I woke just before 2am Friday morning, got myself a cup if tea and finished packing and weighing my bags... Then dad came to take me to the airport at 2.50am.

Aberdeen airport was easy, it was nice and quiet so I got through nice n quick. Got to Amsterdam and got lost as soon as I stepped off the plane but a kind member of staff pointed me in the right direction. I got to my gate and got through there to wait for boarding to start for my long flight to Dar es Salaam. While I was sitting waiting I got called to the desk, and couldn't believe my luck as they handed me an upgraded ticket for Business Class.

Business Class was a wee bit intimidating, but very nice, all the leg room anyone could want, the seats recline all the way basically flat and even have a built in massager , we got nice fancy head phones which were super comfy... the food was a wee bit posh but the cabin crew were great, couldn't do enough for you. The 9 odd hours passed with ease, I watch War Horse and cried, then I watched a Romcom called Switched or something like that, which I partly slept through.

Well when I stepped off that plane on at Dar es Salaam on Friday night the first thing that hit me was the heat, I couldn't believe how hot it was, I have never experienced anything like it. I had to get my visa etc so by the time I did that, collected my baggage and got outside to where Paul was waiting for me, 45 minutes had passed. We headed straight to the hotel and finally got to sleep just after midnight.

Saturday morning Paul had to get up at about 6am for work but I stayed in bed and slept through till about 10am. I'd had a sore tummy throughout the flights so I didn't bother with breakfast Saturday morning, I just pottered about around the hotel grounds, which are beautiful... Palm trees, manicured gardens, pool with loungers, just gorgeous... But the heat was too much for me so I just went back to my room and sat just outside the room in a little sheltered area and read my book. However when I saw Mosquitos starting to land on me I panicked and went back inside the room, and shortly after that Paul came back for lunch.

We walked down the road to the Slipway and had a stone baked pizza between us by the sea, which was delicious, and the prices are surprisingly cheap too, slightly cheaper than the UK. After that we got an ice cream, yes, Paul managed to twist my arm into giving up on my lent a week early to get a tasty refreshing ice cream (he didn't actually have to twist my arm very much at all, I am weak lol).

Paul had to go back to work for the afternoon so I just went back to the room and unpacked some stuff for me n Paul and pottered about a bit more till Paul came back around 5pm. Then we got ready to go out for supper. We headed to a UK style pub called The George and Dragon where we had a few drinks, I had 2 double Bicardi and Coke, we met up with another guy called Peter Meldrum from Whitehills, who works with Paul, then we headed to an Indian Restaurant where we had a lovely meal, and as usual I made a pig of myself and ate more that both the guys!! And I also had another two double Bicardi and Coke with my meal. We then went back to The George and Dragon for more drinks, where I had another two double Bicardi and Coke (so in total I had 6 doubles, which isn't very much really but a lot for me considering I don't drink! So I was a wee bit drunk lol). We finally got back to the hotel about 1am, where Paul basically got undressed and fell straight asleep lol. Me however, my tummy had been extremely sore since supper and was still sore, so I lay in bed for maybe half hour or so before realising I felt sick... I just made it to the toilet before emptying my stomach contents... Then my head started to pound like I have never felt before... And surprisingly Paul didn't stir once during any of this, poor guy must have been exhausted!! I took some pain killers and eventually the pain started to subside and I fell asleep.

We slept till about 10am on Sunday morning, and when I woke I felt much better, although I had some pretty nasty insect bites on my legs! And I think the long lye did Paul the world of good too. We were too late to get breakfast as it stopped at 10am so we skipped breakfast and just went for a drive to the shops and got a bottle of Lucozade and a tin of Monster to keep us going, then we headed to Paul' office and I got a wee tour round there and met some of the other guys Paul works with. Then I chilled out by the pool there while Paul did a wee bit of work.

After that Paul and I went to Subway and got a 6 inch meatball sub each, but it was tasteless so we didn't finish them... instead we headed back to the Slipway to catch a boat to an island where we could go snorkelling. The boat ride over was slow but very relaxing. We got there and boy the sand was hot under foot!! Paul rented a snorkel, mask and flippers (I had borrowed my sister's gear). We got ourselves stripped off and into the water ASAP! The water was warm, warmer than any swimming pool, it was lovely. Paul showed me how to work the snorkel etc and to start with I panicked, however once I calmed down it was surprisingly easy. So we started swimming out further and the further out we got the more fish we saw and live coral, it was pretty amazing. There was an old wreck too which Paul took me to, where there were loads of different fish, that was pretty cool too. We went back up to a private little beach area where there was just the two if us and we played about there for a bit, digging holes in the sand lol. After a while we headed back into the water, back to the main beach where we got a nice cold drink. And shortly after that it was time to get back on the boat to head back to the main land. So my first experience of snorkelling was very nice indeed (even though I did swallow a wee bit of the water).

Once back to the main land we nipped back to the hotel too to soak Katie's mask and snorkel and to rinse off our shorts and Katie's flippers. Then shower, put on dry shorts and headed back to the Slipway for super, we both had Teriyaki beef stir fry which was absolutely delicious!! After that we just headed back to the hotel where we chilled out for the night watching tv and finally went to sleep about 11pm.

Monday, Paul had to wake up again at about 6am, so I woke up just after him and we went to breakfast together. Then Paul headed off to work while I chilled out in the room and wrote this little note of my holiday so far.

