I started today with a coffee in Java Cafe over looking Independence Monument. I chose it because I wanted to see the mess left by the chaos last night. This was the road where one of the largest street parties was, it was blocked off but all the roads around it were Moto parks and gridlocked. I was expecting to see rubbish everywhere. Nothing - it was spotless. An army of people must have been working through the small hours to get it to look like this.

It is now 9 pm and I am safely back in the hotel - or at least at Anise which is very near it. I was wrong - yesterday was quiet and calm , today has been chaotic.

We got down to the river front at 4.30pm, went up stairs at the FCC and just watched the crowds. Boats were going up and down the river but the best thing was the crowd.

As night fell the barges started to be lit up and move very slowly and stately up the river - the pictures do not do them justice. After nearly an hour we left to have dinner and then the fireworks started.

After dinner we walked back to Street 278, mostly it was fine because the streets were closed off to most traffic. In fact you could sit in the moiddle of the road by the Independence Monument- usually the busiest roundabout in town. We then left the area that had been shut off and started to play dodgems with Motos, cars and Tuk-Tuks. I can’t describe just how busy it is and how calm and good humoured they all are. Moto drivers will just move their front wheel to give you just enough room to get through - mind you they will also drive 4 inches if the vehicle in front moves. Why they bring their big posh cars into this is beyond me - today it is very much quicker and slightly safer to walk.