Kenya to Cape Town, Overlanding Africa

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DAY 1:



I left Jersey today at 7:30pm after saying goodbye to my girlfriends and my parents at the airport. I was so nervous, but so excited about starting my journey to Africa. (Picture 1) I flew British Airways to Gatwick and had an over night stay in a nearby guest house. I could not sleep a wink as I was so excited and buzzing about stepping foot in Africa! I repacked and unpacked and replaced my case, shifting things around and putting things in new pockets and when I was finally happy, I eventually nodded off to sleep.



DAY 2:



I set an alarm for 7am, and jumped straight out of bed. Finally I was going to Africa! I packed up my stuff again and loaded up my rucksacks and went downstairs for breakfast. I had ordered a vegetarian breakfast as it only cost £3 and I was feeling a bit fussy about the meat. There were cereals and toast and fruit to help yourself too, but also to my great surprise, when my breakfast arrived it had tomatoes, mushrooms, sautéed potatoes, vegetarian sausages and FISH FINGERS! Needless to say, I scoffed the vegetables but left the fingers. Gross! I got on a bus to Gatwick at 9am and then on top Heathrow at 10:30 and arrived in Terminal 3 all checked in at around 12:30. I had three hours to kill so I just sat in the airport playing on my iPad and reading. It wasn't long until my flight was called for boarding at 3:30 and we took off an hour later. I had a whole row to myself, so I ate my plane food, salmon and tomato risotto and went straight to sleep. I woke up with four out of the six hour journey complete and watched two Taylor Swift documentaries until we were ready to land. I had never flown with Emirates before and found the planes one of the nicest I have ever flown on, really nice and comfortable seats, lots of leg rooms and very clean. We soon arrived in Dubai, where it was 3am, around midnight in the uk, and I still had seven hours till my next flight to Kenya. Most people on the flight it seemed were connecting and going elsewhere so we were all rushed back through security and into departures. It felt like Epcot, there were lots of small camels and gold pots for sale and people dressed in native dress. I had five hours to kill now before my flight and no Dubai coins! No pictures today, as I am still getting used to not wearing makeup and there is nothing very exciting to report except the inside of airports. So looking forward to getting started in tour now!!



DAY 3:



When my flight was finally called for Nairobi, I was absolutely shattered, I had no Arabic money so I couldn't buy any food and there was nowhere to sleep as it was so busy. So the minute I sat down in my chair on board the plane I was fast asleep! I was woken up about an hour in as there was very bad turbulence and an announcement that dinner would be delayed. But I just carried on sleeping. When dinner finally arrived I had a lamb curry with rice and a nice coffee pudding and then when back to sleep. This time however, I fell asleep holding a glass of water and when I woke up, I spilt all my water down the seat and into the man next to mes shoes. Whoops! He was not happy and the next half an hour was quite awkward! We were finally allowed to get off the plane and when we did I was just so so happy to feel the heat! We were escorted on to buses to pick up our luggage and go through immigration, and the airport was very different to home, there were men driving tractors all over the place. And no buildings above two storeys high. The airport arrivals building was just a concrete building with bright African colours all over it, pictures and images of different things. We got to immigration and there were huge quees for visa issue. I queed for around 30 mins, not too bad, and got a one page sticker in my passport, (Picture 2) and then grabbed my rucksack and made my way towards the exit. To my great relief, there was someone waiting for me when I arrived, with a sign saying my name and I met one other guy called Rob who was doing my tour and we drove to the pre departure hotel together. Nairobi is pretty crazy, with cars jam pack full of people, and they just jump off onto the roads when ever they feel like it. There was hectic traffic everywhere and they just jump out of cars or buses! We also saw a lot of people walking along the sides of the roads, it is very muddy, no footpaths and sometimes people walk with bare feet.



We arrived and the hotel and I was so happy to dump my stuff, have a shower and get fresh after a really long journey. I arrived there at around 5pm and had one hour before the pre departure meeting and before meeting the group and I was so happy to have a bit of my own space. When I eventually met our group, we discovered there were 9 people going to come on tour starting in Kenya, and leaving in different destinations. There were two other English girls, Charlotte and Emma, a Canadian guy, Mike, Rob, the South African I had met at the airport who was the only one coming down to Cape Town with me, Simone and Yannick, two Germans, Inge, a Dutch girl and Joanne, a Polish lady. Everyone seemed really friendly and we were introduced to our guide Bevan who spoke so enthusiastically about the tour itinerary and Dos and Don't of Africa.



Simonea, Mike, Rob and I went for dinner in the hotel after the pre tour meeting and got to know each other better. However, we were all really tired and had an early start the next day so went to bed around 10pm (our last night in luxury before two months of camping!)



DAY 4:



Finally we were ready to start the tour and get out and see Africa! We were heading to the Masai Mara National Park today, about a five hour drive from Nairobi, but we weren't taking our big truck, so we all packed smaller rucksacks with our toiletries, precious insect repellent and three days worth of clothes, left our big bags in the truck and jumped into mini buses for the ride. These would later become our game drive vehicles for the national park. I was in a truck with Charlotte, Emma, Mike and Rob and the other were in one that followed closely behind. We drove for about an hour out of Nairobi, and stopped off at a petrol station for supplies and snacks for the road. The scenery was quite different to a city at home, and we saw even more people walking along the muddy side road and the shopping mall where there were terror attacks in 2013. As we turned off from the city we drove along a road built by Italian prisoner of war in the Second World War along to the Great Rift Valley. It was quite hazy and misty, being so early in the morning, (Picture 3-4) but it was quite an incredible thing to see, with lots of old stalls selling African stuff. (Picture 5) We would soon learn that the Africans are extremely pushy and won't let you get away with out spending any money. After that we had a four hour drive, with two toilet stops, we went through lots of crazy African towns, pretty much the stereotypical slums you see everywhere, (Picture 6) however whenever you see the slums, you always see these amazing brightly coloured shops with funny names like, Hukana Matata house. It was quite a sight. Most of us slept on the journey there and the first four hours flew by. Then the driver woke us up and we were about to hit some bumpy roads and he really meant bumpy roads! It was mad, the car was flying up and down and along the roads, we were bumping up and down, there was no way you could sleep anymore. At some points the car had two wheels in a ditch and two wheels on the road at 45 degrees. We were driving along this road for around an hour and we saw some Thompson Gazellea and Zebra along the way, we also saw Masai people, in their famous red robes. We eventually arrived at our campsite and I am glad to say it was almost like glamping. I shared a tent with Simone and we had two wooden beds with mattresses and mosquito nets and a toilet and a shower in the back! That was not what I was expecting, but a great surprise. (Picture 7)



At 4pm, we went on our first game drive around the Masai Mara and I was extremely dubious, I didn't think we would see a thing. We got back in the trucks we had ridden from Nairobi, and they now had the tops up for us to pop our heads up and see the wildlife. (Picture 8) Our camp was about 15 mins drive down the hillside to the national park entrance and unfortunately we made the mistake of leaving the windows of the truck open and the Masai women tried to sell there beads and wooden statues through the window and they did not take NO for an answer. We entered the park and within a few minutes we saw wildlife including zebra, guinea fowl, wart hogs, thompsons gazelle and antelope. I absolutely love my truck, Emma and Charlotte are a little bit older than me and both vets, working with exotic animals so knew exactly what kinds of animals and species and breed of animals we are looking at, so I am learning so much. Emma even has a camera with a lens that is about a foot long so takes so absolutely fantastic pictures and would you believe I am even enjoying spotting birds! We drove on for another five minutes and saw four elephants, there were all so beautiful, but even better than than, our guide went off the path and we were meters away from them, there were so beautiful and you could hear them ripping up the grass and eating it. It was amazing! (Picture 9-11) We then caught up with the other truck slightly in front and they had found another heard of elephants on the left, (Picture 12) and these got even closer, crossing in front of the truck. All these pics are taken on my iPhone so you can only imagine how good they turned out on Emma's camera, I will try upload some soon! (Picture 13) We even saw a very young pair of elephants mating! (Picture 14) On the way home, the landscape was beautiful (Picture 15) and we saw a female lion prowling but at quite a distance. We arrived at home and had dinner prepared for us, it was lovely food again, chicken and lots of vegetables and fresh fruit for pudding. Everyone stayed and chatted and charged there phones and cameras as we only have electricity from 6-10 every evening. We stayed at chatted and everyone in the group gets on really well - it's great! Everyone retired to bed at around 9:30, and you need to cover your whole body with insect repellent before bed and you need the light to make sure you don't miss a thing! This is my first night in a mosquito net, and a had nearly a can of deet on and a hoodie and leggings on, two blankets and socks on and I still got bitten twice! (Picture 16)



DAY 5:



Today we had a 7:30 wake up call and we were doing a 9-5 game drive ahead and everyone was so keen! I left the tent for a shower which was an open air shower and some wood around the edges to cover your body. It was actually very good and nice and warm, we had brekkie, some lovely fruit and straight back to the Masai Mara. YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE HOW LUCKY WE WERE - there are not enough superlatives to describe! We saw four of the big five, buffalo, elephant, rhino and lion, cheetah, giraffe, crocodile, wildebeest, hippos, jackals and numerous deer and antelope. Charlotte made an exhaustive list of everything we saw, including the birds. (Picture 17) We saw a cheetah and it crossed in front of our truck, it looked quite fat so the girls thought it was pregnant, we even saw her crouch down in preparation to hunt some thompsons gazelle. (Picture 18-19) We saw elephants but not as close as on Day 4. We saw numerous huge herds of buffalo and some herds have hundreds and hundreds of buffalo in. (Picture 20) We also saw the Oxpeck bird that sits on the big animals and eats there tics and fleas and dead skin, it was quite cool.



Next, we saw an area of lots of trees and shrubs, where there were lots of safari trucks around, there was definitely some animal movement over there so our driver sped over. The driver radioed through and a black rhino had been spotted, we all felt it was quite sad as some very unprofessional drivers were getting up very very close to the shrubs and revving their engines and beeping their horns to get a reaction from the animal, which is just mad considering the size and strength of a rhino! (Picture 21) We managed to keep our distance and spotted a very stressed rhino hiding in the bushes, unfortunately it was quite a way away, but it was a beautiful animal and it's horn was around 70cm long! Just incredible.



Then, we were just about to stop for some lunch and then we spotted a female lion under a bush with three baby cubs! (Picture 23) They were so close, about a meter away from the truck. However as you can see from the picture, the mother looked quite distressed and from a closer look you could see that one of her babies had died and the other cubs were eating the meat. It was quite a sight, it is sad this circle of life business. (Picture 24-25) Our guide presumed she would die soon as she looked unwell and weak. We sat down a few km onwards to eat some lunch and we all took a toilet break behind the truck, so my Shewee came in handy! We had packed lunches from camp and it was the most beautiful scenery. We could see some Jackal hiding in the grass nearby waiting patiently for our crumbs!



We got back in the trucks and after about two minutes of driving we saw one male lion and one female asleep on the ground. We an incredible sight. (Picture 26) The male lion had a huge gash on his face from fighting over territory. And interestingly enough a few minutes drive away a male lion was lying on his back enjoying the weather, with a recently killed half eaten buffalo nearby. This was quite far in a ditch so getting a pic was hard. We drove a lot further on and arrived at the Masai river and to our great luck we found a huge heard of giraffe! There was around 16 of them. (Picture 27) They are such beautiful animals. We then drove down to the river, and saw a baby crocodile and a huge fat adult croc with part of its tail missing from a fight (Picture 28) and a whole heard of hippos. (Picture 29) Can you believe it's gets any better than this in just one day in the safari park!



We next saw a tiny tiny baby elephant, the girls estimated it was about 1-2 months old, with two siblings and two mothers. They were beautiful. (Picture 30-31) And they crossed over the road in front of our truck, it was quite amazing and the adolescent looking elephant crossed over the road and looked back and trumpeted at us! It was incredible and Rob caught it on video, (Video 1). The last and most rare sighting was our last one as we saw a black rhino, the worlds most rare and dangerous rhino, out of the bushes, cross in front of us and waddle off into the savannah! One of the most amazing things I have ever seen. It is crazy to think that people hunt these animals because despite being quite shy, they are extremely aggressive and just enormous. (Picture 32-33) We went back to the entrance of the park, which took us around 2 hours as we had covered such a vast area!



We were then going to go on a tour and walk around a genuine Masai tribe village. This was quite an overwhelming experience. We were greeted by the men of the tribe who did the native dance and song of the tribe and they had little had little respect of personal space, singing and jumping right in your face! Emma, Charlotte and I did not like it. (Video 2)(Picture 34) They then did the Masai jumping tradition where they took it in turns to jump in the circle and made weird chants it was quite intimidating. (Picture 35) We were led into the camp and it was just a circle of small ugly huts made from cow dung, and there was cow poo all over the place, thank god I was wearing my trainers, the girls wearing sandals were in all kinds of trouble. Similarly, there were flies everywhere, I was constantly moving my legs trying to keep them away! We were told about the local traditions and cultures of the tribe and the jobs of the men and women in the tribe. The leader was 98 years old and has 11 wives, all the people are immune to many tropical diseases and there diet consists of only cows blood, milk and meat. They are extremely self sufficient people and only get their wives from other tribes, which cost between 10-15 cows. Women become eligible for marriage as soon as they get breasts and men when they have killed a big predator like a lion. We then moved into the little cow dung huts to show where the Masai people lived. (Picture 36) They were absolutely tiny and pretty much pitch black you had to adjust your eyes. There was one large bed for the mother and father, which took up the majority of the room and a space on the floor lined with cardboard for 3-4 children, both bed spaces were about the size of a single bed at home. In the middle was a fire where they cook and prepare their meat. There were no windows and only two tiny holes about two inches by two inches, for the smoke to leave the house. It was quite a sight, I couldn't stay in there for long. We really struggled in there! We were then led to a display of two men making fire, and the literally made smoke and fire from rubbing two twigs together and had they flames within 30 seconds which takes quite some skill. (Picture 37) Finally we were taken around a Masai Market and the people were extremely pushy again! It was almost a bit intimidating, if you took any slight interest in anything they were all over you, pushing items into your hands and faces. We walked all around and then spent some time with the children. They were so cute and giggly and smiley, but it was quite sad in there dirty and ripped clothes, with flies and snot and dirt all over them! But the boys got some fantastic shots with them. (Picture 38-39)



We then made our way back up to the camp for dinner and we were all very hungry and tired. After showering and washing all the cow dung off our feet and ankles we sat down for the last meal in the Masai Mara and we all compared notes on photos and sightings. (Picture 40) Again we were all in bed by 9:30am.



