Hello from sunny south africa!! having an amazing time as always in this part of the world!! been catching up with the worlds best extended family...watched plenty of storms by night - they have the most amazing electric storms out here! - and had plenty of sundowners...watching the sun go down whilst drinking a savanna (cider) mmm!! i have seen mum and dad since i last wrote on here...crazy stuff!! didnt even recognise mum as she came through the airport gates!! but was fab to see them and catch up on all the shananigans from my side of the world and all the news from home. christmas day was a good one...had christmas dinner on christmas eve...nice idea cos makes it easy and makes it all last longer!! swam in their pool on christmas day...first time ive ever been anywhere hot enough to do that!! ; ) and just chilled out after being woken at 6am to open pressies!! priceless spending christmas with an 8 and a 10 year old. loved it!! boxing day was just as fun, making the most of time to relax and eat crazy amounts of food and chocolates!! ... made our way to sandton city and nelson mandela square for lunch and shopping the next day. didnt manage to spend any money but the thought was fun!! got all packed and we headed to the countryside the following day...misty hills here we come!! its a lush resort just 30minutes from the house, but far enough to think you are away! chilled out and drank ridiculous amounts of savanna - every day at midday is the cue for another drink! ; ) swam in the pools and watched the preparations take place for an irish/african wedding in the resorts chapel! nice one! today however, it got a bit more team extreme!!! we did a canopy tour...you are strapped onto a zip wire that spreads high over a canyon floor and you swing from one platform to another!! such great fun and pretty extreme!! loved every minute though and was such a laugh with everyone!! the boys had fun and even mum, who is scared of heights, did it!! all had photos taken and got certificates for our madness!! ; ) new years eve eve was much more of a chill out day though, and time to relax our muscles from the days before...went to the spa for head and back massages!! lush!! exactly what we needed but i couldnt even use the excuse of a heavy rucksack for a good massage as i havent exactly been hardcore travelling the past week or so!! ; ) totally spoilt here but i appreciate it so much!! ; ) just before the massage we went to a candle making shop. all bought our candles and spent an hour colouring them with the different waxes. great fun!! the next day went as quickly as the rest of the year and it was time for the new years eve celebrations to see in 2007 and obviously a great excuse for a good night out...headed to a restaurant on site called the carnivore...what an experience!!! got welcome drinks and found our table...got given a starter of soup and a massive dish of salads and sauces...we were all given plates and one by one the chefs come out with their skewer of meat...everything from lamb to wildebeest to crocodile!! even tried pumba sausages (warthog!) was an awesome experience and never eaten anywhere quite like that!! kickstarted the celebrations with shots of jeigermeister...my new favourite!!...and headed to the dancefloor to dance our way into 2007!!! listened to and watched all the chefs sing the south african national anthem and the party really began!! the photos are the best evidence of the antics!! ; ) new years day was pretty quiet but headed out to a local market in the afternoon. the foloowing day we headed to another market at a place hartebeespoort dam. beautiful setting and we all bought bangles made of elephant hair! i also bought a typical tourist souvenir...a five foot wooden giraffe!!! will look gorgeous in my new bedroom!! ; ) thats brings us to today and we took the short drive home...had such a laugh the past week or so, its been amazing! definately whole load of fun and a few nights to remember!! ; ) as for the country itself it has shown big changes since the last time i was here 3 years ago. it is still the country i love though!! despite all the diversity and crime, i fell in love with south africa the first time i came here and will always be somewhere i return, not least cos scott, hayley and the boys are here. i love the diversity and the social life. the culture changes and the forever changing landscape just captivates each time you see it. the continuous efforts to progress and change is encouraging and amazing to watch over the time between visits. and of course the wildlife will always be an attraction...its not like you see lions walking the streets but even the small creatures like christmas beetles and park-town prawns make it different!! ; )guess i wont be writing from here again...cant ive only got a couple of days left here. the goodbyes are the hardest and never a dry eye in the house. and of course there is all the emotions involved with the end of my amazing trip. so i guess the next time i write will be from back in the uk and back in bognor. thats a very scary thought and quite surreal that this really is coming to an end. not least - what am i suppoed to do now when im on the internet!! ; ( i hope you all had a fantastic christmas and santa remembered everything on your lists...happy new year 2007 - i hope its as good as 2006 has been to me!! love always...georgie x x x