What else do you do when there is a massive thunderstorm, but run to the local stadium and watch a footie match - hence the picture!!!

This morning Dad left, not feeling too great - a bit of the usual travellers sickness but still smiling. He rang from the airport to say his flight was delayed but pleased about it as only 6 hours in Nairobi rather than 8.

So I arranged with Angelo (previous guide to take me out and about locally). He hired a driver and car and we saw a couple of the sites - view points of the city (vast on three levels, quite attractive but a lot of smog today and a few begging children which is hard to ignore), then drive about 25kn out of town to Ambogimanga which means blue hill or beautiful hill. It was the original capital of the Merina royal family. Stunning views and the hill was Unesco listed in 2001. A beautiful restoration of the queens summer palace built in 1870 by a French architect with gifts from Queen Victoria in it, and an even older blackened grand wooden hut dating from 1788, the centre pole of the house a single pallassandre trunk reportedly carried from the east coast by 2000 slaves. We had I walk into the hut forwards right foot first and backwards to leave left foot first. I was fine until someone tried to get past me on the last step out which meant I switched legs - not good.

Back in Tana, we said goodbye to our driver and his chinese motor running on fumes i think. I bought Angelo lunch. What was nice was when i said what would he like to drink he said would i mind if he had a beer (just what i fancied too) and that he didn't drink when he was walking (we'd iffered him one last week) but he was showing a friend around Tana today do not technically work.

We wandered through the hustle of Tana. When I first arrived it felt quite scary, but you soon settle into the hustle and bustle of everyone selling everything you could possibly want and hawkers trying very hard to get your attention. But I quite enjoyed it all, a smile but firm no and walking on is all it took and having my money strapped to my money belt so there was no chance of getting hold of it.

Talking of money I got some out for the first time at a cash machine today. You go into a booth and a guard shuts you in - he then pocked his head round the corner to tell me in French the maximum amount you can withdraw. French is not my best language (are any?) - and numbers above 10 a struggle so with 10 000 ariarys worth £3, there are a lot of noughts to contend with (not to mention bundles of notes - no coins, to carry around). Anyway I solved it by asking him to type the maximum amount in - which was in fact 400 000 ariarys - £120. All sorted and the bundle of notes stored on my person making me look like I'd added a few more lbs to be stomach!

We wandered to the grand old station, through some craft shops (only one necklace purchased) and then it started to rain so we sheltered in a door way with loads of others all giggling! Very few tourists at all - not sure I even saw any.

When the rain eased off we wandered towards the lake and war memorial where the heavens opened. We ran to the main stadium which you could just wander into sheltered from torrential rain and full on thunder and lightening! Not what I was expecting to do this afternoon - but i guess what so many others do on a Saturday afternoon in the rain!

I however spotted a bar just across the road so suggested another beer there (the game was boring anyway) - so another beer with free willy the movie dubbed in French on the tv with everyone watching but occasionally flicking over to a Shakira concert- all in all a very very surreal time!

Flying up north in the morning so all change and back to having dinner this evening with my book (or maybe the new scientists left behind by dad!)