DAY 6:



This morning was an early one with a 5:15am wake up call as we were heading to the national park for a morning drive. We were all up, dressed, fuelled with a large cups of coffee and on the road by 6:10am. Unfortunately we didn't see a lot, only a few pretty birds and three hyenas who got quite close to the trucks. But it was still nice to get back to the national park one last time and watch the sun come up. (Picture 41) And we all enjoyed making the most of the morning. (Picture 42)



We went back to camp, cleared our tents and had brekkie, I had a plate of fruit, passion fruit, mango, watermelon and orange and then we boarded the truck ready to head back to Nairobi for the last day in Kenya. The journey was another five hours and the road was hideously bumpy again, but on this trip I got the back seat so I could put my legs up all the way which was very comfy! We spotted for lunch at a road side restaurant and had a toilet break. We set off at 9am and were expected back in Nairobi, however, Nairobi is famous for its hideous traffic jams and today was no exception. The traffic was awful! In standstill for so long and crawling for about an hour and the buses were so hot. We eventually arrived at our camp site, Inbada East Africa, and our tour guide Bevan showed us how to put our tents up. Simonea and I were sharing again and they were actually very easy to assemble, which I was happy about. (Picture 43) We then made our way to the shopping mall to get some snacks and bits we needed, I bought a memory pen so I could put other peoples pictures on it. (Picture 44) Everything was so so cheap when you converted in from Kenyan shilling to US dollars and then to pounds. A litre of vodka cost me £5, a bottle of Tusker beer cost me £1.40 and a two liter bottle of fanta cost 60p. We then went back to the camp site and had dinner cooked for us, beautiful pumpkin soup and then chicken and veg. (Picture 45) I went and had a shower and once again in luxury the showers were amazing and hot! Later we sat down in the communal area and played drinking games, trivial pursuits, 21 and Kings Cup. We went to bed at around 1am. (Picture 46-47)



DAY 7:



Today was a difficult start for everyone with a 5:30am start. We had to pack the tents down, get breakfast and make pack lunches and be on the road before 7am and we were all feeling a little groggy, but everyone is so helpful and will help you do your tents or help with washing up which is great. We boarded the trucks And hit the Nairobi traffic once more. It is mad! Just solid traffic quees for miles out of the city. We drove for around 4 hours to the border at of Kenya and Tanzania. Where we had to show our passports and collect our stamps. It was just so so hot when he got off the coach and queeing in a busy line with lots of pushing was not what anyone wanted to do. We all had to fill in an exit form for Kenya and get our visa stamped to say we were leaving and then after that we were directed to the Tanzanian side of the border to pay for the Tanzanian visa. There was quite literally just steel swinging gate that kept the border between the countries, with a man sat in a military uniform watching people walk after.



To welcome us, there was also a hand painted sign saying 'WELCOME TO TANZANIA', it was quite strange. We crossed over the border, paid $50 for a visa as all got our passports stamped and we got back on the coach to the next stop. It was strange because despite there to being much of a divide between the countries, the landscape and the feel of the country change a lot. First of all Tanzania is very mountainous and you saw these beautiful hills and mountains for miles around, which makes a great change to the flat plains of Kenya and Secondly Tanzania is a lot poorer than Kenya so the setting changed quickly with a lot more shanty towns and shacks and very little western development or any changed which were almost quite common in Kenya. (Picture 48) We arrived at our camp site at around 6pm and had to put our tents up straight away. We then visited the little snake park on the site, which held all the deadly snakes of Africa and a few other animals and Mike even heald a snake, (Picture 49), Inge and I were not impressed. That night we had Spaghetti Bolognese which Mike and Charlotte cooked! it was our first time cooking as a group and we were all very keen to get involved (Picture 50) and would you believe I turned out lovely! We all sat in a circle outside and ate our dinner and chatted, then went to the bar for a few drinks and retired to bed at a round 10pm. We were off to the Serengeti the next day and after our success in the Masai Mara we were all so excited. (Picture 51)



DAY 8:



Once again we were leaving our big truck behind and jumping in two separate trucks, me, Rob, Inge, Yannick and Simonea got in one togethers and we set off for the park at around 8am. We drove for around four hours and the weather was absolutely beautiful. We arrived at the entrance to the Ngongoroo Crater, (Picture 52) and our driver went to collect our papers and permit to enter the park. Inge and I basked in the sun, but we were supposed to go to the museum! We were allowed to wear anything except blue or black because of the tettsi fly which attacked anyone in those colours and there bite could give you a chronic sleeping disease, which I found hard!



Our first stop was a lovely picture stop at the top of the crater and it was beautiful, but very hazy so you could only imagine how amazing it was on a clear day, (Picture 53-54) We drove down and down and down to the Serengeti for about three hours and it was so hot! But the most amazing thing was the wildebeest and zebras in there thousands lining the roads. It was just an incredible sight! A picture would do it justice, but they were just everywhere with many crossing the roads and running away from each other and the truck. In this video you can kind of see how many, it's taken from the truck so not great quality, but you can see just how many there were! (Video 3) We eventually arrived at the entrance to the Serengeti (Picture 55) and we were one again had to stop to get some entrance forms. We were lucky though as this time, there was a little walk we could do, walking up a hill to a beautiful viewing point. And it was incredible, basically the set of the lion king! (Picture 56-57)



We weren't as lucky on this game drive today, we saw two leopards in trees, but from a distance and that of course meant we had seen all the big five! We saw a lion saw on the top of a big rock and a elephant washing in a spot of water. But the most impressive thing was the view of wildebeest and zebra just everywhere! It was stunning and you can only imagine the view in the migration period. (Picture 58-59) It was still a nice day and the scenery was beautiful (Picture 60) with most of the day spent like this! (Picture 61) We retired to the campsite at around 6pm which was a small area on the national park, so we were under no circumstances allowed to take ANY food into our tents as hyena and lion often enter the camp site and can easily get through a tent! We had dinner at around 7 after a shower, finally removing all the dust from our faces and hair from the game drive. We had soup to start and then a curried fish and vegetables for the main meal, it was delicious and then of course fruit for pudding. We sat and chatted for ages at the table but I started to freak out as the dining room was just an old shack on the camping ground, and there were mice running around all in the roof and on the floor. So decided to go to bed at around 9pm.



DAY 9:



Inge and I decided this morning that sitting on a bus all day was no good for our bikini bodies and with Zanzibar approaching we decided to wake up and do some squats and a bit of cardio before brekkie and this went down really well and we felt amazing afterwards and the sunrise was very pretty! (Picture 62)



We had fruit for breakfast but the change in conditions finally hit me this morning and I was sick before we got in the truck to do a game drive. I think it was because I was not used to the water and things like that, but after a few hours and a few sickness tablets, I was fine again and we left game around 7:30. In the first four hours we didn't really see very much, only a huge group of hippos and Emma got a picture of our opening it's mouth! Igne and I spent our time in the back of the truck catching some rays and we had took some pictures driving in the truck. (Picture 63) However on our way to the campsite for home that day, we spotted twelve lions sat on the top of some rocks. It was incredible, we were literally meters away from two female lions and loads of cubs! So cute. (Picture 65-66) We were that close we managed to get some lion selfies (Picture 67)



We made our way back to the camp site later and we were now camping on the edge of the Ngorongroo crater. I went for a shower first as hot water was on rations. I was half way through washing my hair and I heard Emma scream and ran out, I quickly threw my towel and hoodie on and ran outside too. She had seen an elephant in her shower window and wanted to go and see it. How bizarre! It was walking around the edge of the campsite!



We sat down for some dinner at around 7:30 and it was soup again and beef and vegetables, once again it was lovely, but with not so many mice this time! Because we were around 2,300 meters above sea level it was quite cold, around 6 degrees. After dinner, some of the local Masai put on a camp fire for us, so we sat around and the camp fire, compared pictures and chatted. We went to bed at around 10.



DAY 10:



Today we were going down into the crater! Everyone was very excited, but very cold. It was quite an amazing sight with wildlife everywhere. It was different to anything we had seen before everything was very lush and very green! (Picture 68) We saw tonnes of zebra and wildebeest again, a elephant in the bushes (Picture 69), buffalo fighting with there horns, rhino, hyenas and a beautiful lake full of hippos where we sat down to eat some lunch.



Simonea sat down to set her piece of chicken and a bird swooped down cut all her face and stole her meat! It was quite an amazing sight but I freaked out and decided to eat my lunch on the truck. We had some lovely pictures taken on the truck before heading back up the crater and back to Arusha. (Picture 70)



It was about a four hour drive and it was so so bumpy and hot, no one was happy when we got off the truck and we all raced to the shower! Once everyone was fresh and clean, we got on the truck and had a few beers listening to some music and chilling it was the first time we had had a second to ourselves since tour started. It was nice to chill out! We were having south african sausage, potatoes and vegetables for dinner and Mike was cooking. However as soon as we were about to serve it outdoors, the heavens opened with a huge tropical rain storm, thunder and lightening, the works! We decided to eat on the truck and tonight we had some entertainment, another group of young kids had pulled up to the camp site and in the pouring rain storm, there tour guide made the kids put up their tents, it was the saddest, but the funniest thing I had seen in ages! The poor souls! After dinner we carried on drinking and went to the little bar at the camps site, where vodka cokes, cider and beer were £1.10 and shots were £1.70! Crazy cheap! We stayed to close at 12 and Mike and Simonea stayed and chatted outside for a few hours, and eventually retired to our beds at around 2. (Picture 71)



DAY 11:



Needless to say, the 6am start was not what any of us needed and getting tents packed up, breakfast washed and everyone ready took 3 hours this morning! Charlotte couldn't even hold down water, but Bevan made us some lovely cinnamon pancakes which cheered everyone up! We were having a full day 9-6 driving, and the scene for the majority of the day was legs and heads all over chairs as everyone slept on the coach. We stopped for a quick shopping and toilet break and also to see Mount Kilimanjaro in the distance. The truck was unbearably hot, with all the windows open, it was so humid and hot and whenever we stopped or slowed down we all melted! So when we arrived at the campsite at around 6pm, we all leapt out and jumped in the shower. However, only two out of three showers worked in the girls and it was more like a sprinkle and one shower worked in the guys bathroom. So lots of grumpy people around! The campsite we had was very nice but covered in ants and everyone was desperate for dinner, an early night is definitely what we need.



DAY 12:



With another desperately early start, we packed up our tents, had breakfast, showers and were all back on the truck by 6:30am for another hideous day of driving, but by the end of this drive we would be at the coast of Tanzania and drinking cocktails on the beach in Dar Es Salam. (So we were a little happier than yesterday. But I haven't really explained the toilet or shower situation to you yet! When we stop off for toilet breaks, (we don't stop for lunch) we literally have to wee wherever we stop, only if we are lucky, do we get a toilets. We like to call these 'toilets' squats as they are quite literally holes in the ground that you don't need to flush everything just goes straight down, there is never any toilet paper and if I could capture the smell for you it would. It is absolutely vulgar! Similarly the showers absolutely stink, are covered in bugs, are always cold and are just a trickle. It's never ideal, but in this humidity it is what you need to cool off and feel fresh. But I'm not hating the toilets or the showers that much, what I am hating the most is once you've showered before bed, you immediately have to out an insect repellent called deet. It is so so strong, it absolutely stinks and it makes you feel so greasy and gross after your fresh shower. To make matters worse, I am using 50% deet and that is so strong it has melted the plastic face and coating off my watch, bleached my towel and melted my handbag! It's crazy. But oh well, you've got to put it on eh! Mike refused to wear any this whole trip and then last night it was so hot he slept out of his sleeping bag and got eaten alive, he has 47 bites on one foot alone!



We arrived at the campsite at around 4pm, a little earlier than expected and quite literally ran into the ocean. It was the nicest thing ever, being on the hot humid truck and running into the Indian Ocean. (Picture 72-73) I stayed in there right until dinner was ready, we had steaks, polenta and ratatouille. We all sat at the beach side bar until about 11pm and went to bed. The best thing was that Inge and myself decided to upgrade from our camping so for £3.50 each we got beautiful wooden beach huts. (Picture 74) I was so excited for an actual bed and not a tiny inch thick mattress in a tent.



DAY 13:



This morning was the first time I did not want to get up, we had had a later night than usual and the beds were so comfy. But none the less we were up at 5:30, had a quick brekkie and were on the truck to the harbour for a boat to Zanzibar! I was so excited (once I was up) as it was what I had been most looking forward to. We arrived at the harbour and had to get a shuttle boat from one side of the river to the other. It was so hot and so humid and so smelly and everyone was pushing everyone everywhere and I had my rucksack on, so I was boiling!! We got off at the city center of Dar Es Sallam and got taxis to another harbour where our boat would go. It was so so crazy, bikes, people, cattle, taxis, cars, buses, everywhere. People kept knocking on our windows like buy this buy that, come to my shop. It was mental and I am so glad Yannick was in the taxi with me as I would not have felt safe on my own. We finally got to the harbour and on to the boat, had a two hour crossing to Zanzibar! It was so hot and all the girls had to wear clothes that covered there knees and shoulders, so even hotter. We got our passports stamped and made our way to our hotel. Another night in beds! It was a nice hotel, but quite basic, but again better than an inch thick mattress in a tent! We were in Stone Town in Zanzibar and the plan for the afternoon was a Spice Tour at a plantation and a tour of the slave museum and the cathedral.



Although this sounded like a lovely afternoon, no body was keen as it was just the most humid place I have ever been. It was scorching hot, I was wearing a long dress and a cardigan, it was dangerously humid and we were in a city! So gross. We joined the tour at about 2pm at an African style fast food place. I ordered chicken and rice, and just knew it was going to go straight through me, so I mainly stuck to the rice, it cost me £1.80! We then got a ride to a local plantation to try the spices, plants and fruits in there natural form. I was not looking forward to it at all and there were chicken everywhere, which I hated! However, we met our guide, one guy who spoke English and another who was there to cut up and make our samples. Firstly, we would look at the plant, then smell it and have to guess what it was. The first one we tried was what looked like a hard piece of mango, it was turmeric and smelt identically to a curry, very fresh and yummy. Next we saw some citronella, which when you break the leaves was the strongest lemon scent I have ever smelt! The next was cinnamon, cinnamon leaves looked like bay leaves and didn't smell of a lot, but the bark of the tree smelt like a beautiful cinnamon stick, it was so nice and amazing that a man could carve something off a tree that smelt so delicious. (Picture 75) The most incredible thing about the cinnamon tree however was most definitely the roots, which smelt identical to Vicks vapour rub! We next saw pepper corns on a tree and vanilla pods, which both smelt very full and delicious. Then we tried a delicious fruit I have never even seen before called Jack Fruit, which is about the size of the body of a pineapple. To eat it, you cut in it half and eat the rich fruit inside around the pips. It has a funny texture, but tastes like a hybrid of banana and mango! It was delicious. (Picture 76) We also were watched very closely by a small little kiddy! (Picture 77)



We then saw a man climb a tree to collect some coconuts, it was quite something. The tree was around 70 meters high and really thin. (Video 4) (Picture 78) He dropped three down for us, we were allowed to drink the water inside, which was so refreshing in the heat, (Picture 79) and then we ate the flesh inside. I didn't really like it, it tasted nice, but the texture in your mouth felt like an uncooked chicken breast, so I didn't have much. After, the tour guides said they had a surprise for us, then had mad the girls necklaces, hats and handbags and the boys hats and ties, it was so cute! (Picture 80) We then had a fruit tasting of fresh mango, lemon, orange, pineapple, jack fruit, lychee, star fruit, banana... Of course at lot of this fruit I can have at home, but it was nice to taste it so so fresh and you really could taste a difference!



Next was a finish to the slave museum. I was quite excited about this, being a very juicy period in history, however 'museum' was quite an over statement. There was a notice board with a few pictures and a few dates and a sign post down to a cellar where slaves were kept. (Picture 81)This size area would have held around 75-80 people waiting to be sold, after watching 12 Years a Slave, you can't even imagine the conditions. After this we went to the cathedral, which was very pretty (Picture 82) and you can see the middle eastern influences on the building, due to the large Muslim community. Although it was a short visit, we were all very grateful to return to the air conditioned hotel and have a few hours chill before dinner. I was sharing a room with Inge and we had the biggest king size bed to share!



