Hello y'all!!

Thats us four days in to africa - we've already got 100 stories to tell! Landed at Joburg, and were driven to the hostel - in the city you dont walk anywhere and there are six foot walls surrounding every house!! The streets are full of beggars and men waiting for work - interesting to watch but only out the safety of a vehicle!! The first day we got there we chilled at our groovy hostel and went to this huge mall for a wander round. The mall place is slightly unrealistic as only a very small majority of the white population can afford to shop in there and everyone else is kept at bay by an army of security. OTT!! The hostel has everything you need and was very safe so we chilled there ejoying the sunshine (around 27 degrees usually)

Yesterday we got our first baz bus trip out of the city to a neighbouring town called Nelspruit. It was about a five hour journey, with only us and a dutch couple in this big bus we took up about 8 seats each!! The country side is incredible with barren flats, green lush mountains, the biggest fields ive ever seen (one had fifteen john deer tractors working in it!)

There are loads of little villages of shacks near the farms where the workers live. - lots of chickens and children running around. We stopped to get gas where five guys came at the bus, one washed, one refueled, one got into the drivers seat and found his fuel card and the other 2 did some maintenance! brillant!

Finally got to nelspruit yesterday afternoon and our hostel here is fab - its called funky monkeys and sits on a hill just above the town. Only downside is the walk into civilisation, took us a good 45mins this morning (and apparently here a white person walking along the street is a big deal as we get stared at quite a lot!!)

Had the most amazing thunder storm last night - power cut in the entire street for about four hours - you literally didnt need candles on though as the sky was filled with lightining the entire time, the thunder was incredible too! The hostel has a couple of jack russells, poor things were terrified!

Today we're in the town having a wander round , going "ooh" and "aah" at all the weird and wonderful plants, birds, shops, stalls, pretty much everything. Though the town is pretty westernised with a kfc (2 pound for a large burger meal) and lots of familiar shops and products. Tommorow we hope to go on a safari in kruger national park though we dont know prices yet. Then on saturday we leave for Swaziland! woop woo!

Trying to get pictures uploaded but its a really slow connection here.

Off to hike back to the hostel then chill by the pool with a cheap beer and a book

M and K xx