Hello!!!

It's such a hard life being a shoppie!
I'm saying this while sunbathing on a boat sailing down the Gambian river with Vicki....It's a lazy day cruise tour and it's our duty to help!!
I've not done many tours as of recently, mainly because I've done the majority of them over the last two contracts and also because Jerwin is back and I've been spending time with him.
Yay!!! Jerwin is back!!! I didn't realise until I saw him again how much I've missed him, bless his cotton socks!!

I did do a tour in Praia in the Cape Verde Islands... It was a wine tasting tour.... Hahaha... My kinda tour and that's where the picture comes from.... It was quite fun.... Especially after the second bottle of wine.... It's all in a days work... Then they had us doing a funana dance, which is a dance of the slaves in Praia.... It was... Interesting.... The kind of dance that makes dirty dancing seen catholic!!

Anyway back to today, we are in Gambia and I'm on the top deck of a rickety boat sun bathing, waiting for food to be served along with my complimentary alcoholic drink.... No comment please! I've done considerably less drinking this contract... I'm almost boring! That's due to Jerwin though, he's a good influence on me :-) that's right... Jerwin alert! That's what vicki says whenever I talk about him hehehe.

So I have my schedule.... I return to England on the 28th feb, landing in heathrow at 6pm... So if anyone fancies giving me a lift home that night.... (Daddy? Daddy? Love you!!!) I'm hoping that if I ask him publicly he will be shamed into agreeing hehe... Joking, I will have already asked him privately before this gets posted.

So yeah I leave the ship on the 28th feb and return on the 2nd April. Only a short vacation and during the vacation time I will be doing my jewellery training aswell, which is good for me. I'm going to be a jeweller!

Consequently, me returning in April means I miss my very good friends wedding. I'm so sorry Davide and Marie. I wish you both all the best for the day and hope it's magical :-) I'm sure I'll see you while I'm home... As well as the rest of the wolf pack - Zoe and Natbag!!

I cannot believe this contract is almost over, it's flown by!!! It doesn't feel two minutes since I embarked in September, and now it's the end of January already! Crazy how time flies.

Oooh I'm home for mums and nana mafias birthdays! Yay!! I don't remember the last time on was home for someone's birthday! Should be good!

I'm trying to think of some other happenings on the ships but I can't recall.... We've had some very interesting passengers from all walks of life... With some very interesting stories to tell... That's one f the favourite parts of my job!

Oh I have a giggle for you.... My bikini bottoms have been stolen from laundry... Don't ask, it happens on the ship.... So anyway, as it's winter season everywhere it's very hard to come across a new bikini, except in our onboard boutique... So i go to try on the tankinis and end up having to buy... Wait for it... A size 20!!! 20!!! Now don't get me wrong I've got nothing against the size, except for the fact that I'm a size 12.... Now I feel like I've gained a little weight, as you do on the ships... But (Jerwin alert) Jerwin reassures I'm still sexy and I'm his miss universe which is so sweet. To make matters better, I was walking down the corridor and one of the crew (baccla) tells me I look very sexy from behind and I have a lovely figure... Then goes to my front and says, you're still sexy but you have a belly.... Cheers June! Then I get to te cabin and Ryan (Katie's boyfriend) tells me I should go to the gym...... Right that's it! I'm depressed, I'm going to lay on my bed and eat a huge bar of galaxy to prove to you all I don't care! Jokes I'm allergic to chocolate so that never happened.... Plus I've come to realise that filipinos are obsessed with weight, but it's not to be taken to heart... I love I figure if I'm honest... I'm hour glass, I'm curvy and I like it!!!! I'll never be stick thin... Even if I starved myself... I'd just end up getting a swollen belly like in Ethiopia ( I know I'm cutting that close in terms of political correctness, but you know what I mean) so there's no point of me trying to be skinny.... I'm healthy and I eat good and do exercise... So no problem! I think I'm trying to convince myself than anyone else hahaha!

So we are just about to grab our free beer on the boat before diving into my book... Then diving into the crocodile infested river - true story!! Crocodiles are here!!

Wish me luck!
I'm going on safari tomorrow in Dakar, so I'll try to write a bit more in way of a ps.

Love you all!!!!
Xxxxxx

Ps!
26/1/14

Bonjour!
We are now in Senegal and I'm on my way to the safari! Yay!! And I've got a good bus of passengers which is always a blessing.
Yesterday was so relaxing and amazing and I was quite a bit sunburnt :-( but it's ok, it will turn brown :-)
So we are just travelling and the guide just mentioned something that has been mentioned here and in Gambia... In these two countries they have a mixture of different religions, predominantly Muslim and Christian and the guides are always keen to point out that all the religions live in harmony. Now whether this is true or not, I don't know... But I do think it's a lovely thought.... My personal opinion is that there is too much conflict in the name of religion nowadays, instigated by all parties... It is ridiculous. So if what the guides are telling me is true about Senegal and Gambia... Then we could do with taking a leaf out of their books. That's my philosophical thought of the morning and it's before 9am!!

Now it's 2:30pm and were just leaving the safari. Wow!!! Amazing!! I saw zebras, giraffes, rhinos, ostrich, pumbas, tortoise and antelope... It was wonderful.... Also saw many birds and monkeys... The little scamps! They were starting to climb into the tables to steal our lunch!! It was funny though.
Starting to feel a little tired now but it's ok, I have many chance to sleep on the journey back to the ship.
I've had a fantastic day and I hope you all like the photos I upload onto Facebook!

Ciao!!
Love ya. Xxx