At around 7:30, we walked down to the center of Stone Town to find this really cool fish market. With lots and lots of stalls, with lines and lines of fish of kebabs, which you chose and the cooked it for you right there, I hadn't had any fish yet and was very excited! Inge and I had three tuna kebabs and one sea bass one and some salad, some garlic nann bread and a vegetable samosa, all for £3 each. And it was some of the nicest tuna I had ever eaten. We joined everyone to eat together and compared fish and prices, everyone seemed to pay different prices, as in Africa you must barter. (Picture 83) We all sat and chatted for a bit, it was a nice chilled evening. We went to bed at around 11, after chilling in the hotel and making full use of the free wifi for the first time the whole trip.



DAY 14:



Finally we were hitting the beaches!! Bevan had promised us there would be clear blue sea and white sand and oh boy he did not disappoint. We left the hotel at around 10am, on an hour drive to the northern beaches of the island. It was so so hot when we arrived, but our hotel room was right on the beach so I was more than happy. I was sharing a room with Inge and Janine (a new German girl, who joined in Dar Es Sallam) and the room was absolutely beautiful! We three massive four poster beds and a lush bathroom. (Picture 84) Inge and I lathed up with sun cream and, yes mum, I did put on factor 50 as the African sun was beyond hot. Inge and I grabbed some sun beds and ran straight into the sea. (Picture 85) It was absolutely beautiful.



It was quite a chilled day, with lots of sun bathing, eating and swimming and everyone was in high spirits as we had a boat booze cruise in the evening! Inge and I decided to have one last dip before going to get ready and what a bad idea! The minute she stepped into the water, she stood on a sea urchin and had to run to the bar to find out what to do. They said it happens often at low tide and you can't pull out the spikes, only snap them and let what is left in the foot fall out over time. It looked so gross (Picture 86) but everyone was friendly and a local told us to buy some papaya and squeeze the juice on the spikes which would break them down and they would fall out quicker. We did this about three times, Inge had a shower and the black marks were still there but she said she felt fine! So off we went to the booze cruise.



There is no other way to explain it, but a wooden old sailing boat, with 30 people and six crates of alcohol on! It started at 5pm and it was still so hot. The guys running it explained to us that the most important thing was balance which was scary. There was our acacia group of 9 and another one of 20 doing the same route as me, but the opposite, Cape Town to Nairobi, so it was great to exchange stories of what was to come. (Picture 87-88) Just before the sun set everyone was allowed to jump in the water off the boat, but after the sea urchin episode I wasn't so sure! We got off the boat at about 8pm, needless to say there was no alcohol left and carried on partying at the bar. It was a great night! (Picture 89-91)



DAY 15:



Of course, this morning was a slow start, but we wanted to go down for the included breakfast. Inge and I woke up at around 9am, but unlucky for the boys, they had signed up for snorkelling with an 8am start, 7:30 breakfast. Rumour has it they both puked on the way to the reef!



Inge and I chilled, sun bathed, ate, walked along the beach. It was a lovely chilled day. (Picture 92-93)At around 8pm, we met everyone again for dinner and hung out at the bar. We also said goodbye to Simonea who was leaving tour in Zanzibar, which I was sad about as she had been a lovely camping buddy!



DAY 16:



Today we were leaving Zanzibar! I was sad as I love chilling on the beach, but I also knew I could not handle much more of the scorching heat of Zanzibar! Too much of a good thing eh! We got a coach back to Stone Town at 9am and had an hour to chill there and grab some lunch. However, Inge and I stayed in the hotel and used the wifi. It was too hot. We eventually boarded the boat at 12pm and thank god we did not eat, it was the bumpiest boat ride I have honestly ever been on! (Picture 94) It was mental, we were all gripping on to our arm rests for dear life as you do hear some hideous stories about transport in Tanzania! We got off the boat safely and made it back to the campsite and once again ran into the sea as it was just boiling again. We set up our tents and Bevan made a beautiful beef stew with sweet potato. We ate this and chilled at the bar, but all went to bed around 9pm as we had a 3:30am start!



DAY 17:



Day 17 started with a hideous alarm at 3:45, as we had to pack up our tents, shower and be on the coach by 4:30am. None of us were in a good mood as a 14 hour drive was looming. As soon as we started driving, we were all asleep again.



At about 8pm Bevan stopped the truck in a huge petrol station and cooked us all breakfast there, French toast - yum! We managed to stop and get some cookies and crisps for the drive too. The only good thing about today was watching a movie on Robs computer and seeing a pretty view for about half a mile. (Picture 95) The rest was boiling hot, with a tropical rainstorm at about 3pm and a pasta salad lunch at 1pm.



We arrived at the campsite at around 6pm, cooked dinner, put the tents up and got dinner ready. This campsite ran purely on solar power and it being the rainy season, there hadn't been much sun, so there was no lights anywhere, except our lame head torches. Bevan made us the nicest fried chicken I have ever tasted, it was so so good! Better than KFC! We then went to the campsite bar, which was about a 15 minute walk away from our tents in the pitch black. One nice thing was, it was a really clear night and the sky line was absolutely beautiful! You could see all the stars, the Milky Way, Orion's Belt, it was stunning and so vast.



The campsite bar specialised in local chocolate products, including chocolate brownies, hot chocolate and you could have anything with amarula, the local cream liqueur. It was so nice to have a little sweet nice cap, but after the long drive I was so tired and felt very dizzy so decided to go to bed!



DAY 18:



We had another 5am start today, with another big drive and a boarding crossing ahead of us. Most people slept the whole journey and just chilled. When we crossed the border, it was so dirty and busy and smelly and boiling hot! But this time, it was free to cross the border and it was quite a simple process.



Bevan stopped about one hour along the journey in Malawi at a local village to buy some supplies for meals. It was a crazy experience and I am so glad we were up so high as groups of women crowd the truck trying to make you buy there stuff. (Picture 96) We bought pineapple for a thousand kwacha, £1.50, and cut it up and shared it on the truck, it was the nicest and juiciest one I have ever tasted!



We eventually arrived at our campsite in Chitimba at around 5:30 and put our tents up. Inge and I went down to the lake and put our feet in it. Although the view was very beautiful, the water looked quite gross. Cattle were walking through it, people were washing there clothes and children in the water so we weren't inspired to swim today! Me, Mike, Inge, Yannick and Emma went to the local market outsider he door of the campsite to look at the local crafts on sale. There were lots of cool and beautiful things. A local man caught my attention with a wooden carved map of Africa with 'AFRICA 2014' written on top with coins of the seven African nations I am visiting. I was really taken by it! I tried to haggle with him, but because I really liked it I wasn't too bothered about price. We agreed on 7,000 kwacha, about £10 and had said he would have one ready for me for tomorrow. When I went to tell Inge and Yannick about my purchase, they were both looking at the same things. So it was really nice for the three of us to having matching maps! Emma bought a massive wall hanging for £15 and Charl bought about 50 personalised key rings with the names of his friends from home. Later, we had dinner and the campsite had hot showers so we made the most of those!



DAY 19:



We were woken at 5:15, for a 6 o'clock start to hike. No one was sure what exactly we had signed up for, but we were under the impression it was a short walk up to a waterfall and a day splashing in the waterfall and surrounding water and then a short walk back. HOW WRONG WE WERE! It was in fact a 30 kilometre hike, in 30 degree heat, 90% humidity and all up hill (up 1,500 meters). By the time we all reached the top, we were all exhausted! Like absolutely dead. It was very hard work, but Charlotte, Mike and I led the pack all the way up. The view about half way up was quite impressive, (Picture 97). When we arrived at the top, the view of the waterfall was not quite so breathtaking so we decided to take selfies instead! (Picture 98)We then made our way to the part of the waterfall 'perfect for swimming' but instead we were greeted by a lady washing her clothes in brown thick water, so we decided to give that a miss! It was quite scary walking around at the top of the waterfall, as there were no paths, just little trails and lots of poisonous spiders. I somehow managed to brush the back of my leg with a poisonous plant and instantly came out in a horrible raised thick purple rash, it was quite painful! (Picture 99) but I was still in good shape to make it to the bottom. We then went to see the waterfall from behind, which was cool. We stood on a rock and the water flowed in front of us. It was quite pretty. (Picture 100-101)



After this, it was time to make our way down down down! This was not half as bad as the ups, but it was very boring and long and tedious. I walked and held back with Emma as she was really struggling. As we were about 3/4s of the way down, it began to get very hot again, like very hot! About 38 degrees. We still had a bit more to walk on the rocks and then another 2km on the tarmack. It was a very long journey home and with the sun on the back of my leg on my rash was extremely uncomfortable.



After 8 hours hiking, with no break, only for photos, we made it back to the campsite! Most people were covered in blisters, sun burn and rashes. Yannick had a blister on the whole of his toe, it was such a mess. It had killed us all. We were so happy when Bevan announced that dinner was ready and he had made us spaghetti Bolognese! We were all so tired and in desperate need of a carb overload. After dinner, Inge and I went back to the local market to collect our Africa maps and Charlotte and Emma did a carving class. Charlotte wanted them to carve a Thompsons Gazelle so she bought her phone to show a picture she had taken herself of the animal she wanted to carve. All the local people crowded around her and her phone, so impressed by it, and asking her to show them pictures of England and London. It was quite humbling. Emma had asked them to make a small chair for her new cousin, born while we had been away. She was doing a good job and the guy who was helping her offered to do a hard bit. As he went to take a swipe of some wood, he caught his foot and made a huge gash in his heel. Emma was so shocked at the way he just carried on and let his foot bleed on to the sand. So she walked back into the campsite and got a handful of antispetic wipes and a few plasters and returned to the market. She showed him what to do and gave him all the spares she had bought out. He was so grateful and had never seen anything like it before! Of course, whilst the girls were doing the cultural carving, Inge and I were chatting up two English guys. Interestingly enough, they were doing the same travelling route as me, just Africa the opposite route, Cape Town to Kenya, and then on to South East Asia, so we exchanged numbers and Facebook names so I could meet them again in Vietnam. I was quite pleased!



We went to bed at around 9:30pm as we were sat in the bar and could hear a storm brewing, so decided to get into bed before it hammered down! For once, due to the storm, the sleep was reasonably cool and I didn't wake up once dripping with sweat, like I do most nights. It is frustrating, as you can't sleep outside of our sleeping bag as you will get bitten to death by Mosquitos! Malaria is rife is Malawi so there is no point in taking risks.



DAY 20:



This morning was a reasonable start, leaving camp at 8am, and heading to a different camp site in Malawi. When we got out of our tents all you could hear was grunts and groans and moans and owws from the sounds of tight and sore muscles after the hike! We had a five hour drive today, with a stop over at a supermarket and a clothes market. Inge and I stocked up on water, vodka, crisps and cookies (the essentials) and took it back to the truck.



Earlier on the truck, we each picked a name of someone on tour out of the hat. After supermarket shopping, we then made our way to the clothes market. We each had a $5 budget to spend on a full outfit for our chosen person for a costume party at Kande Beach, the next campsite. The stuff on sale was absolutely hilarious! (Picture 102) I had picked Charlotte out of the hat so I wanted to get her something hideous! I found a jumpsuit. It was a huge grey shirt, sewed to a pair one pink spotty pyjama bottoms with a fluffy tail on the back and I asked them to throw in a hat for $5 total. The guy found a gold Ali-G style hat and I was made up with my outfit, I knew Charlotte would love it.



We got back on the truck and had another three hour drive to Kande Beach and typically as soon as we got there it chucked it down with rain! We scoffed down some lunch, a rice salad, and went to the bar and played cards all afternoon. Cards soon turned into drinking games and the rain continued to pour and pour. (Picture 103) We decided to tent dorms, instead of camping in tents in the pouring rain. They managed to find us a room for 7 at £2.20 each and Mike took a private room. It was again nice to have another bed and have a big sleepover. It was pretty much a shack with a tin roof and seven bed inside, but it was a long shot better than a tent in a thunder storm!



DAY 21:



Today, one of the locals was going to take us around the local village. We were all quite dubious about doing this again as the Masai walk was nightmarish, but at 8:30 we were all ready to head out the campsite and thank god we were pleasantly surprised. Our guide was called Rodger and he took us around his local village showing us the chicken farms cleverly adapted to keep the wild dog and hyena out, the water pump, which costs 15p a month per family in the village to run, he also showed us his house, he made himself from hand made bricks, the local plants used to made flour and then we were all given the chance to speak to some locals. As if by chance the guy who sat next to me was a trainee accountant also! He studied at the local college and was really enjoying his course, which cost him £41 a term including food and accommodation, I hope you are reading this dad, imagine university fees like this! We said he was excited to qualify and work for the government and provide for his family the best he could. He was funding himself through university, making crafts and carvings for the tourists. It was interesting speaking to him.



We then went from the village, on about a half an hour walk to a school and a hospital. As soon as we walked into the school, all the children jumped on us shouting 'Mzungo' which means white person, they jumped on our arms, wanting to be swung and cuddled or just to hold hands. (Picture 104) It was a lovely feeling. A little girl grabbed hold of my hand and did not want to let go, she looked so poorly, her eyes were crossed eyed, there was snot running all down her face and her scars for mosquito bites down her legs were huge, it was very sad. But she loved being tickled and holding hands. Two boys attacked Mike asking him to throw balls for them. It was very cute and we all loved it. We sat down in a classroom and were addressed by the headmaster who told us about the work the school does, educating the children, and spoke about the work they do spreading the word of HIV. (Picture 105) He asked us to donate what we could and Rob had bought some pens in the shop the day before so donated all of those to the school. There was a map of the world on the back of the classroom and we were asked to introduce ourselves and point to where we were from on the map and show the children. Of course, jersey was not on the map, but I explained it was a small island between England and France and they seemed impressed.



Our next stop was a hospital. I walked there with a little girl who told me she had 10 sisters, 20 brothers and 100 chickens, she was very cute! A doctor spoke to us about the problems in Malawi and health care, he said they receive 50 mosquito nets a year from the government, but that doesn't even cover 5% of all the children born in the village who need them. He said that most people will get Malaria twice in there lives and the survival rate is average for this part of Africa, but still around 120 people are admitted with Malaria every week and it is not easy to treat. He said HIV levels have halved in the past year and a half from 14% to 7%, but work still needs to be done. The hospital was just a brick structure with two rooms with a stretcher and open bottles and unused needles everywhere, it was quite a sight compared to what we are used to in the western world. (Picture 106) After we walked through the village and started taking pictures with the kids, they loved it as they hadn't seen themselves through a camera before, some were quite shocked at the image! (Picture 107-108)



We returned from the walk at around 1:30 very hot and sweaty, so Inge and I got our costumes on straight away and had a dip in the lake and then had lunch, after lunch we got everyone in the lake and we all went for a swim, except Yannick who's blistered toe from the hike had got septic and he had weird lines running up his leg. It was the costume party tonight so Inge and I had a shower at about 4pm and started getting ready. I had a shower and did my make up, and Emma and Charlotte asked me to help them do there's. They said they never wear it and were very impressed by the results! They both looked so nice. We ate dinner, with our hair and make up ready, tonight it was stunning lamb that had been roasted on the fire all day and after we had eaten we were swapping costumes!



I found out Yannick had chosen me out of the hat! He had bought me a ms American outfit and pair of tinker belle pyjama bottom, they even had some hideous gloves to match! He all got dressed up and everyone looked great. (Picture 109) It was such a good idea, we all looked hideous. Inge had got Robinson and got him dressed up in a sultry red girls costume with one stocking and some red lipstick! It was a great outfit. (Picture 110) Bevan made us a punche it's lots of alcohol and we all played ring of fire (Picture 111) it was lots of fun! When the punch was gone we made our way to the bar and partied all night! It was lots of fun. (Picture 112-113)



DAY 22:



Needless to say that today was a slow start, breakfast was at 9am, so a big lie in today and Bevan had made us bacon, which was an amazing surprise. I was so tired that after breakfast I went straight back to bed and slept until lunch time. After lunch, Emma, Rob and I decided to swim to Kande Island. (Picture 114) I was really excited about doing a swim, the guide reckoned it was about 1km there and 1km back which I was a little nervous about but I was sure I could do it and it would be worth it for the jumping off the island. We started swimming and the fresh water was so nice, it was perfectly clear, very very deep but perfectly clear. It took us about 45 mins to swim there and we climbed up the rock, on the other side there were two young boys with wooden boats fishing. I didn't feel comfortable jumping in and tomb stoning so we just took some pictures on the rocks and watched the sunshine through the clouds for a bit. (Picture 115-116) It was very pretty, we wanted to make it back before the sunset so we started the 45 minute swim back. It was lovely!



