You're still checking whether I've posted a new blog - is your work that boring?! I know its been a while, so...on a hazy memory...

Left Argentina and entered Brasil via the massive Iguazu waterfalls. Viewed water falling from both sides of the border; then went a bit border crazy and thought I might as well walk over to Paraguay. Walked over the bridge to Ciudad De Este (sp?) (regardless of the lonely planet warning that it's a prime spot to get mugged); which was phenominally dodgy. Brasilians visit only to quickly snatch electronic bargains; where sony cameras and apple ipods mysteriously fall from the back of trucks. Not only sparky goods but tasers, ninja gear and shotguns/rifles. People would approach you from the alleyway with pre-stamped Brasilian custom slips for easy re-entry back in to Brasil with your weapons of minor destruction. 4hrs there was enough.

Then north again to the swamplands of Brasil - The Pantanal. A ruggered large patch of mosquito infested swamps close to the border of Bolivia. We entered the outskirts of the Pantanal before transfering to a severely beaten-up ute. It only took the wink of an eye before my skin vacuumed roughly 25 mosquito bites - this place is blood sucking intense.

Anyway, we drove with barefoot swampman and a nest of starving mozzies for about 10km along South Americas most crater filled dirt road until...

5 civil police, 3 tourist police, 12 federal police, 6 military, 1 department of agriculture and television crew orchestrated the well rehersed arrest of our driver. They busted out of the swap in fired-up hilux's with flashing lights and guns blazing from in front of our vehicle. All filmed from the back of another ute with a tv host documenting in portuguese. Not knowing any Portuguese, we we told in english that our driver/tour-operator has been arrested for being dodgy (maybe they've never been to Paraguay). We were then escorted back to the police station for some questioning which took forever in blazing tropical heat.

After a few more mozzie bites to add to my acne looking legs, the police/military/tv-crew/agricultural-guy drove us in cop cars to a "proper jungle lodge" another 20km down the road of aligators - there were loads. The lodge had lunch waiting when we finally arrived at 5pm and suprisingly just enough beds (hammocks) to accommodate the group. It was very strange for the amount of authorities to arrest one man for being dodgy (apparently he didn't have a tourist permit - whether the offence true or not is another story)???

After a brief stop in Paraty for a day long boozecruise - a tropical seaside resort between Sao Paulo and Rio - it then got messy. After becoming a founding member of the El Litro club (smash a litre of beer through a funnel under 10secs), we commenced the world's biggest party...Rio Carnival! Beers, g-strings and shiny sparkling lady lumps entertained us to the wee hours of the morning over the 6 days. Unfortuately it rained towards the end of the carnival HARD, which overflowed the raw sewerage in to the streets. Your clothes were just covered in the flith which in result made half the group sick. I set the record of 14 runny turds in ONE DAY!!!

Eventually threw in the south american towel and flew from Rio to Madrid. Next flight to London was grounded due to engine failure and missed the connection to Kenya. So made eventually made it to London on another flight and British Airways gave us a free room at the Hilton with FREE room service - yay! Took the next mornings flight to Nairobi, Kenya and landed without our baggage - yay! Day 4 in the same clothes, our baggage came the next morning, two hours before our truck was leaving to Tanzania - feeew!

Eleven of us left Kenya in the back of an old Layland truck as it was unsafe to bring the remaining group members from Uganda due to the hightened political situation (had to meet the tour in Arusha, Tanzania instead). About 4hrs in to the trip, the front drive shaft fell off. So the driver disengaged the front axle and tied the drive shaft to the chasis with barbed wire that was found beside the road - job's right ey?!

Eventually made it to Arusha in Tanzania to catch up with the rest of the group before jumping on the first african safari in to Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti. Stayed in the Serengeti in an open camp with the wildlife (was awoken a few times by the hyenas) and took some great snaps of some up-close animals. Yep the lions and other cat friends walk within one metre of the 4wd - crickey!

Now on the island of Zanzibar, we are near at the end of white sand and tropical drinks as we leave on a ferry tomorrow back to the mainland. Its then on to Malawi.

My fingers have never done this much typing yet this holiday which explains why my pecking finger is cramping. So cheerio...cheers, hatton.