Today's the day. We are due to start our 16 day trip down the river. It is overcast, but pleasantly cool, thanks to the rain we had yesterday afternoon - but unfortunately the electricity is still out this morning - so no aircon in our rooms and very little water (because that relies on an electric pump) so no showers.

No sign of the boat as yet. Apparently what held things up on the recce trip two years ago was the paperwork. Our itinerary had to be registered in advance with the DGM when we applied for our visas in London and our progress will be logged by each DGM office as we move downriver. If you don't have the right paperwork or deviate from what has been agreed there are problems. It feels like you are being tracked by the secret service. However, someone said yesterday that the system was actually initiated in the colonial era by the Belgians, to try and prevent the spread of infectious diseases, and it has simply been carried through to the present day.

Have just heard that it will be a few hours yet before we set off (we were supposed to be leaving at 0900), so will sign off now whilst there is still a wifi signal working in the hotel reception.

Postscript update - the boat has now appeared and ETD is now somewhere between 1100 and 1300.