Luckily, Bevan had dinner ready for us as soon as we got out! I had a quick shower and washed up hair for the first time all tour, this is how bad it got! (Picture 117) We ate barbecued chicken and potato bake. It was so yummy! After dinner, Yannick, Inge, Janine and I played cards in the bar a chilled way to spend our last night in Malawi.



DAY 23:



Today was a 7am start, we were all packed up and fed by 7:30 and on the road. The roads out of Malawi were awful, with pot holes everywhere! It was going to be a bumpy ride. We drove and drove and drove, the view was pretty nice all the way up and was a similar view to the view from the trek, but most people slept all the way through. At around 1:30pm, we arrived at the Zambian border, were we had to get an exit stamp for Malawi and cross another make shift border into Zambia. There was a quee in Zambia for the first time at an immigration office so far. We had to pay $50 US dollars for a visa and they took our passports for around half an hour. While they were filling in our visas, we had to fill out these fat books, noting every possible detail about yourself, including the batch number of your yellow fever jab and the name of your doctor! It was annoying and very time consuming as we knew that these books will never be looked at again! We were allowed to cross the border in Zambia finally and we jumped back on the truck. We were heading to a city called Lusaka, the fastest growing city in Africa and it was madness, (Picture 118) In the shopping center it was hot and there were people everywhere! Inge and I went to the supermarket to stock up on vodka, crisps and water and to get some Zambian Kwacha.



We arrived at our campsite for the night at 4pm and we paid the boys 2KW each to put up our tent! Bevan cooked us dinner, brautworst sausage and butternut squash, it was delicious and then we went to the bar and played cards. The bar was cool but it was our first experience of Zambian currency and it was not cheap compared to anything else we had used, a chocolate bar was 12KW which is £1.60, for that price you can get two bags of crisps at the Saint Laurent! We called in an early night and went to bed at around 9:30pm.



DAY 24:



We had another 7am start this morning, but everyone was excited to head to Victoria Falls. We packed up the tents and had breakfast and got on board the truck. When we arrived in Livingstone, Bevan showed us the main parts of the town, as we had three free days to do what ever we wanted. In was quite a nice town compared to some places to had been, with a market, a museum and an Internet cafe. At around 2pm we arrived at Victoria Falls, and we were greeted by an unwanted guest. As Bevan went to pay for our entry to the falls and Yannick decided to eat some cookies, little did he know there was a baboon in the tree watching him and deciding when to pounce! Luckily Rob spotted in and shouted everyone shut your windows and just as we all jumped up to close them, the monkey jumped onto the side of the truck. Thank goodness he realised it was fruitless to try and get in, the monkey. continued to the roof and started jumped and banging on the roof! Bevan however was just around the corner and we drove off before the monkey could cause any trouble.



We had a quick briefing about Victoria Falls and we were all very excited to go check it out. From about 20 meters away you could see the spray of the falls but we managed to get some decent pictures from a distance! (Picture 119-120) Then we entered the soaking zone! Thank god I only took my waterproof camera because we were all soaked to the bone! We went to numerous viewing points including the one where we could see the 111m bungee (Picture 121). Then we had to cross the most ridiculous bridge ever. You couldn't even see a thing as it was so so misty and it was so so slippy, being made of metal and soaked in water. When the mist cleared for about 10 minutes we managed to get some great shots and it was quite beautiful, you could see the sheer size of the falls! (Picture 122) but when it wasn't clear, we got soaked! (Picture 123) Inge, Yannick and I tried to get some selfies (Picture 124) but it was so hard to keep the camera dry and keep your eyes open! We walked around the viewing points for around 40 minutes and we were all just dripping! We crossed back over the bridge and walked over to the river before the falls, it was quite beautiful! (Picture 125-126) We saw people dangling their feet and their kids feet over the edge.



At around 5pm we made our way to our camp site that would be home for the next three days! It was very nice, with two pools, a stunning bar (Picture 127) decent toilets, hot showers - we were living in luxury. As soon as we arrived we were given a tour of the campsite and we watched a video of all the activities you could do in Victoria Falls. Being not much of an adrenalin junkie, nothing much took my fancy except the booze cruise. Rob, Mike, Yannick, Emma, Charlotte and Inge decided to go white water rafting the following morning and we all decided to do the booze cruise that evening.



That night, we had to provide our own dinner and Inge and I had bought some granola and yoghurt to eat instead of buying food at the restaurant. So we showered and got ready, ate our granola on the truck and then went and joined everyone for dinner. Mike made friends with a big fat cat that I hated called Franklin and fed him half of his meal! Most people called it an early night, but Inge, Yannick and I stayed up chatting till around 11:30. I have got really close to these two, I will be sad when they leave.



DAY 25:



Everyone except Janine and I were going off to do some activities so it was an early start for brekkie, 7:30pm. Janine and I decided to get the free shuttle into town and do some shopping, but that wasn't until 10am, so I had breakfast and went for a swim and did some washing. (Yes mum, would you believe I washed my clothes in a bucket by hand!) In the pool I met an English lady who lives in Cape Town, who had been travelling through Namibia and Botswana, my next destinations, and she was telling me all about them! She said they were all stunning and I would love them, but in Chobe National Park, her car got completely flooded and they had to be towed out of the mud!



Eventually, Janine and I made it into town and we went straight to the African craft market. It was very cute, with lots of lovely crafts, but it was so annoying, with every person asking you where you were from, what your name was and calling you sister. Janine got some absolute bargains, but as I had a lot more travelling to do, I was a lot more skeptical about what I bought and what I wanted. I eventually bought an orange bag with a zip. It was perfect, as my last bag was ruined by the deet and I had to throw it away in Zanzibar! We then grabbed some lunch at the Internet cafe and used the wifi there. I managed to get in contact with Beth which was nice, even though it was brief. After about an hour here and an unbelievable coffee, we headed over to the post office to write and send some post cards. I wrote six and Janine wrote 14, so we were there for ages!



We got a taxi back to the resort and around 3pm and started to get ready for the Booze Cruise! However, none of us were that keen as the heavens had opened and it was chucking it down! Nonetheless I still donned a nice outfit and my poncho on top. Everyone came back from white water rafting beaming after and were keen to party. They had had the best time.



We were all ready to board the booze cruise at 4:30pm and it was still chucking it down, so we bought the bar downstairs and started to party and drink under cover, playing games like 21 and kings cup, we were having a great time! (Picture 128-129) The rain just about stopped for us to check out the sunset. (Picture 130) We got off the boat and partied at the bar until the early hours. It was great night and the last night as a group!



DAY 26:



The next day was a standard hang over day, we woke up at about 7am and Bevan had a special treat for us! We were going to be having breakfast at the restaurant, a nice cooked one! I could not have been happier. We had bacon, tomatoes, egg, hash browns, toast, sausages and endless cups of tea. It was a perfect last supper!



At around 11pm, we had to say goodbye to Inge and I was nearly crying. I got so close to her and was sad to say goodbye. But we knew it wouldn't be for long, Amsterdam is not far away! Shortly she was on the way to the airport.



I chilled for the rest of the day, I had lunch with Janine and Mike at the restaurant and just relaxed, trying to shake my hangover! It was nice to sunbathe, but by about three o'clock, the heavens opened so Rob, Yannick and I decided to upload everyone's pictures onto Robs computer and go through and edit and delete the bad ones. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon, looking back on the nice memories we had shared so far.



At around 4pm, I went to get ready for the next night and have a shower. Tonight I had a pizza for dinner, my favourite a La Reine, it was so good! We played cards all evening and got chatting to a few other people who had arrived at the campsite from another Acacia. I was the last man standing that night and went to bed at around midnight.



DAY 27:



Today was another great start with another cooked breakfast! But sadly, it was time to say goodbye to Yannick. Once again I was gutted, I had got on so well with him and I really enjoyed his company. Rob and I were so upset he wasn't carrying on to Cape Town with us. I chilled again all day by the pool, but by around 1pm, I was getting restless and made Charlotte go for a run with me around the campsite. We ran around the complex 5 times and were dying by the end, but it was worth it to get rid of the energy for the day.



After the run we showered and got ready for dinner. We were having a meeting with a guy at 4pm about getting Acacia T-Shirts made. We were all very excited to pick designs and colours. I decided to get a white one, with Africa on the front and a map of Africa on the back and the route sketched on it. Everyone got a similar type and we ordered one for Inge and Yannick too.



Everyone was a little nervous as tonight we were meeting our groups who we would carry on our tours with us. Rob and I were the only ones going done to Cape Town and Mike, Charlotte, Emma and Janine were heading down to Johannesburg. We wished each other luck and went to meet our groups. Me and Rob were very skeptical as we had got on so well with the other group and there was good banter and lots of fun! But nonetheless we were opened minded. There was one girl from Norway called Iren, two kiwi girls, Kirsty and Liv, three Australian girls, Brookes, Steph and Rachel and luckily for Rob there was another a British guy called Josh. They all seemed pretty nice and Bevan explained our itinerary for the next three weeks, it sounded great and by now I was so ready to leave Livingstone as we had spent so long in the resort.



We later met with our original tour group and compared notes (Picture 131) most people seemed happy with their new groups and tried to keep an open mind as much as possible! That night we had the last dinner at the restaurant and I wanted a chilled one after two nights drinking. After dinner, Charlotte and I found an old manky t shirt on the truck (we were leaving the Mara truck in Livingstone so we had to pack up our stuff and put them on other trucks, my new one was called Omaruru) and made an Acacia t-shirt with all our group jokes on and memories. It was lots of fun! (Picture 132) I was so sad to leave Mara and the gang as we had had so much fun together, but I was excited to meet some new people. We went to bed at around 10:30 and I was so sad to be sleeping in a tent on my own without Inge!



DAY 28:



We had breakfast at the new truck at 7am and with lots of faffing, due to new people and a new truck we were on the road by 8:30. We drove for around 3 hours to the border and exited Zambia with another stamp in our passports. We had to this time cross a river to get to Botswana, and this boat held all 9 of us and our truck and another large truck. (Picture 133) The first morning was a bit awkward with the group as they had all been together was a week already, so Rob and I stuck together but I didn't mind! We crossed the border and hoped back on to the truck for another three hour drive to Kasane, our next campsite. Luckily, the other bus going to Johannesburg were at this campsite as well so we met them by the pool after lunch, it was a lovely afternoon.



The activity today was a river cruise in Chobe National Park. We were all so excited as we were finally doing something after days of nothingness in Livingstone. We filled an Eski full of ice, wine, beer and cider and were ready for the ride. Everyone except Rob and I on our truck had already done the river cruise, on there route up from Johannesburg so we met the old crew and were excited to party and it was boiling! The boat was pretty basic but we had to walk there from the truck through thick marshy mud. Rob had forgotten to pack his camera so I said I would wait behind for him and everyone else ran along for the boat. Once he was ready everyone was already on the boat and we couldn't make out a clear path to the get onboard so we had to make our way to the boat on our own. Unsurprisingly, I walked straight into the mud, which came up to my ankle, covered my whole foot and most of my calf and when I pulled my leg out, my flip flop flicked mud all up the back of my leg! Thank god when I got on board everyone else found it funny even if I didn't!



The boat cruise was stunning and we saw lots of hippos, elephants, fish eagles and even some hideous tourists (ROB!) (Pictures 134-146) I loved it! (Picture 137) That night we went back to the camp site and chilled for the evening. Bevan cooked us spaghetti Bolognese and Rob and I went and sat with the Johannesburgers for the last time, we said our goodbyes and went to bed at around 10:30pm. For the first night in Botswana I just knew I was going to get eaten alive, there were mosquitos everywhere due to the water and the landscape of the country, particularly in the wet season. After Inge had left, I was now sharing a tent with a lovely kiwi girl called Liv and we deeted our tents until we could barely breathe! But you could feel the mozzies in the air!



DAY 29:



Today was an late start, wahoo! With breakfast at 9:30pm. We had a four hour drive to the town of Maun, where we got wifi, chilled out, did some shopping for snacks and water for the next few days. At around 4pm we arrived at campsite and it was called Planet Baobab after the amount of Baobab trees there. Liv and I put our tent up (Picture 138) and chilled all evening by the pool. It was really nice and chilled and a nice way for everyone to get to know each other a bit better.



Bevan cooked dinner and we were finally able to see some more stars. But the mosquitoes were out again so we decided to retire to the bar where Rob and I had an amarula coffee, very yummy! A nice night cap before bed.



DAY 30:



We woke up today at around 8pm and had breakfast, packed up our tents and started to drive towards the camp site before the Okavango Delta. We got there at just around 1:30pm and rain was imminent so Liv and I decided to upgrade to little cabins. It was a bit annoying having to stay in two campsites for two nights doing nothing, but they were both nice places and once again we spent most of our day chilling, tanning and chatting in the pool.



That night we had a beautiful dinner, a fillet steak with creamy sauce and mushrooms. It was delicious, we also had some nice potatoes and coleslaw. That night the guy who owned the camp put a $100 tab behind the bar, which was pretty much enough for two drinks and a shot each. A double vodka was £3, which is cheap compared to home but not cheap for Africa! We partied all night and Liv and I were so happy to retire to beds later that night.



DAY 31:



Today we were making our way into the Okavango Delta. I was so excited to finally do something after so long of sitting around and eating! We boarded a four by four safari jeep, Rob, Irene and I shared one and we had two hours drive on the tarmac and then an hour and a half driving in the bush. I know we have done lots of lumpy bumpy roads but this was quite next level, we were bumping up and down and flying around the truck! There was lumps, wooden bridges, huge puddles, cattle everywhere. It was quite an experience! (Picture 139) Then all of a sudden, we stopped and were greeted by a group of men singing a welcome song and dancing for us. It was very cute, we were then hurried into these tiny boats and a driver got on the back and began to paddle us to the campsite. It was the most peaceful thing in the world. Just cursing on these tiny boats in the water, Rob and I shared one. (Picture 140) We eventually arrived at our campsite and it was stunning, Liv and I had a pre erected tent with two amazing beds inside and complimentary insect spray and everything! Luxury.



We were called to lunch at 1:30pm, and we had Babuiti, a local South African dish made from mince and spices. It was very nice. After lunch everyone went swimming, but I really wasn't feeling very well, so I just stayed in bed all afternoon. I don't know where it came from but I had the worst stomach cramps ever! However, with some tablets, I felt better by 5:30pm where we were going to do a bushman walk. We got back into the little boats (Picture 141) and rode across the river to the walk place. It was so hot and hard to walk around as the grass came up to your waist and I kept getting covered in thistles! On the walk we saw some Impala and some giraffe bones, (Picture 142) and a small snake. It was only 45 minutes walk so it was nice to stretch our legs.



