Zoe found a small (40cm), lime green snake in the mossie net above her bed this morning! OMG!!!! Thankfully she was not in it & it was on the outside of the net. We are staying in a thatched banda at the beach. She was so calm about it .... "Daddy, there's a snake up there." At first we thought she was playing & did not even really pay a lot of attention. Thankfully this time we could call for help to "usher" our visitor out. Scared ourselves (thanks to a google search) into thinking it was the highly venomous and sometimes deadly green mamba which is common in the area but found out later it was just a ho- hum, harmless bush snake. Phew!

After all the excitement, we had a pool day as the beach is interesting to explore but too seaweedy to swim in. 28 degrees here ...perfect! The place had blow up rings & floaties so Zoe was set for the day. I had to use all my negotiating skills to get her out despite being blue-lipped & shivering. She's such a little water baby! She's also befriended a little 6 year old Tanzanian/Dutch girl (Naema) & despite no common language, they've had a ball. Incredibly, her mum is an OT!!! She taught at the OT school for 2 years that I have been in touch with in Moshi. Such coincidences!

Poor Adam got an unexpected assignment to write. Has been on the laptop 2 long nights & all day. Such a shame. Little Zac a bit under the weather too. Low temperature this morning & just wanting to cuddle or sleep. We were so close to getting through Africa illness free too! Hopefully just fighting a little bug. Nice place to sleep & relax for him at least. We had booked a boat trip out to an idyllic island with snorkelling for a last Tanzanian treat tomorrow but will have to cancel I think. Lots of fascinating people here to chat to from all over though so wont be bored. Fri & Sat are driving days back to Arusha & Sun evening we fly out & arrive in Italy 5am mon! It still seems like its not really happening! Can't believe that 8:30am Tues I will be back at Italian school! Bizarre!