Well today is a very slow hung-over day. We had a party at the campsite yesterday with about 4 other trucks and other assorted travellers. We stopped in Muzuzu on our way and bought clothes for each other in the theme of bad taste. I had a lovely red velvet dress which was made perfectly for about a 10 year old! Thankfully it was a little stretchy and I managed to squeeze in. Once we swapped costumes about 5pm yesterday we then all set about styling. For me this meant cutting the bottom part of my dress to just above my knee but leaving the back longer - this allowed some air on my legs as it was about 25` degrees and velvet is not the material of choice in warm weather. I also had some lovely black mesh sleeves and a criss cross black ribbon down the front. Very fetching. Most of the guys on the truck were bought dresses and skirts to wear and our driver was sporting a wedding dress. Our budget for clothes was 1000 Kwacha which is about 3USD. That is right, you can buy a wedding dress for 3USD in Malawi. When we left the market we all took turns on the back of the truck trying on the wedding dress. It was very funny and with 14 of us filled in a good hour.

New Year's Eve was spent kayaking in the morning with Michael to Kandi Island, which is just out from the campsite and an easy 10 minute paddle and then some jumping off cliffs on the rocky island and snorkeling around its perimeter. We were out for about 2 hours and had a lovely morning. We then helped to rotate the spit pig we are having for dinner tonight. The whole pig went on the spit at 10am and we ate at 5.30pm with half hour rotations all day. This having been a rather vegetarian trip - we were all very excited about the amount of meat to be consumed. Dinner was an amazing feast of pork, crackling, roast potatoes and onions, beans, peppers and tomatoes and gravy. One would think a good lining for our stomachs ahead of a nights partying.

We also had some supplies left from our Christmas drink supplies and so also made some punches to get the party started. I do believe the punch was the beginning of the end in terms of drunken craziness! What made the punch extra special was the 'vodka' and other spirit that was clear and named something I had never heard of before.

After waking in the new year to my worst hangover of the trip I have decided that local spirits are to be avoided at all costs. I can honestly report that the 1 Jan was a quiet day and we all just wallowed in varying states of comatose. It was not helped by the temperature gauge again rising well into the 30`s. It is on days like these that I really miss having a house with a couch to chillax on; a toilet less than 10m walk; my own bathroom; and, a kitchen I can whip anything I want up in with less than a 2 hour wait! But mustn't grumble, I am on a trip of a lifetime and having amazing experiences in Africa - guess we always want what we don't have even when what we do have is very cool.

On our way to Kande beach we stopped at a wood market and where once again reminded that everything Ruth says needs a large pinch of salt added as it is likely to end in disappointment. This was true of the wood market. At our Chitimba campsite there was a wood market outside the gates which was really nice stuff with lots of variety, however Ruth advised to hold off as we were stopping at an amazing market the next day. We held off - we regretted it. I did manage to buy a small wooden table with carving on one side and chess board inclusive of pieces on the other side - however there were only 4 to choose from which made the going a little tough. Zac, Shelly, Tegan and I thought we might like a 5 foot giraffe carving each and were disappointed to find that there were no specimens on display. We decided to cut a deal and ordered 4 to be delivered to our campsite on the evening of the 1 Jan at 5pm. We refused to leave a deposit, we wanted 3 with carved scales and one smooth and 3 looking forward and one sideways - it was dubious if we would ever see our giraffes in the wooden flesh. Come the evening on the first when I was thanking god the day was nearly over and it was 7pm we decided that they were not coming. I was secretly happy as it had finally dawned on me that getting home a 6 foot, 5 - 10kg giraffe may not be that easy or cheap. Come 8pm our giraffes were delivered - my initial thought - oh darn! This being Africa the order was wrong - phew. We specifically also asked for teak wood as it is lighter, the specimens that arrived were lead weights and in my head I could see more dollar signs in terms of packing and postage. I now know that 2 days over the new year period is not long enough for your average carver to churn out 4 giraffe master pieces. Each had something just not quite right. We decided that if all the good bits off each were on one it would be awesome but as individual pieces, it just wasn't going to work. So we gave a little money to the guys for delivery, but had to say no thanks. I slightly gave myself a high five for dodging that impulsive buy. I am finally starting to see when my spenditis is clearly flaring J