We got back into the boats and it was time for the sunset! And it was stunning, one of the nicest we have seen so far. (Picture 143) Once we got back to camp, dinner was served and it was a three course meal, first course was a delicious butternut soup, second course was yummy chicken and vegetables and pudding was fruit and custard. I do love truck meals but this was even better! We then sat round the campfire and made s'mores and the workers sung songs and danced for us while we ate. It was great (Picture 144). We then played games at the campfire like zip zap boing and another game with African animals, they were great fun but needed lots of concentration. We went to bed at around 10:30 and I had a lovely day and was so happy to sleep in a normal bed.





DAY 32:



Today was an early start also, leaving the camp to watch the sunrise this time on a boat trip, it was very relaxing and a nice way to start the morning. After about 30 mins on the boat, we made our way back to camp, packed our bags, had breakfast and started the journey back to the campsite. Back in the boats for 20 mins, then the crazy 4x4 bus ride and then the 2 hour Tarmac ride. I loved this excursion, I think Botswana is absolutely stunning. (Picture 145)



Once we arrived back at the campsite, we had pizza for lunch and were back on the road to a new campsite in Ghanzi, on the skirts of the Kalahari Desert. The campsite was really cool and it did really feel like we were in the middle of nowhere. As soon as we got off the truck, we had to do a San Bushman walk. It was really very interesting to see how these people live. (Plants 146) They dug up plants and roots and explained how they utilise the ecosystem around them. For example, they had one root women ate for contraception, one plant they ate for headaches and one roots they used the liquid to make animal skin waterproof and more durable, it was quite interesting. You can see in (Picture 147) a lady holding an ostrich egg, this is used as a water vessel and she actually drunk from it. Then they made fire out of sticks, similarly to the Masai but not half as quick! (Picture 148) It was quite a cool experience and once again there was a stunning sunset. (Picture 149) They were quite fascinating people to watch and learn about. (Picture 150-151) I'm glad we did it after being put off by African Village walks after the Maasi one!



After the walk, I went for a shower and Bevan made us steak and jacket potatoes for dinner. Rob and I went to charge our phones and saw the bushmen doing a spiritual dance, around the camp fire which was quite cool! We then went to bed at around 10pm.



DAY 33:



This morning we had a 8am start as we were crossing the border into the penultimate country on tour, Namibia! I had heard lots about this country and was so excited to check it out. We crossed the border at about 11am and made our way to the capital of Naimbia, Windhoek. It was nothing like I was expecting at all. It was extremely modern and extremely western, with highways, street lights and shopping malls. It was very surreal! Due to Namibia being a Germany colony up until the First World War, there was a German feel to the city, (Picture 152) with mass in this church due in German twice a day. Rob and I went to the mall and I got some cream and some tablets for my rashes. He suggested I have a bath in some ice with some ointment, but that was not gonna happen. I don't know where the rash came from but it could be from the bush walks or from an insect bite or some cream I was putting on, but all I can say is I was so itchy! We then sat and had a coffee and utilised the wifi for an hour before making our way back to the truck. Once again I got in touch with Beth and it was lovely to chat.



We arrived at our campsite, it was so nice and there was a stunning pool we all chilled at. It was lovely, making the most of the sunshine. At around 6pm I started to get ready for dinner as we were going to a restaurant tonight!! What a novelty!



The restaurant was called Joes Beer House and I had a look at the menu and the only thing I was having was some crazy wild animal! Josh and I decided to have a 'bushman kebab' which included pieces of ostrich, zebra, crocodile, oryx and kudu. We also ordered a side of fries in case we didn't like it! (Picture 153) The ostrich, zebra, oryx and kudu all tasted like red meat and was stunning. I personally preferred the Oryx the best, I think because it was cooked the best. The crocodile on the other hand, was disgusting! Half of it had a very fishy texture and the other half was pure fat, it was gross. I also had a big bone in my piece, and the thought of nibbling on a crocodile bone I struggled with. I am so glad I tried something funky, it was exciting!



That night was had lots of cocktails, as they were £2.30 each and the we all walked back at the campsite at about 11:30pm, we were all a bit tipsy which was lots of fun!



DAY 34:



We had an early start again this morning as we were driving to Etosha National Park in Northern Namibia. We were up at 6:15 and dressed, eaten, tents packed and ready to drive by 7am. It was about a 6 hour drive, but everyone was asleep pretty much the whole journey. We arrived in the national park at around 1pm and then had time to chill and eat lunch, I went to the shop and bought postcards and stamps and wrote them sat by the pool. For a post card and an international stamp to Europe, it cost a grand total of 70p! Madness. You couldn't get a local stamp for that at home!



Liv, Rob, Josh and I hung out by the pool and made the most of the sunshine! Then at 3pm, we hoped back on the truck and had a game drive around Etosha for 3 hours. It was very pretty and quite different to the three other national parks we had been too, Maasi Mara, Serenghiti and Chobe. This was very rubbley and you couldn't see very far due to there being lots and lots of trees and bushes everywhere. Although within about 30 mins of being in the park we saw hundreds of eland gazelle wondering around, (Picture 154) it was quite a pretty scene. We didn't see very much else on the game drive that afternoon, but it was just nice to chill, have a few ciders and watch the landscape.



We went back to the camp and had chicken chakalacka for dinner, chicken spicy pasta, it is so good! Then once we had done all the pots we went down to the watering hole to see if anything was down there, but we were out of luck. We stayed there for around 40 minutes and only heard hyenas, but we couldn't see them, so we retired to bed at around 10pm.



DAY 35:



Today was a 6:15 start as Bevan wanted to get into the park at opening time which is 7am. The park is open from sunrise to sunset so it changed very day. Within about ten minutes of driving we saw our sightings of the day! Around twenty giraffes wondering around and eating breakfast. (Picture 155) They are very elegant animals. And then just around the corner we saw about four male lions and two female lions. They were so beautiful and playing with each other, rolling in the road and growling at each other. It was amazing sight to see. (Pictures 156-158) the lions were so close and looked healthy but there weren't as pretty as the lions we had seen in the Serenghiti or Maasi Mara, they looked a bit grey and dusty. But it was still a great sighting.



We drove and drove after this and didn't see much more than Impala on the drive. We stopped for lunch at 1pm and ate burgers, and had a few hours to chill. Rob and I decided to use the time wisely and went for a run up to another watering hole and did some exercise. (Picture 159) We started driving gain and the first thing we saw was the Etosha salt plains, it used to be a lake and looked like cracked desert terrain, but it was actually very squishy mud. (Picture 160) it was quite a stunning sight and once again there was just vast amounts of land everywhere! (Picture 161-162) On the drive back to the campsite, in three hours we saw a white rhino, which I hadn't seen before. And they were quite different to the black rhino we had seen before, it wasn't a good view so I didnt get a picture. Then on the road back, we were driving and Bevan screamed stop, from around 200 meters away, he had spotted a Leopard in a tree. Robinson the driver started reversing slowly and sure another there was a leopard clear as day in the tree, without my glasses I couldn't see the tree let alone the leopard. But I was so happy to see one through someone binoculars. Everyone was so happy to have seen a leopard!



That night we got back to the camp site at around 7pm and had lamb chops and very yummy mash potato for dinner and vegetables wahoo! Liv and I went to bed at around 10pm, I was getting tired and exhausted and feeling quite under the weather, so I knew an early night was what I needed.



DAY 36:



Today we woke up at 6am, for a 7am drive departure time. We were leaving Etosha and heading south to a cheetah rehabilitation park. Everyone was really excited! We stopped for a drop off in a small town and Rob and I had a coffee. We were both feeling very slow and tired and a little bit over camping and early mornings, so we both asked for a few extras shots of coffee! We arrived at the camp site at midday.



Bevan made us a rice salad for lunch and we chilled by the pool in the scorching sunshine waiting for our drive to the cheetah park. The driver came for us at about 4pm and we boarded the 4x4 and stood up as we drove through the desert to the cheetah park. When we arrived there, it was quite surreal, upon arrival we were greeted at they gates by two dogs, two men and four cheetahs. It was very strange. They invited us in and welcome us to the park and told us a little bit about the work they do in the area and for the cheetahs. Then we were taken around to the garden and were allowed to pet them and take photo graphs. It was really cool, but a bit scary as they were very jumpy and quite aggressive. I went to have a picture with one and it jumped up and scratched my leg and my hands! And with one big swipe it drew blood. (Picture 163-166)



We had half an hour with the cheetahs and in that time we got lots of pictures, but they scratched me, stole Livs shoes and Brookes hat. It was a cool experience but it did make you realise how strong and powerful these creatures are and they are top predators. Once our time was up, we were taken back on the truck and given the opportunity to watch the cheetahs feeding. It was amazing! The drivers left a big dustbin filled with meat, usually cow and donkey, on the back of the truck for their food and as soon as the truck pulled into the area there were six cheetahs hissing and pushing each other out of the way. It was quite a sight. The driver then threw meat into the air and the cheetahs would jump up and try to catch the meat in their mouths. It was quite a sight! (Picture 167) As soon as they had caught it, they ran away back into the bush so they did not have to share with the weaker ones. It was a cool thing to watch, but I was very glad to be sat on the truck.



We returned to the truck after about an hour and a half with the cheetahs including the drives there and back. And just as soon as we got back to the campsite it back to chuck it down the rain, despite it being a scorching day! The boys set up a cover coming off the truck and Bevan cooked us spaghetti carbonara. That evening we had a few debates about local African tribes and the traditions and customs and they we lowered the tone and played a few games of arse hole before bed,



DAY 39:



Today, we woke up at 6am, with breakfast at 6:15 and tents packed away and ready to drive at 7am. We were heading today to Spitkoppe mountains and we were all very excited. We drove for about four hours and then Bevan stopped the truck and we were to get out and have pictures. We were still about 20km from our camp site but the view from the road was just spectacular. (Picture 168-170) It was stunning it looked like a back drop from a movie. We took lots of photos and some cool group shots. (Picture 171) After about half an hour pure photo shoots, we decided to go back in the truck and we drove for another twenty minutes and came to a precious stone market, that sold nice jewellery and bits of pieces to buy. But for me the most excited part was the little kids! There was about ten of them aged between three and seven just waiting for someone to play with them, it was very cute! At first they were a bit cautious of the white person, but after they loved all the attention. One of the older children was so cute, and kept saying 'hello' and you would say back 'hello, how are you?' And he would reply without fail 'how are you fine.' It was very cute and he was obviously just parroting what he had heard other people say! Very sweet.



From there we drove on another 30 mins into the Spitzkoppe camp site. It was just beautiful being inside these beautiful rocks. We had arrived at about four o'clock and it was still scorching. As soon as we got there we were greeted by our guide who was going to take us on another bush man walk. He was quite interesting and again showed us plants used for local remedies for sickness and also some plants used in food. Like an interesting root you put in milk to keep it from going off and it can make milk last ten days without a fridge, quite a big feet in Africa!



He told us about the local language, which was similar to the click language in Botswana. And he even sung happy birthday to Liv in the clicks. The guide then showed us to an area with authentic bushman paintings. They had been there for thousands for years. We saw a rhino, which not only shows that there used to be Rhinos in the area, but also that the way the rhino is facing shows the way to water. (Picture 172) We then went back to the truck and enjoyed the sunset around the rocks, it was stunning! (Picture 173) Bevan cooked us BBQ chicken and potato dauphinouise. It was delicious!



At about 9 o'clock, Rob, Josh, Irene and I decided we wanted to camp on top of Spitzkoppe. So we packed up our stuff, I only packed my sleeping bag, pillow and mattress and Rob carried up a tent for us and we were off! (Picture 174) getting up there was hard, it was pure vertical upwards on hard granite rock. There was one bit where the boys had to lift us up and over the rocks as it was a huge jump. But it was all good and at a good hiking pace we made it up there after about 30 minutes. When we got to the top, the view was incredible! So worth the climb. We all had a celebratory beer at the top and set the tent up. It was quite windy up there, but there was a full moon which made it easy to set everything without torches. We star gazed for a bit and then at around midnight I went to sleep under the stars on my mattress. It wasn't comfortable, but it was a fantastic experience. I woke up once at around 3:30am and the sky was filled with the most beautiful stars. You could even see the Milky Way, it was stunning.



DAY 40:



The next morning we woke up at 4:30am and it wasn't with any grumbles this morning! It was great, the sun was rising all around and it looked stunning. (Picture 175) Here is a picture of our camp ground and the sunrise (Picture 176) Once the sun had risen we took a few pictures on top as the view was just stunning. (Picture 177) We packed up the tents at around 6am and made our way down the mountain. It was so nice with a bit of cool breeze and I am almost 100% sure that if I had seen the trek in the light then I wouldn't have done it! It was quite difficult.



We made it down, had a big breakfast and hit the road again. We were going to Swakopmund. It didn't take us long to drive, only a few hours, but I slept the whole way through after the crazy night on top of a mountain. When we arrived we were able to watch a video of all the activities available in Swakopmund for us to do and everyone signed up for what they wanted. Most people were doing sky diving that afternoon, but that didn't take my fancy at all!



After the meeting we went to our hotel and it was quite nice and smart and everyone plugged into the Wifi. For once it worked and it worked well! Liv and I decided to upgrade as it was her birthday and she had badly injured her foot so we thought it would be a nice idea. Rob, Josh, Liv and I went out for lunch in the city center and went for a moch around, but little was open as it was a Sunday. We got back to the hotel at 2pm and the rest of the group went sky diving and Rob and I decided to use the afternoon to completely chill out! I bought some credit for my phone and slept the whole afternoon and also managed to catch mum and dad on skype which was nice. At about 4pm I started to get ready as we were going out for dinner that night for Livs birthday.



At around 6pm everyone came back and was buzzing after sky diving except Liv the poor girl, who's foot was even worse after her jump. But she was still keen to party. We went to a nice restaurant down the road called Neapolitan, it was smart and had something for everyone. I had an Oryx stir fry for main and butternut soup to start and Rob, Rachel and I shared two bottles of wine. It is so cheap when you translate it back into pounds! The whole meal cost for myself 190 Namibian dollars, which works out as £90.Which is just madness for the wonderful meal I had. (Picture 178)



That night we went to a local bar, but being a Sunday it was pretty quiet. But we had a good night and had a few drinks back at the hotel. It was a good night and I think Liv enjoyed her birthday!





DAY 41:



The next time was a slow start, but because we had been used to getting up so early I woke up at 6am and found it hard to get to sleep after, but it was nice to be able to stay in bed! We had breakfast at around 10am and we had to move out of our upgraded room and into the dorm room with everyone else so we had a slow morning relaxing and sorting out stuff.



At about 12 o'clock, I went for a walk around the town and I was so happy to have a bit of time to myself. I bought some apples, magazines and a bottle of water and went and sat on the beach. It was so nice and relaxing and chilled! Irene came and joined me at 2ish and we went to grab some lunch. It was a lovely relaxed day. I then went back to the rooms and had a shower and got fresh and sorted out some accommodation for Cape Town whilst the wifi was good. At around 5:30pm, Josh, Rob and I decided it would be a good use of the evening if we went down an d watched the sunset on the beach. It was about a 15 minute walk, but it was amazing and when we got here the few was quite stunning. (Picture 179-182) We walked back to the hotel and got ready for dinner and just a so we were about to walk out the door, some guys came over and asked us if we wanted to eat a bbqed fish they had caught today. My eyes lit up! I love fish. It looked amazing and they had even made bbqed sweet corn and jacket potatoes so I was chuffed! We had an early night after eating the fish. It was a lovely way to end our time in the strange German town of Swakopmund.