Ok so Monday lunch time Paul met me at the hotel and took me to the Sea Cliff area for something to eat, I think we had boritos, which were ok. We also went to the chemist to get me plasters and headache tablets. He had to go back to work after that and things didn't go well for him that day so he didn't get back to the hotel till around half 6 or something like that. I just chilled out in the room all day basically. I did wander down to the pool area at one point, all bikini'd up, ready to sun bathe n read my book, but this guy told me I had to pay so I just went back to my room. Turns out I don't have to pay... Either he didn't understand what I was asking or he was just trying to get money out of me... Good luck to him, seeing as how I don't have any money.

Anyway, Monday night for supper we just had supper here at the hotel in the sea view restaurant, Paul had King Prawns and I had Red Snapper, I wasn't overly impressed so we probably won't eat supper here again.

Tuesday morning I woke again with Paul just after 6 ish and we had breakfast. Then Paul went to work and I sat in the room, too scared even to go out on our little balcony as I have been bitten so many times, even with using bug repellent, and it really hurts. Paul came back for me again at lunch time and we went back to the Sea Cliff area and got a pizza between us. Then, again, he had to shoot back off to work. I though I would go for a wee afternoon snooze, but only got about an hour and Paul turned up back at the hotel early, which was a nice surprise. He wasn't having much luck with work or with organising a safari for us, I feel bad for causing him extra work! He informed me we were going to a BBQ at night so I got changed and at about 3pm we headed off to the BBQ. It was at a house which belonged to a British couple who moved here about a year ago, lovely couple. I helped make salad and the boys sorted the drinks/ice etc. The BBQ was lovely, I got some medicines for my mosquito bites and I got the hostess's mobile number in case I get bored as she said I could come shopping with her or something, her name is Denise. We got back to the hotel room at about 9pm and just watched tv then went to sleep.

Wednesday morning, again, I got up with Paul and we had breakfast together before he headed off to work. It's cooler today which is nice but the forecast is for rain and thunder, so not so nice, especially if we go on safari, could be interesting, but will all add to the adventure. I am just heading outside to read just now while our room is cleaned...

So we're still on Wednesday... Well I went outside to sit by the pool and read my book seeing as how it was over cast so it wasn't too hot to be outside. I went and sat on a bench in the garden by the pool and started to read, but then I put my hand in a bird poop which was on the bench right beside me, grrrr! Then a big ass fly/bee or something buzzed past me so I promptly made my way back to my room where the cleaning lady was still cleaning, so I just sat on the balcony area and continued to read until she was done, then I came back I side the room where I was safe from Mosquitos! It started to rain then, and it got real heavy at one point, that was cool. I sat and read my book for a while longer until Paul came back for lunch at 12 noon. We went to a Lebanese cafe place where Paul had a cheese burger and fries and I had some toasted baguette things with melted cheese, tomato and some Italian sausage on it, which was nice. Then Paul bought me a cinnamon pastry for eating back in the hotel room, which was yummy.

Wow, I have so many bites on me that I have lost count and I can no longer wear my trainers as it hurts too much! It doesn't look like we will get a safari now due to the weather, but there are other things to do, other places to see. Paul's not having much fun at work though so not sure if we'll have time for anything.

Well Wednesday night after Paul finished work we went down to the slipway for supper, can't remember what it was we both had but they were both a type of curry I think. It takes ages at the slipway to be served, but it is always worth the wait, the food, in my experience so far anyway, has always been delicious there. Then we just went back to the room and chilled then slept, after Paul checked emails etc, his work never leaves him alone, not for a minute. No wonder he is so stressed and tired, the poor guy is just completely burnt out!!

Anyway, Thursday starts with a nice early breakfast for us both again, I had chocolate spread on toast then Paul went off to work and I got back into bed, turned the lights out and went to sleep till just after 9am. When I woke I watched tv for a wee bit then got showered and dressed, then watched a movie and finished reading Cecelia Ahern's book The Gift. After that a very stressed and unhappy Paul came back to take me for a very quick lunch, which turned out to be longer than he'd hoped as the place he wanted to go had no spaces left for parking so we just went back to Sea Cliff and went to a diner there called Spuds, Paul had a burger n I had a steak n onion toastie, both were lovely, and a bit too filling!!

Paul dropped me back off at the hotel room at about half 1 and I sat n watched tv till about half 2 then decided, to hell with it, and I walked a mile or so up the road to the slipway with the money Paul gave me, 60,000 tzs (roughly £24) and I did some shopping in the wee stalls there, they have some amazing wood carved things there, I could spend all day, and a lot of money, there!! But by the time I had spent all Paul's money it was about 4pm I was too tired to walk back so I got a taxi ride on a wee Tuk Tuk which was nice, and only 4000 tzs, just less than £2 (although Paul says I got ripped off with that!?). So I am just sitting in the nice cool hotel room now chilling again, waiting for Paul to finish his days work... I soooo hope he has a good day today, so he can enjoy his Easter weekend!

Well Paul had another bad day, he didn't manage to get back to the hotel room till around 7pm, and even then he was still working, sending emails for about another hour.

We then headed off for supper, even though neither of us was really hungry, but we went to a little pasta restaurant and neither of us were overly impressed, the pasta was over cooked and had way too much sauce. They do good pizzas though