets and arcitecture remind me alot of Morocco. It also had abit of a Caribbean feel about it and there was a real mix of old buildings and new modern bars and restaurants.

From 6th - 8th we hired a jeep to check out some of the Island. We ended up on some dodgy roads once we came off the main road that goes through the middle of the island. One road was long and very bumpy and as the rain pounded the puddles got bigger and deeper and the fun in the jeep just got better and better! We stopped for directions a few times and just got blank looks. We picked up one guy who said he needed a lift and would show us the way but he turned out to be abit loopy and kept repeating himself as his goggle eyes rolled around. His cheeky laugh also slowly made us loose confidence in him so we dropped him off again pretty sharpish. We ended up at Chwaka Bay and negotiated a room down to half the price (a perk of the low season). As the only people at the huge thatched roofed resort we made the most of being the only customers and getting one to one service!

The next day we ended up carrying on South stopping at a few resorts and Joyani forest on the way. I was driving as the boys were alittle hung over from the night before. We ended up watching the sun go down at Dolphin village in Thousand Dolphin Bay. I tried the local gin, Konyagi and we again were able to bargain for a cheap, cheap room. The south of the island seems very untouched and still has a local village feel unlike Stone Town. It was very quiet and the roads were empty due to low season. It was very green and lush and even though most people had not seen a map of their island before they were very friendly and always tried to help.

On the 8th we headed back to Stone Town to meet the others. Trying to avoid random locals walking all over the shop in the road and also some crazy drivers we made it back in one piece. I reluctantly handed back the jeep. Its so nice to have your own car for a couple of days.

That afternoon a couple of us went out on a fishing boat to Prisoners Island and then onto the coral reefs for some snokelling. Prisoners Island is not far from Zanzibar and had a stunning white sand beach with clear water teaming with fish. There was a tortoise sanctuary on the island that we had a walk around. Some were ancient and as big a boulders (ish). You could get close enough to stroke them but some of the faces they pulled were quite menacing! They didnt look real as they were so big. Their shells were like stone and their skin was smooth but so dry and flaky.

The snokelling was fun. Swimming around the reef trying to join in with the hundreds of fish...so many colours and shapes and there were dozens of spiky sea urchins on the bottom. This evening we all had a great night at an oriental bar called Sweet Eazy where we got chatting to a few other overlanders.

On the 9th we had all booked to go on the Spice tour. After last night we all felt abit ropey but our guide Ali T (not to be mistaken for Ali G) and his cockney take off kept us interested and amused. We were driven around a few sights including an old Portuguese Fort, David Livingstons House and the ruins of a palace built for a once upon a time prince and his harem of slave women. The chamber used for 'comfortable times' was still intact for us to go in and look around. We were also taken to the farms where the spices and some fruits are grown. It was interesting to see how pepper and vanilla grow up trees and the different processes of growing and harvesting. We also got to taste the fruit that contains the cocoa bean. How someone realised that that tasteless bean could make chocolate I still don't know!

After a lunch of rice and meat and a henna tatoo in the lounge of the chef we headed back to Stone Town for a nana nap and then dinner at Mercurys along the shore.

On the 10th we headed up north to Nungwe, a very small village on the coast. The sun was out and as soon as we arrived we headed straight for the beach and spent the afternoon drinking coconut based drinks and snokelling. I had my hair plaited by some ladies on the beach while a couple of the guys got themselves a massage. We watched the sun go down from a balcony of the restaurant and it felt very close to paradise....

The next day we all headed out on a boat. Some to dive and others to snokel. Unfortunately the alluring blue ocean was teeming with jellyfish. The sizes varied from a cm to a couple of inches. It wasnt long before I was stung...on the face. Trying to ignore it and not wanting to give in to them I just carried on for abit but slowly my face started swelling up and the burning feeling was very intense. I climbed out and as you'd expect I had plenty of people willing to wee on my face! I declined and went with the suggestion of rolling tobacco on it. It was surprisingly effective and later in the day I was back in the water.

We had changed areas and there was less jellyfish but still you had to keep swerving out the way so not really a particularly enjoyable days snokelling. Its a shame as the times I could concentrate on the sealife it was wonderful. The coral was teeming with fish and starfish. Many different sizes and shaped coral including the brain coral which did look like a human brain but just 10 times bigger!

On the 12th we headed back to the mainland, getting the afternoon ferry back to Dar. The water was so still you didnt even realise you were on a boat. As we drove through Dar to get out the otherside it was hot and hectic and way too much to cope with after a week of chilling. Luckily our campsite was about 20km away by the sea again. We spent the evening on the beach watching the stars and eating our delicious seafood BBQ.

13th - 14th April - Tanzania to Malawi
This morning before leaving Dar we said goodbye to The Brothers as they had stopped enjoying the trip and decided to go and do some independant travel. Sad to see them go but I hope they end up doing what they want to do now!.....We left Dar with Malawi in our sights. It was a long days driving with some crazy changes in weather. The whole day had been a mixture of blazing sunshine and pouring rain with us finding a wet and muddy bushcamp just before the Malawi border.