DAY 42:



This morning was an early start, leaving the hotel at 7pm. We were heading into the. Namib desert! The drive was about 6 hours and it was so hot, but it was our most scenic drive yet. Parts reminded me of driving around Arizona last summer. As we drove we pasted and crossed the Tropic of Capricorn and we were able to take a few pictures out there! (Picture 183) We arrived at the camp just after lunch times no it was just so so hot! Like boiling. And when we arrived we ate lunch and were told we were going to be doing a bush walk! We all were shocked, how can they make us walk in this scorching weather. But we were thrown on the truck and told to put on buckets on sunscreen and go. We drove in the truck for around one hour and then we changed into smaller 4x4 vehicles. It was going to take us to the dead marsh. In times of old, there used to be a river than ran through the desert, but now it is only a river during the rains. And this area used to be part of the river but was cut off by the sand dunes and the sand formations. But the ground is still hard and clayey and there are very brittle trees growing in it that could be up to 4,000 years old.



The walk there however was not easy, it is the desert after all! It was so so hot and sweaty and climbing up sand uphill was quite a challenge, but it was so worth it when we eventually arrived. (Picture 184) We had the opportunity to take some photos (Pictures 185-186) and we were all quick to head back as it was just so hot and you felt very vulnerable in the heat!



We took about an hour walking in the desert and then back on the 4x4 and then back on to the truck. We all slept on the truck, as we were all exhausted from the mad walk in the desert. Bevan had stayed behind to start making dinner and Robinson had taken us to the marsh. On the way home he asked us if we wanted to see the canyon. We hadn't heard of this but we were keen to check it out. It took about 5 minutes to walk down to the bottom it was big, but it was absolutely beautiful, (Picture 187). It was quite nice to be covered from the sun in some places and there was even an area of water down there, which was refreshing to see!



We got back to the campsite at around 6 o'clock and chilled by the pool. (Picture 188) For dinner Bevan had cooked us a stunning beef stew and pap and peanut butter and cabbage. It was stunning! But tonight there was only one portion as we were joined by an Acacia truck and we shared dinner. We all were keen to get an early night, so we sat at the bar and watched the stars for a little and went to bed before ten



DAY 43:



The next day was a stupidly early start! We were up at 5am and in the truck at half past. We were going to climb Dune 45, the most photographed sand dune int eh world and watch the sun rise. The morning thankfully was not hot, but the sand was still as difficult to climb! It had took us about half an hour to walk up to the top and it was hard, but so worth it. The view was stunning. (Picture 189-191)At around 8:15 we ran down the side, which needless to say was a lot easier to come down than go up! (Picture 192)



As soon as we got down, Bevan had breakfast ready for us and we ate up, packed up and then got on the truck to drive. It was a full driving day today and it was hot! But again scenic. We arrived at the camp site at around 4:30 and it was still scorching hot! Me and Liv jumped straight into our costumes and went to the pool. It was a really nice and fresh campsite and the pool was lovely.



That night Bevan cooked us spaghetti Bolognese and we went to the bar for a few drinks before bed.



DAY 44:



This morning we were allowed a lie in! There was no set plan for us until 5pm on the itinerary. But because we had been up so early every day, I couldn't sleep past 8:30 and it was partly due to the fact that we were camping in the desert and as soon as the sun was up it was boiling! We ate breakfast and chilled out by the truck as people appeared in drips and drabs. Just as we had finished eating Bevan came up with a suggestion for the day, he said one hours drive away there is a hot natural springs spa. It costs 30 Namibian dollars, which is £2 and it gives you access to all the hot springs. He is happy to have everyone come we just need to tell him as soon as possible. I jumped at the chance! I was so excited, it was better than chilling by the pool, even though I love doing that! Josh, Steph, Iren, Liv and I decided to go and we were to be ready by 11am.



We got on the truck at 11ish and drove for an hour through the pure desert, we didn't see any other cars or anything there! We arrived at this spa, it was so hot. It was a full resort, with a camping area, lodges, a reception, restaurant, shop and bar! We paid our R30 and went round to the spa. (Picture 193) It was absolutely stunning! Like amazing and nothing we ever expected. The first pool we went to was 38 degrees, so just lovely and was pretty much a massive hot tub with big jets etc. it was lovely just too it and chill. (Picture 194) The next one we went into was a little bit colder, but a perfect combination with the hot pool. Steph and Iren decided to get a massage, so we all decided to grab some lunch. We had some lovely cocktails. (Picture 195)



After lunch, we only had an hour before we had to go, so Josh, Liv and I went to the outdoor pool, which was also just above body temperature. (Picture 196) it was stunning. I had such a nice afternoon just chilling in the sun and enjoying the water. We drove back to the campsite at 4:15pm, as we needed to be back at. The campsite to pick up the others to get to the Fish River Canyon before sunset. I was excited for it!



We picked everyone up nanny once again it was an hours drive from the campsite, but in the opposite direction of the springs. When we got there the sun was just about to step so we ran over to the viewing spot straight away! It was stunning. The Fish River Canyon is very different to how I remember the Grand Canyon, but it was still amazing to see. (Picture 197-200)



It was a lovely way to spend the evening! I really enjoyed it's we drove back to the campsite with all the truck lights off, and watched the stars. Upon our return Bevan was serving the best dinner yet, Oryx steak and potato wedges. It was amazing! That night we chilled at the bar for a bit before going to bed.



DAY 45:



This morning, we were up and out before 8am, no one wanted to get up this morning after the lie in yesterday, including me! We got in the truck, drove for about two hours and then we got to the South AfrIcan border crossing. I was so happy to be crossing into the last country in Africa, the last one on seven! It was quite easy, we filled in a form to say we were exited. Namibia and pretty much the same form to enter South Africa. And we got another stamp in our passports,



We drove for another forty minutes before we arrived at our camp site. This camp site was placed right on the edge of the Orange River and the view was lovely. (Picture 201) It was beautiful! We had lunch as soon as we got there, Bevan cooked us pork, rice and tomatoes. I was really good, after that we all went to the bar. It was a very very hot day! We were all boiling hot and so to keep cool we just drunk the bar dry!



We had a few dips in the river and Josh, Bevan and I went for a dip and we were followed by three dogs that lived on the campsite. They were so cute and loved playing! We were throwing balls and corks for them and would chase it miles. It was a very nice way to chill and relax.



That night Bevan cooked us chicken and butternut squash for dinner. It was so good. Unfortunately Steph got a little bit worse for wear and ended up chucking up inside all of the toilets! Whoops. So we cleaned her up and all lied under the stars and told silly stories! It was so funny, particularly Stephs paramedic stories and the made up ones about Jrob farting to Pluto and meeting some interesting aliens in Mars. We went to bed at about 11, it was one of my favourite nights, the stars were stunning!



DAY 46:



Today we woke up at 7am, breakfast at 7:15 and all ready to go by 8. It was the last full day today! And it largely consisted of a long drive, just driving south down South Africa. The drive was boring and hot. We stopped for an hour for lunch somewhere in the desert. But we had one thing to look forward to, a wine tasting as soon as we got to our campsite!



We drove for about three hours and stopped at a Pick N Pay for us to buy some bits and bats and to get some money out. Then we drove for ten minutes and stopped at a campsite for some lunch, Bevan cooked us hot dogs, they were pink in colour and looked disgusting! I just stuck to the salad! After the stop for food and snacks, we had a five hour drive ahead of us and arrived at the Highlanders campsite at around 4:30. We put our tents up to a beautiful setting. (Picture 202) Then we had a wine tasting at 5:15 and we were all very excited. We tried two whites, which were both nice and then two reds, the Pinotage was lovely, but the Shiraz was a a bit too strong for me! (Picture 203) The last one we tried was a very sweet wine, an African special mixed with the local tea Rooibos. I love desert wine so I really enjoyed it, but most of the others really didn't enjoy it! The view of the campsite was just beautiful!



That night, the last night, we all packed up our stuff and had dinner, Bevan cooked sausages and mash potato again! And then Rob and I sat at the bar and went through all our pictures from the whole trip and remembered all the stunning times we had had! We went to bed at around 12am.



DAY 47:



We were up and out for the last early morning and the last day in Acacia! How quickly has 43 days gone eh! Madness.

We drove from 9am-1:30pm when we arrived in the center of Cape Town. Everyone picked up there stuff and headed off to their accommodation. I had a single room booked for me which cost me £20 and the hotel was really nice and Kirsty and Josh were staying there as well. So we shared a taxi together, I paid for my room and dumped all my stuff inside and went straight to sleep! I was shattered and loving being in a bed. But I was I bit sad to be leaving the truck! (Picture 204)



I started to get ready at about 5pm and at 6:30 we were meeting the group again including Bevan and Robinson. We had a nice meal and some nice cocktails and then partied the night away on the famous long street! (Picture 205-206)



DAY 48:



That morning, Josh and I were very very hungover and with everyone scattered all over the city, we decided to go for a fat hungover breakfast. I had a pasta, creamy with bacon and Josh had an English breakfast! After that I went straight back to bed!



I had to move hostels, from Ashanti where the truck left us to my hostel on the party strip long street. It was very easy to find and was very cool, with lots of security. The two girls in my room were really nice, one was from Hong Kong and one Columbian. They were sweet and welcoming!



At around 5pm, Josh and I went to the waterfront and chilled there, it was rainy and foggy so there wasn't much to see, but we walked there and back getting a feel for the area. We had a McDonalds and went back to bed!



DAY 49:



Today, we tried to have a fresher start! We met at McDonalds at the top of the street, a good meeting point for everyone. Josh, Iren and I were going to do a free walking tour which started at 11. We walked down to the starting point and grabbed a coffee. It was actually quite cold and windy. There was a lot of people ready and waiting for us to start. Some Germans, a French lady, a Swiss couple, another english guy and of course some Australians. The tour guide was called Andy Murray and he was extremely enthusiastic but a bit of a corn dog!



He showed us lots of statues including one of the first president of South Africa and Mr Rhodes, who governed 'Rhodesia' which was how a lot of Africa used to be known. We saw the parliament office and also the working office of Nelson Mandela. (Picture 207) We walked through some pretty parks and saw areas and roads that spectated races in the apartheid era. One of the scariest things we saw was a classification office, erected in the 1970s, apartheid times. The building was used for people to work out what race they belonged to and therefore which area of town they lived in and what civil rights they were entitled to. Black people had to carry around a passport/identity card in this time, which could also be collected in this building.



One of the tests that were used to work out whether people were black, white or coloured (half cast) was a pencil test. Where a pencil was pushed into a South Africans hair. If they could look down and shake there head without the pencil dropping out, they were black, if it stayed there longer than 10 seconds but not when you shock your head, you were coloured and if slipped out, you were white. Of course, first tests were done on your family tree, but this method was used commonly in this period! This of course meant, families were completely split up and aunt and uncles could live in a completely different side of town to you. Even brothers and sisters were split up.



Outside the building there was two benches, one said 'whites only and the other 'non whites only'. (Picture 208) I find that although these kinds of things happened in 1920s America, it is easy to disassociate with it as it happened not even in my grandmas time. However, this is very relevant and happened not long along at all. The apartheid laws were broken down the year I was born and Nelson Mandela was released from Robben Island just 17 months before I was born. I find this scary that people have not learnt from history and we still treat people so badly after all this time and still discriminate people, cutting out their civil rights because of the colour of their skin.



It was certainly an interesting tour! We then walked further out of town. It a part called the Cape Malai, it the times of history where the Dutch owned Cape Town and most of South Africa, this area is where the slaves were kept. The houses were bleak and white. But not today! (Picture 209) When the slaves were emancipated in the late 1800s, there was such celebrations and huge parties were held. Including the painting of the white houses, in the brightest colours you could possibly find! Every year they have a similar party, where colourful clothes are worn to remember this time. A lot of the slaves brought over were from the Middle East, Malaysian etc. this greatly explains the large Muslim groups in Cape Town, the Arabic influence in the food and the mixture of some Arabic words and influence into the language Afrikaans, predominately made up of old Dutch.



The next place we were to was the Castle of Good Hope. A very old fortification, built by the Dutch. And right next to this was what we had all been waiting for, the parade and the building where Nelson Mandela made his first speech as a free man and changed the history of South Africa forever. (Picture 210) It was quite an impressive site and a great part of history, you could imagine the parade filled with people on the day he was released. A real atmosphere must have been in the air! It is a very special part of history.



After the tour we gave our guide Andy a tip and then we went for some lunch. Josh, Iren and I decided to do something cheap and cheerful, and Andy suggested a little eastern bizarre which had lots of choice and was very cheap. We arrived there and he was spot on! The place was cool with choice of Indian, pizzas, Chinese, Turkish, Mexican, vegetarian.. At such cheap prices. Huge pizzas were 30R about £1.70, I had a piece of tandoori chicken and salad, it cost 25R, £1.45 and it was authentically made and delicious! Such a good place right in the center of town. We then decided to walk to the waterfront, one of the most popular places in Cape Town. It was a niceish day, but it rained a bit as well, what they say about Cape Town and it's four seasons in a day is completely true. On our thirty minute walk, it rained, it was windy, it was sunny and hot. Very strange!



In this strange and wild weather, we walked to the waterfront, it is about a thirty minute walk. When we arrived at the water front, it was actually quite sunny, and we caught our first glimpse of what we thought was Table Mountain, but it was actually Lions Head. (Picture 211-212) in the second picture, you can see where the mountain is supposed to be, but as the locals say, the 'table cloth' was down! We wondered around the waterfront, but except food and shopping there isn't that much to do. And because I hate shopping and we had just eaten we only stayed there a few hours. Iren and I decided to book our Robben Island tickets.



That night, Rob, Iren, Liv, Josh and I went for a burger at a local but very good restaurant. The food was stunning! The burgers were great quality and interesting flavours. I had one which was a burger with mozzarella cheese, sun blushed tomatoes and roasted vegetables on it. It was stunning and with two drinks, still under £10. Then we went to a jazz club after, there were two guys playing, one singing and playing acoustic guitar and another guy playing the saxophone! They paid songs we knew and rifts we knew with cool saxophone parts. It was a cool place!



We then went to the Dubliner pub, which we love and the live music was amazing, just a guy playing guitar and singing songs you can dance to! We met the other girls, Brookes, Steph and Kirstie, and had a few drinks with them before they left to go back home. We partied the night away and danced, but then we did some shots at the bar and rob put his phone down, did his shot and looked up and his phone had been pinched! Whoops. He was gutted! Poor guy.



After that we all decided to go home after that as we all felt a bit flat, but apart from the last hour, it was a great night and lots of fun!



DAY 50:



Today was a slow day, Iren wanted to do some shopping, so Josh and I opted out. We decided to have a lie in and meet at 1pm for some lunch, we went back to the eastern food bizarre. It was nice and just so cheap! And once again the weather was one thing one minute and another the next, so we just wondered around so markets, but there was not much to do in the rain and it was a bit boring!



We then decided to go to the tourism office, and ask if there was anything we could do that was free in the local area. They said some weird art museum or a garden walk, but it was raining. Then the lady saw me holding this Cape Town book, with things to do in the city. The lady, just as I turned away said, if you would like to review this book, we are writing our 2015 version, we will give you a free ride on the hop on hop off bus. Josh and I jumped at the chance, we raved about the book, how good it was, how we use it everyday in Cape Town.



They instantly handed over the tickets, even though Josh had never seen the book before. We got on the bus, it was great, we saw lots of the city, stuff we had seen before and new stuff also. It was nice to have a birds eye view of the city. (Picture 213) We then drove up to the cable car a Table Mountain and the view was absolutely stunning! (Picture 214) Then we drove on the other side of the mountain to Cape Town and saw Camps Bay and Clifton, which is absolutely stunning! I want a holiday home there.



