Howdy! Sorry it seems to have taken a while to get on here. The schedule is a little hectic to say the least and we don't seem to have a lot of time free!! That and the fact that some of the camp sites haven't had the internet!

Right then, where to start. On the 23rd we went to Kruger National Park. Oh my god Gav, you and Jamo would have loved it! We had an excellent guide, Deon, and we managed to see all of the Big 5 - Elephant, Cheetah, Buffalo, Rhino, Lion. Took like 300 photos though. Most memorable moments? Giraffe standing in the middle of the path not letting us pass (very slow game of chicken! we won in the end and he backed down!) elephants coming right close to the truck with monkeys all around him, Jo spotting the lion bathing in the sun. Such a great day!

Drove through to Botswana on the 24th. The truck is huge and the amount of equipment on it is massive but they forgot to put the suspension on the vehicle! Sooo bumpy, literally boucing out of your seats! Quite fun really and getting used it as time goes on. When we arrived at the Elephant Sands Camp Site guess who was there? Only an elephant drinking from the watering hole! Just amazing. We actually had the afternoon to chill and relax by the pool and had a lovely meal cooked for us. Have decided though that Maize is pretty damn heavy on the stomach. Rather like eating a brick if you have too much! Sat by a camp fire having a few cheeky drinks and the elephant made another apperance in the dark. Sat just yards away with the torch shone on it. Another amazing moment.

Yestrday we had a cruise on the River Chobe and saw absolutley loads of Hippos and a few crocs. Got bloody soaked on the way back though and caught in yet another storm! All good fun and it makes for some good photos! Last night you would have been so proud of me. We stayed in what I have christened Spider Central. The wierdest largest spiders in the shower hut. I almost cried but got through it with a little help from my friends! I heard talk today that when we re-enter Botswana we may be staying there again. Nooooooooooooooo!

So what else.... We have had 2 boarder crossings so far, one through to Botswana and the one today through to Zambia. All quite straight forward but had to wait a long time at the Zambian boarder. Passport stamps are coming along nicely! We crossed the boarder via the Chobe River on a ferry, with lots of children. Either they go to another country every day to go to school or it was an excursion!

We have had lots of rain here. Apparently it's the rainy season - doh!! But is still hot when the sun comes out. Finding the camping really fun but rather hard going especially in the rain and oh my god more mud than I've ever seen! Me and Caroline are getting pretty damn good at putting up the tent now. Packing them up still causes us trouble though and we always seem to be the last!

So at the moment I am sat in a rather lovely bar at the camp site in Livingstone, Zambia praying it doesn't rain again because the ground is already rather swampy. We're going on a sunset cruise on the Zambezi tonight with free food and all you can drink!! I'll only have a few though - honest! Tomorrow most of us have booked to go White Water Raffting (eeeeek) and then off to see the Victoria Falls on the afternoon.

Must just say the group we're with is fab and we've made some good friends and are all having a right laugh, even when things do get a little tough!

Thanks for the lovely messages by the way it's so nice to read them and they brought a big smile to my face

Will be in touch as soon as poss.

Take care all, lots of love

Nic

xxx