We crossed the border on 14th and reached Chitimbe on Lake Malawi at around 4ish. We only spent a night here on our way to Kande so we chilled out for abit and then had a early night.

15th - 19th April - Kande Beach
A morning of driving and then we reached Mzuzu for lunch and supply stock. Onwards to Ncarter junction for the craft markets where I bargained with some clothes for a Malawi chair, some statues and earrings. We got to Kande about 2ish and got straight into the lake for a game with the foot ball and a refreshing swim. A cold shower and a touch of mascara and that evening we joined the Kande Easter party.

Kande is another peaceful resort on Lake Malawi. The lake is so huge it feels like the sea with just the mountains in the distance reminding you it isnt. The sunsets on the lake are gorgeous and a must to watch in the evenings. The distant mountains take on a purple bluey colour as the suns orange dips down behind them leaving pink sky behind slowly turning dark. While we were at Kande the moon was low and full which created a white shimmering path into the distant blackness of the water. A couple of nights I would just sit and watch the starry sky as the night moon rose up from the water.

Our second day at Kande was a complete washout. The rain had started about 1am the night before and didnt really stop until the evening of the second day. We all just loafed around in our dank clothes praying for the rain to stop. At one point we went in the lake but it was too rough so I soon scapped that idea and went back to the restaurant for chocolate cake and coffee. The winds were strong and the lake changed into a rough loud mass of water. It was really sad that we found out some locals had been washed away and also a whole kasava plantation had been washed into the lake.

On the 17th the sun came out and we could all dry out and get on with having some beach fun!

The 18th was again a glorious day and in the afternoon I went horse riding with a couple of the others. I wanted to try and get over my worry about horses and how strong they are. I loved it. My horse,Annie, was a very placid character and we even managed a short canter which I have never done before. The ride ended with a walk along the beach before actually getting the horses into the water and then swimming with us on. It was a great feeling riding bareback on a horse in the water and I really want to ride again....

A chilled out evening under the stars as we got ready to move onto Zambia.

19th - 20th April - Zambia: Lilongwe / bushcamp / South Luangwa
We left Kande quite leisurely at around 9:30ish and thankfully only got stuck once on the road out of there. The past couple of sunny days had dried up alot of the rain damage so the ride to Zambia was pretty uneventful. We crossed the border in no time and made our way to Lilongwe for a late lunch. That night we bushed camped on what seemed like a remote corner of a corn field..........only to wake to find dozens of locals chattering about us when we woke up. The corner we had camped on was the corner of a major junction it seemed! :-) It was funny and they watched us cook brekkie and then waved us off.

We started on the road to South Luangwa for more animals and lake action. The crazy unsurfaced road nearly drove us mad with everything in the back of the truck ending up in the middle of the floor but once we arrived at Flatdogs it was worth it. The camp is on the edge of the game park and has wonderful hot showers (not felt since Kampala).

The same bush camp involved some toe surgery. Myself the patient and Nat the nurse. Someone pointed out to me that I had a jigger (or maybe its chigger) in my toe. I hadnt really noticed it but it is a little wormy type animal that had laid some eggs on the end of my toe. Surgery was piercing the skin and squeezing out the egg sack. I couldnt look but everyone gathered around to tell me how gross it was. It didnt really hurt but it felt nasty to think I had things growing in me...yuck! They are all out now and I have a nice big scab on the end of my toe. Just as the infected bite scar is fading it is now replaced with the hole left by the sack of jigger eggs!...

21st - 22nd April - Flatdogs, South Luangwa
Two whole days here meant a day of game driving and a day of loafing. On 21st we set off at 6am for our first game drive and saw some elephants and the usual impala, waterbuck and baboons. It was a very slow day for game which made me realise how lucky I have been seeing so much at the Masai, Serengeti and Nakuru. South Luangwa park is much more rugged and overgrown than the other parks. It has long grasses and many areas of dense trees. There are huge areas of the lake covered in a carpet of bright green lily pads where the hippos pop up their heads every now and again.

The evening one went from 4-8pm so once the sun went down the big torch came out and we were looking for glowing eyes in the dark bushes. We came across lion stalking a herd of impala and think our torch may have ruined his chances. I hope he got fed in the end!...

At Flatdogs, myself and a couple of others are sleeping on one of their tree platforms rather than our tents. I am so happy I am as last night the hippos and the elephants came through camp to graze and it was amazing to watch. Also sleeping in the tree house feels like being a kid and has fulfilled a childhood fantasy of mine... :-) This morning I laid there listening to elephant and hippo in the distance and also the birds, insects and frogs all making their sounds in unison echoing around the lake and into camp. I am trying to commit moments like that to memory as the trip end date closes in and reality rears its head... :-)

Today I have just been writing, chilling, played abit of a pool tornament and went down to the lake to listen to more of the laughing hippos. I am going to have to record that sound to take home, it makes me smile everytime... Well tomorrow we head to Lusaka and then onto Zimbabwe for a week or so before Botswana, Namibia and then finshing in SA in approx 4 weeks time!....Take care allLots of loveJenXXX
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