We got off the bus at around 6pm and then walked into the nearest McDonalds none had dinner there. On the walk back home we stopped in Green Market square and watched some cool jazz.



DAY 51:



This morning, was the morning we have all been waiting for! We were going to climb Table Mountain. We all met at McDonalds at 8:30am, Josh, Iren and I and we were ready. We went back to my hostel check the weather and grab a coffee before the big walk.



The first section, we walked from long street to the bottom of the cable car, this is about 2km, and all up hill, Mont Felard up hill style! I knew I was in for a hard day! We got to the bottom of the mountain at the Cable Car and had another coffee. I was nervous and dubious about the climb as the cable car up was only £18. But the guys dragged me up and I was so glad we did. (Picture 215) The first 100m up as hard and rocky and I kept thinking the cable car was going to hit my head when it drove past. (Picture 216) We then walked along the mountain, not going higher at all and it was beautiful and it wasn't hard at all. It was about an hour across. We even walked across a waterfall and watched the city of Cape Town through water. (Picture 217-218) We were all enjoying the nice walk and certainly the scenery. Then, the skies cleared! We realised we had not moved up at all and we still had a long long way to go. (Picture 219) Many local South Africa's past us and kept saying you still have a long long way to go and the real hike had not started. This was not reassuring!



We then eventually saw a sign for Pletterklipp Gorge, where we were supposed to be heading, not the easiest route up, but the most common one. We looked up and couldn't even see the top, only people struggling all the way up. I was ready for the challenge, but no idea what I was getting myself into. It was a long long hike up up up. We kept stopping for rest stops. (Picture 220) We would refuel with water, I would moan and moan and say we should have got the cable car and Josh would estimate how much longer we had left. But we would always say, 'nearly there!'



We saw many people on our route up, the ones coming up looked tired and sweaty. We even saw a lady lying on her back in the bushes, panting and shouting at her husband for dragging her up the mountain! We saw stupidly fit families dragging there children up for a morning stroll. We even saw a lot of locals who we saw running up the mountain, only to see them about half an hour later running back down fresh as a daisy. It was pretty crazy. At one point we looked behind us and all you could see was a sheer drop down and the clouds, we were that high we were in the clouds! (Picture 221) It was amazing but a bit scary.



We were walking for about two/three hours and then breakthrough. Every person that walked pasted we asked them how much further to go and they would all say somewhere between 30 to 45 minutes no matter how far we walked in between each person. It was pretty much a vertical hike, climbing up rocks and much of it I climbed like a mountain goat on all fours! Then Iren heard music and we knew we were near the top. I was absolutely elated, it gave me the energy to get up to the top of the mountain, I was so happy!



However, it was a false alarm! When we arrived to the music man, he was sat smiling on sign that said +/- 20 minutes to the top. Needless to say, I was not smiling. However, I knew if I had got that far I could 100% get to the top. And of course I made it! (Picture 222-223) When we got to the top it was just the most beautiful thing in the world. On one side you could see Cape Town in all it's glory and on the other side you said the stunning Camps Bay which was beautiful. (Picture 224) I loved the feeling of being on top of the mountain and watching the clouds roll in and out as they do so often in Cape Town! (Picture 225) We then went for some lunch as food and water were the only things on our minds. I had a stunning plateful of ostrich stew with some vegetables and Josh and Iren had two large slices of pizza each. Food of champions.



We had some nice pictures on top of the mountain and made the most of the view, which was of course beautiful and we were so lucky for the weather to be lovely and sunny. (Picture 226-228) We then got the cable car down to the bottom of the mountain after a break taking day and then we walked home. Our feet aching, but we were so proud of our amazing achievement! We all kept looking back and thinking, yeah! I climbed that mountain. What a great feeling.



We all then made our way back to our hostels and had a well deserved shower. We later met for a drink and a pizza at around 8pm and of course an early night, we were shattered!



DAY 52:



Once again, it was another early start! I met Iren at the waterfront at 7:30am for the 8am tour to Robben Island. (Bear in mind my hostel is forty minutes walk from the waterfront, it was an early start!) We boarded the boat to Robben Island and it was jam packed full, no boats had run any other day that week due to weather and large swells, so we were lucky to get on. The boat ride was pretty standard and there wasn't a lot to see, so we just slept the whole journey. When we arrived however, it was absolutely stunning weather. It was beautiful, clear blue skies, 30 degrees.



We got off the boat and were moved quickly on to a bus. The bus was directed by a very interesting man who was actually a resident on Robben Island. I didn't know this but people actually live on the island now, including about 7 families, 27 children and there's even a school and a church. The first thing we saw was a Lepper Graveyard, (Picture 229) which was what the island was used for originally, to dispose of -any undesirables. As soon as the disease broke out in South Africa there was a lot of scare mongoring, so all the Leppers and their belongings were shipped to Robben Island and their houses were burnt down.



The next thing we saw was an internment cell, only one man has lived been kept here. (Picture 230) He was kept for six years and was only allowed one letter home every six months. It goes without saying he went mental, very quickly, with no communication from anyone. He survived his six year imprisonment, but as soon as he was let out he broke down and died shortly after. It was a tiny little room and it is no wonder this guy suffered so terribly. We then saw the lime stone quarry Mandela worked on in his times in prison. (Picture 231) The dust of the stone really affected Mandela and dried up his tear ducts, so he could never cry and similarly this is why he suffered such respiratory problems in his later life, which subsequently contributed to his death.



We had a little coffee break after this sighting and we were able to see table mountain! (Picture 232-233) It looked absolutely beautiful. I could just sit and watch it all day. In the little coffee shop, Iren and I were lucky enough to meet a man who knew Mandela very well, Christopher Brand. (Picture 234) He was a prison guard at the time Mandela was in prison and they remained good friends after his release. Just first hand evidence of how forgiving and humble Mandela really was. It was quite a special meeting.



We then got off the bus at the high security prison. It was quite a scary place and reminded me a lot of Auschwitz. (Picture 235) We were introduced to a man who was in prison at the same time as Mandela and was a political prisoner himself. (Picture 236) He was very interesting and he said he was in prison as he was a black man and continually tried to escape the country as he couldn't watch his race constantly repressed. It was very sad to hear he was arrested and held for such a small crime! We were directed into the cell where he stayed, which he would share with around 10-15 other men. (Picture 237) We were then sent to the courtyard where all the political prisoners worked. There was still segregation here. With the whites doing more craftsmanship, such as sewing or carving and wearing trousers and shirts and the blacks doing more heavy duty jobs, using more strength and wearing shorts and t-shirts, to show them to be more like young boys and essentially children. Mandela would have also worked in this courtyard.



We were then directed to Mandela actual cell. It was very small, had only two blankets to sleep on, a pillow, a table and a bowl for a waste which the prisoners would have to empty themselves every morning. (Picture 238) Very basic and tiny. What made the trip slightly more light hearted was seeing this lady with a bum that was nearly a meter long! (Picture 239)



After seeing Mandelas cell we were sent to the gift shop, it was very short and sweet the tour, but it was very thought provoking. We got back on the boat and on e again the view of the mountain was absolutely stunning.



After the tour, Iren and I had some lunch at the waterfront and did a bit of shopping as it was her last day. I found this which I thought was perfect for the Pate Queen Beth! Iren got some nice bits and pieces for people back home and we spent the day walking around the shops and the markets. It was lovely!



At about five o'clock we saw down for some dinner at the amazing burger place again and I had the exact same thing! It was delicious. Iren was not feeling well, so we called it an early night and said our goodbyes. I met some people in the hostel and had a few drinks with them and also went to bed nice and early. My legs hurt!



DAY 53:



I had a lovely lie in today, I was so happy to chill out! I woke up, read my boat had some cereal for breakfast. Went for a walk around the town, I needed some new flip flops desperately. It was nice to just chill and enjoy Cape Town. At about 4:30pm I went back to my hostel grabbed some dinner and got ready as Liv was coming to meet me and we were going clubbing on the famous long street.



I got all dressed up and met Liv at around 7pm and we partied all night! It was a great one. (Picture 240)



DAY 54:



The next morning was quite a slow start once again, but it was nice weather so I got up and walked to the water front for breakfast but by the time I got there it was around lunch time so I grabbed a noodle pot and sat out in the sun and enjoyed it. Liv met me again at around 2 o'clock and we walked around and chatted and shopped a bit. It was a nice day with a clear view of the mountain so we kept stopping a little bars and cafés for coffee and breaks from the heat and enjoying the view.



We eventually made it back to long street and had a few drink there, I stuck to the water! We decided to sit outside and enjoying the sunshine. But we kept getting pestered by the young street children who come and beg at your table. They have nothing to give or sell and just beg for money. It is so sad and they are just skin and bones, but you literally can't give to every child who walks by unfortunately.



That evening, I was invited around to Livs family friends for a 'Braii' or as I call it a BBQ. Owen and Ruth the lovely people who invited me were only too kind. They picked us up from long street and took us to Wynberg where they live, about 15 minutes drive from the city center. It was so nice to see a normal house with a sofa and a TV and a kitchen. I was so pleased! They were so hospitiable, I got to meet their lovely son, Pierre, and his wife, Stacey, and their grandchild Kade, who was a ball of energy! Pierre cooked the nicest braii ever, which lots of chicken, South African sausage, ribs, bread, everything was delicious! I was very well fed. Lots of the family came around also, so it was lovely to meet them as well.



Liv and I retired to bed early, they let me stay the night with them as it was easier than driving back to the city late at night. I felt so blessed to stay with them, such a lovely family.



DAY 55:



It was so nice this morning not to wake up in a hostel with people waking up at the crack of dawn to check out and new people checking in! Ruth made us a lovely breakfast with lots of toast and yummy fruit. We had nice fresh showers and got ready as we were going to a road trip to the beautiful beaches of Cape Town. We stopped at Green Point, Sea Point, Camps Bay (Picture 241) and eventually Hout Bay. (Picture 242) It was such a touristy spot and particularly on a Sunday! But we looked around the shops and the local stalls selling very fresh fish and Africa curios. We also saw a lady feeding the seals, putting fish in her mouth and watching them jump out of the water which was quite a spectacle! (Picture 243)



We then spotted for fish and chips and the quee was huge! Being English, I was not convinced they would be any good. But good lord, the quee was about 45 minutes long and they were worth the wait! They were incredible. I had a stunning fried hake, a white fish very similar to cod and we all shared some calamari and prawns, which were beautiful! So tasty and yummy.



Once we had a good feed, we got in the car back to Ruth's place. Liv and I had a chilled few hours, I managed to skype home for Graces birthday! Which was very nice to hear from everyone. Then Liv and I started to get ready, we were going to a local event, recommended to us by some locals we met, called Cold Turkey, it was a low key drinking thing on a Sunday where people sit out enjoy the BBQ and the sun and when the sun goes down there is a large club there too. It was great great fun! We met loads of cool people and really enjoyed the atmosphere, it was definitely a local thing though, we felt very out of place! (Picture 244)



After Cold Turkey, we went back to Long Street band had a few more drinks and partied on there! That night I went back to Ruth and Owens with Liv as they kindly let me stay again. I had a great night and I was so sad it was my last with Liv!



DAY 56:



This morning was an early start and I was feeling very sad, as Liv was leaving me to go back to Jo'Burg where she works. I was sad to see her go and as always, it is the worst thing about travelling, saying goodbye to people!



After I had seen Liv off, Owen kindly dropped me off at the waterfront and I got some lunch there and slowly wade back to my hostel, enjoying the sunshine and the city some more. When ever I walk home I always try to take different routes as there really is something cool on every street here! I had a nice shower and chilled for a bit, read my book etc. and at about 5:30pm I met Rob.



He came to my hostel and we went for a walk to the waterfront (again). I had said to him from the start that I really wanted to have a nice posh delicious fish meal in Cape Town as it is such a nice city for food and it is so cheap. We sat down and ordered a bottle of white wine at a stunning restaurant called Quay4 and we also ordered a seafood platter. Which was king prawns, calamari and two piece of the catch of the day on a bed of flavoured rice. It was all delicious. The weather was nice, the food was amazing and the company was perfect. I had a lovely evening. Rob decided to head back at about quarter to ten to his cousins as he didn't want to miss the last bus. I, of course, got a taxi back to long street.



Just as I was walking in the door of my hostel, I met two guys, Joey and Bruno, who I had had drinks with before and they said they were heading out for a few. I decided to join them and out on long street I went again! We had a great night and met lots of different people and for some reason lots of Eastern Europeans. It was a great evening and a lot of fun. I went to bed at about 1 and Joey, Bruno and I arranged to meet again in the morning to do something the next day!



DAY 57:



The next morning, it was only me who was at the meeting place in the morning, of course, the boys had carried on partying and had forgotten all about our plans. A I decided to grab some breakfast and chill out for a bit and at around 11am I knocked on there doors and dragged them out of bed.



They quickly got up and apologised and bought me a coffee to say sorry. We decided to hire a car for the day and drive to the Cape Peninsular. (Picture 245) I had wanted to do this for some time, but I wasn't sure how best to do it by myself so with the boys it was perfect! We managed to hire a car for 360R for the day, £20! And we were off by 12:30 driving along the same route I had done with Ruth and Owen, towards Camps Bay and Hout Bay. I had to show the boys the great fish and chip shop, so we parked up and grabbed another take away from the great restaurant! Then we carried in driving around land I hadn't seen before. There were lots of vistas and places for a picture as the view was just beautiful. I loved it! (Picture 246-247)



We drove along Chapmans peak, a famous drive and the road cuts into the cave, it was an absolutely beautiful drive. And we kept stopping for more pictures, I am not sure where this one is, but it looked very similar to good olde St. Ouen eh! (Picture 248) We drove and drove and drove through Simons town, we probably drove for about 40 minutes and we finally came to the Cape Peninsular National Park. We had to pay a small fee and then we were in! We kept seeing absolutely huge baboons, enormous ones and even some sad at the side of the ride licking their bugs! And after about another thirty minutes driving we came to Cape Point. It was extremely windy but stunning, there was nothing in sight for miles. Is the most southerly part of Africa. We only had a few hours in the national park as it was about to close, so we took a few shots and then drove to the next stop. (Picture 249-251)



We then drove down to the Cape of Good Hope, I am not sure what it is, but it is famous for something! It was cool, where two tides meet, the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. Again we took some pictures and were back driving. (Picture 252) It was about 5 o'clock and I wanted to be back to see Owen and Ruth for dinner one more time before I left.



We drove through the National Park band a different way home which. Was nice and more through the city way which was interesting. We saw some stunning towns such as Fishhoek. We were even lucky enough to make a short stop in Simons Town and see the famous African Penguins. They were so jute and very scared of us when we approached them! Bless. (Picture 253)



We made it back to Long Street at around 8pm and Owen is me and picked me up at 8:30pm. I had bought Ruth some 'English' chocolates, Owen some milk tart his favourite and Kade some chocolate bunnies to say thank you for having me and it was the very least I could do! They had been so lovely to me.



I had dinner with Ruth, Owen band his sister and they advised me on the best laces to go on the next part of my trip and it was lovely to chat to them about their experiences in South Africa. We stayed up late chatting and I went to bed at around 11pm.



DAY 58:



After a few very hectic days, I was desperate for a few minutes to myself. I woke up early and did some washing, sorted out my rucksack of all the junk left from Acacia trip and camping and some of the paper work I no longer needed. I also showed Ruth some of my pictures of the trip, she was very interested to see. When I had finally got sorted and organised. I went to meet some more of Ruth's family, her great aunty Ruth and some cousins. All the South Africans I had made were so hospitality and lovely, I was lucky to see this part of living in the country. It was great. I played Barbie for ages with the little girl, Charlie, while Ruth chatted with her sweet family.



After Ruth and I went for some lunch and once again I chilled in the afternoon and I sorted out some music and pictures on my iPhone so I had some memory for the rest of the trip! At around 6pm, I went to meet Rob again and say goodbye. It was sad how he was the first person I met at the airport and the last person I will say goodbye to in Cape Town. We went for a walk along the beach, it was absolutely beautiful, with the sunset and the crashing waves and the city lit up in front if us. I was so sad to leave Cape Town, I nearly cried. It is an incredible place! (Picture 254)



We went for a pizza on the beach and shared a bottle of wine and chilled again. I went back home at around 11ish and got all my stuff ready for the next day as it was an early start. Had a little cry with Ruth as I was so so sad to leave her and Cape Town. But although I was sad, I was a little excited to visit somewhere new.



DAY 58:



Owen dropped me at the baz bus stop at about 7am on his way to work and the bus came and collected me at twenty past. It was a small mini bus size and went all over Cape Town to various different hostels, picking lots of people up until it was almost full! It stopped in lots of different places and you saw some many people!



My next stop was Mossell Bay, which was good for water sports and had a stunning beach. I got to my hostel and only me and one other guy got off a very sweet German guy called Markus. Our hostel was nice and the staff were so friendly. We arrived at about 3pm. So I dumped my stuff straight away and grabbed a mango from the local store and sat on the beach and ate it in the sunshine! I explored the town of Mossel Bay, it was small but very sweet and quiet. It was touristy but a cute place to see.



That evening, Markus and I decided to head down to a lovely beach side restaurant called Kaai4. It was recommended to us by the lady at reception. It was absolutely stunning outside with the sound of the ocean crashing around you and the sand beneath your feet. They cooked the food on a hot bonfire in a braii style in the middle of the restaurant and they even cooked bread on the open fire as well with a wedge of butter on it. It was absolutely stunning! I had a beautiful piece of hake covered in garlic with the lovely bread and a light salad.



After, Markus and I sat by the fire and had a coffee (which they made and flavoured by putting a hot piece of wood from the fire into the hot water!) and chatted to some locals until closing time at 11pm and then we walked back to the hostel. (Picture 255) Mossel Bay at night time was an absolute ghost town, there weren't even cars on the road. But we made it back safely and had a nice sleep.



DAY 59:



Today woke up at 8:30, and Janine, the hostel owner, gave us a lift to Danabaii, where we could start a 13.5km hike. The view was absolutely beautiful and we were walking along the headline, just like the cliff paths at home. The trek, named the St. Blaize Trail, was hard and it was very hot, not table mountain hard, but still testing. (Picture 256)



The biggest difficulty was that it was very poorly signposted so a few times we lost our way and we lost the path completely and and had to walk back. One time we lost our way so badly, the only way we could see was going down, so we scaled down the side of a cliff, I cut up all my legs climbing through thistles. We eventually got to the bottom after great difficulty and some locals had watched drugs down and were waiting for us at the bottom as they knew it was so unsafe! But we made it. Even though I was so scared climbing down the rock face, I was glad we got to the beach as we saw a dolphin, but a dead one! It was so dead and decaying and it absolutely stunk! (Picture 257)



We soon realised that the path was back on top of the cliff. (Picture 258) Luckily there was a nice but very steep walk way up, so we walked all the way back to the managed to get back on the path. We started the walk at 9:30am on the dot and finished at 3:45pm, without a break for lunch. By the end I was shattered and downed a full bottle of coke zero and a well deserved bag if crisps!



I enjoyed the rest of the afternoon chilling out on the beach and dipping in the sea! That night we went back for an early dinner at Kaai4, I had. A delicious chicken kebab, bread and salad and another coffee and we had an early night. (Picture 259)



DAY 60:



That morning was a slow start, I had a nice egg on toast in the sun and went for a nice jog along the sea front. It was beautiful. On my way back I bought some fruit for lunch and scoffed it down before the Baz Bus came to collect us at 1:45.



My next stop was Victoria Bay, I arrived there around 4:30 and no one got off the bus with me. (Picture 260) I was a bit disappointed, but not to worry, I was sure there would be people at the hostel! I was wrong, turns out I had a dorm room to myself that night. I dumped my stuff and went to explore the stunning beach. It looked very much like. Plemont, a small rugged beach, exclusive to locals! I laid on the beach and watched the sunset, the families running round and smelt those cooking a braii behind me. (Picture 261)



I went back to the hostel had a shower and got fresh and Dave the owner was cooking a delicious stew for me. It was a beef and tomato style with lots of vegetables, just the way I like it! It was delicious and we chatted lots about South Africa and the history, which I find so interesting. Then after dinner he took me for a walk down the pier to see the stars and you could see the Milky Way, it was beautiful.



I spent a few hours that night listening to ted talks and sorting out my blog as it was in quite a mess and Dave lent me his computer which was very kind of him and easier for me to organise things on there. I went to bed at around 11:30pm.



DAY 61:



This morning I had a nice lie in, as there was no hustle and bustle in my hostel room as there was no one there! I decided to head down to the beach again. I enjoyed lying there and reading a few books and articles and taking in the rays. In the afternoon I went for a walk down the pier to a local shell garden and where I could watch the surfers catching waves, it was very beautiful. (Picture 262)



I went back to the hostel at around 6:30pm and there were more people! In fact there was a whole dorm full. Two American girls, two Dutch girls and two german boys. Everyone was so nice and we decided to do a BBQ as Dave had bought some meat. We all had dinner and a few drinks and discussed the best parts of the garden route! It was interesting to hear everyone's thoughts. We then took a few beers down to the beach and sat on the rocks and listened to the waves and watched the stars. It was a lovely evening and it was so nice to meet some new people. The American/Dutch girls were studying in Africa so it was interesting to listen to their stories! We then went to bed at about midnight after a lovely evening.



DAY 62:



This was an early, start we were all up at 6:45, eaten breakfast and got ready to begin a hike at 8am. We walked up and up the cliff to an old rail way path. The rail way walk was absolutely beautiful. (Picture 263-264)Crossing over the ocean a few times. We walked through caves and tunnels until we arrived at the number one attraction in Victoria Bay. (Picture 265)This weird old cave that a guy has turned into his home. He lives on tourist donations and takes in many of the homeless. He had a table and chairs outside which was absolutely stunning. And the inside was a bit crazy with lots of god and Jesus quotes and figures everywhere. There was also lots of junk, like dolls, phones, type writers, paintings, masks. (Picture 266-267) Lots of random junk! It was cool though and the parts he had decorated with shells were very beautiful. He guy that had designed the cave and that lived there said he had lived in a monastery and had a calling to come to a cave and turn it into a home. He did it and it looks beautiful, if not very weird! Each to their own I suppose.



We walked back along the railway walk and were back at the hostel at around midday. I had some lunch and said goodbye to the America/Dutch girls as they were on their way to Cape Town. I sat in the sun for a bit and took in the stunning view of Victoria Bay for the last time (Picture 268) and the Baz Bus came and collected me at around 3:15pm.



I was excited for my next destination, which was Plettenburg Bay, which was more of a city on the beach. I arrived there at around 7pm. I grabbed a takeaway, a lovely grilled chicken and some rice and got unpacked and made friend with some lovely people from Belgium. They were on a break from their internship, they worked in no township (a black settlement/shanty town) and looked after disabled people there. Some of their stories were quite hard to hear, particularly about the young children, but it was certainly interesting. We sat at the bar and had a few drinks and chilled. I went to bed at around 11pm as I was tired from the early start and the hike!



DAY 63:



This morning, I woke up nice and early and went for a run. It was so hot so I didn't get very far. I got back to the hostel and showered and got straight into my bikini, I was having a beach day. (Picture 269)



I walked through the local town and grabbed a mango and made my way down to the beach. It was down a steep slope but it was absolutely stunning with the ocean and the mountains in the background.



I enjoyed the beach for a few hours and soaked up the sun and took a few dips in the ocean. I made my way up the colossal hill to the local town and then I walked around the lovely little market and looked in all the little shops in the local town. It was very sweet, but not unlike anything I hadn't seen before in African stores. I then went to the local fruit and vegetable market and decided to make something local for dinner. I picked some spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, garlic and sweet corn and went to the supermarket and bought some cheese and spaghetti. When I got back to the hostel, I made a large spaghetti and vegetable mush thing. It was so yummy.



That night just as I was about to jump in the shower, I met some lovely Dutch boys, all studying in South Africa as well. They had a week off school and decided to do home exploring. They were lovely. We decided to go for a few drinks, so I had my shower and got ready and met the boys at the bar and played a few drinking games, which turned to a few more drinking games.



It was a great night!



DAY 64:



This morning, was nice and slow and at 9am, the four of us were driving hungover coffee in the sun on the balcony. It was nice. We went for some breakfast at a local place and then spent the day on the beach again. (Picture 270) At about 5:30pm, we walked back to the hostel and they got the Baz Bus to Cape Town at around 6pm and I chilled out, made my vegetable mush dinner again and watched a movie. I also managed to skype home, as it was Beth's birthday, which was a lovely treat!



DAY 65:

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Photos

Picture 1
Ready For Take Off

Picture 2
Visa for Kenya

Picture 3
Great Rift Valley

Picture 4
Great Rift Valley

Picture 5
Little African Shops

Picture 6
The roadside view of Kenya - slums

Picture 7
Our glamping tents!

Picture 8
Open Top Safari Van

Picture 9
First Sighting on Safari

Picture 10
Elephants

Picture 11
Watching the Elephants

Picture 12
Heards of Elephants Everywhere!

Picture 13
Stunning Elephant

Picture 14
Elephants Mating!

Picture 15
The Stunning Masai Mara National Park

Picture 16
First Night in a Mosquito Net

Picture 17
Safari Charlotte!

Picture 18
Cheetah

Picture 19
Cheetah on the Hunt

Picture 20
Buffalo

Picture 21
Unprofessional Drivers Spot a Rhino in the Bushes

Picture 22
Rhino in the Bushes

Picture 23
Lioness and her Three Cubs

Picture 24
Lion and Cubs

Picture 25
Ill Lion

Picture 26
Lions asleep on the Savannah

Picture 27
Giraffe

Picture 28
Crocodile

Picture 29
A Herd of Hippo

Picture 30
Tiny Baby Elephants

Picture 31
Baby Elephants!

Picture 32
A Black Rhino

Picture 33
A Black Rhino

Picture 34
The Maasai Tribe

Picture 35
Maasai Jumping Dance

Picture 36
Hideous Maasai Mud Huts

Picture 37
Making Fire

Picture 38
Children

Picture 39
Very Cute!

Picture 40
Dinner Time!

Picture 41
Morning in the National Park

Picture 42
Enjoying the Game Drives

Picture 43
First Night in Tents

Picture 44
In the Shopping Mall

Picture 45
Soup for Dinner

Picture 46
Kings Cup

Picture 47
Party in Kenya

Picture 48
Change in Scenery in Tanzania

Picture 49
Mike Holding a Snake

Picture 50
Eager Cooks!

Picture 51
Patiently Waiting for Dinner

Picture 52
Arriving at the Crater

Picture 53
View of the Crater

Picture 54
Enjoying the Crater

Picture 55
Arriving at the Serengeti

Picture 56
Lion King View of Serengeti

Picture 57
Serengeti View Point

Picture 58
Wildebeast for Miles and Miles

Picture 59
Stunning Image

Picture 60
Beautiful Savannah

Picture 61
Sunbathing in the Safari Truck

Picture 62
Sunrise at the Campsite

Picture 63
Safari Truck Pictures!

Picture 64
Playing Sleeping Lions

Picture 65
Lion Cubs

Picture 66
Lioness on a Rock

Picture 67
Lion Selfies

Picture 68
Beautiful Crater

Picture 69
Elephant in the Bushes

Picture 70
Sat on the Truck

Picture 71
Party at Snake Park

Picture 72
Indian Ocean

Picture 73
Getting Bashed Around By Waves

Picture 74
Beach Huts

Picture 75
Cinnamon Root

Picture 76
Delicious Jack Fruit

Picture 77
An Intrigued Observer

Picture 78
Climbing a Coconut Tree

Picture 79
Eating a Coconut

Picture 80
Our new hats and ties!

Picture 81
Slave Cellar

Picture 82
Zanzibar Cathedral

Picture 83
Zanzibar Fish Market

Picture 84
Hotel Room in Zanzibar

Picture 85
Beautiful Zanzibar

Picture 86
Inges Sea Urchin

Picture 87
Boat Booze Cruise

Picture 88
Ready to Party

Picture 89
Partying with my Bessie

Picture 90
Ready to Jump!

Picture 91
Party On The Beach

Picture 92
Chilled Day on the Beach

Picture 93
In My Element

Picture 94
Boat back from Zanzibar

Picture 95
Stunning View of Tanzania

Picture 96
Women Selling Fruit

Picture 97
View From the Trek

Picture 98
Trek Selfies

Picture 99
Hideous Led Rash

Picture 100
Behind the Waterfall

Picture 101
Group Shot

Picture 102
Clothes Market

Picture 103
Relentless Rain

Picture 104
Feeling Loved

Picture 105
School in Malawi

Picture 106
Hospital in Malawi

Picture 107
Cute Kids

Picture 108
First Selfie

Picture 109
All Dressed Up!

Picture 110
Nice Dress Robinson

Picture 111
Playing Ring of Fire

Picture 112
Partying in Kande Beach

Picture 113
New Outfit Gals!

Picture 114
Kande Island

Picture 115
Enjoy the Sunset

Picture 116
Stunning Malawi

Picture 117
How Bad the Hair Got!

Picture 118
Crazy Lusaka

Picture 119
First Glimpse of Vic Falls

Picture 120
Vic Falls in More Glory

Picture 121
The 111m Bungee

Picture 122
Beatiful

Picture 123
Getting Soaked!

Picture 124
The best attempt at a Selfie

Picture 125
The Edge of the Falls

Picture 126
Staying Clear of the Edge!

Picture 127
The Bar and Poor in Zambia

Picture 128
Booze Cruise

Picture 129
Partying on the Zambeiz

Picture 130
Stunning Sunset

Picture 131
Goodbye Original Crew

Picture 132
Hand Made Africa T-Shirt

Picture 133
Border Crossing to Botswana

Picture 134
Stunning Chobe National Park

Picture 135
Elephants in Chobe

Picture 136
Stunning Tourist Rob

Picture 137
Adoring Chobe

Picture 138
Stunning Campsite

Picture 139
Crazy Drive to the Delta

Picture 140
Ride on the Boats

Picture 141
On the Way to the Walk

Picture 142
Giraffe Bones

Picture 143
Stunning Sunset

Picture 144
Songs and Dancing at the Campfire

Picture 145
I Love Botswana

Picture 146
The San Bushman People

Picture 147
Ostrich Egg Lady

Picture 148
Making Fire

Picture 149
Beautiful Sunset

Picture 150
Group Shot with the Bush People

Picture 151
Bush Baby

Picture 152
German Town of Windhoek

Picture 153
Bushman Kebab

Picture 154
Eland Everywhere!

Picture 155
Giraffe

Picture 156
Lioness

Picture 157
Lion

Picture 158
Lion Chilling

Picture 159
Watering Hole Run

Picture 160
Etosha Salt Plains

Picture 161
Mushy Terrain

Picture 162
Land Forever

Picture 163
Cheetah Park

Picture 164
Cheetahlicious

Picture 165
Cheetah Cute

Picture 166
Cheetah Selfie

Picture 167
Cheetah Jump for Food

Picture 168
First View of Spitzkoppe