Chris and Charly's African Adventure - chrischarly
This is our blog to keep all friends and family updated on our excellent adventure We hope to keep it short and not boring; updating when and where possible.

Prep, prep and ,more prep
Coventry, United Kingdom
Still planning, and still lots to do. Have provisional itinerary and still awaiting confirmation if we can get a 4WD in Africa or we may have to startoff backpacking. Charly bought her sandals, very excited. Lots of shopping to do over next 2 weeks.
written by  chrischarly on June 28, 2010 from Coventry, United Kingdom
from the travel blog: Chris and Charly's African Adventure

Charly's Leaving Party
Shipston on Stour, United Kingdom
Me n Neil
Haze, Amba, Stu, Georgia and I
In order to ensure that I could see everyone, my Mum decided that it would be a good idea to organise a leaving party for any family and friends to attend before Chris and myself head down to Essex.
Amba, Haze Stu, Georgia and I
Sara and Lilly
This was at The George in Shipston where I used to work. It went surprisingly well considering all my family were in the same room together; no arguments or bitchiness occurred.
Jan, Haze and Bridge
Apart from the fact that nothing was ready when I arrived and the food was a disaster and seriously late we had a good and relaxing evening and I pleased that most of the people I care about made an appearance.
written by  chrischarly on July 4, 2010 from Shipston on Stour, United Kingdom
from the travel blog: Chris and Charly's African Adventure

Bye Bye Tysoe
Oxhill, United Kingdom
Finally things are starting to get exciting. I've packed up all my things in a bin-bag to sort when I get down to Essex to meet Chris. I say good-bye to Mum and family, pretty nervous now
written by  chrischarly on July 9, 2010 from Oxhill, United Kingdom
from the travel blog: Chris and Charly's African Adventure

Chris' Leaving Party
Rayleigh, United Kingdom
After two manic and stressful days in the Joel house-hold Chris held his leaving party. As usual Chris didn't hold back on cooking for the 5000. It was a great turn out and also meant that I finally got the chance to meet some of Chris' closest friends. It was a gorgeous day and everything went smoothly thanks to Chris' parents planning and organising. All we have to do now is pack, only three more days before we fly...
written by  chrischarly on July 10, 2010 from Rayleigh, United Kingdom

Last Lazy Sunday
Rayleigh, United Kingdom
Had a relaxing day today- lovely. Couple of glasses of wine, Last chance to watch EastEnders omnibus and The World Cup Final. Early night and then packing and panic-shopping tomorrow. However, got bitten twice last night and still in the U.K... not a good sign :(
written by  chrischarly on July 11, 2010 from Rayleigh, United Kingdom

Nicest friend in the world... EVER!!
Rayleigh, United Kingdom
Today, and yes I realise that it is pretty late, but we've just sorted out our first place to stay! One of my friends, Sanette lives in Johannesburg, S.A and has just said that we can go and stay with her once we land! So excited to be seeing her again; it has just been far too long! Her father has even said that he will pick us up. It just makes you realise just how lovely true friends are and we are truly grateful!...
We also did a trial pack with our luggage, and although we are just taking 90L capacity with us will still had quite a bit of room still left so that's reassuring especially after spending a further £65 in Boots today!...
We're getting VERY excited now!!!
written by  chrischarly on July 12, 2010 from Rayleigh, United Kingdom

Last full day in the U.K
It's our last full day and pretty much everything done... went for a yummy pizza at Chris' cousin's restaurant with his family. However, it still hasn't sunk in :S

Time to Fly
Heathrow, United Kingdom
After finally fitting everything into our bags, we are now all set to go to the airport! Chris' parents gave us a lift to Heathrow and although the traffic on the M25 was pretty bad, we made it with plenty of time to have a quick drink before flying.
Very nervous. Very excited, BYE BYE U.K!!
written by  chrischarly on July 14, 2010 from Heathrow, United Kingdom

Arriving in Johannesburg!
Johannesburg, South Africa
Myself, Sanette and Mario
Finally we are at our first destination! The flight was pretty busy and although the air-stewards were stingy with supplying us with water, we had a comfortable flight. Sanette's father was waiting for us which was perfect timing as it stopped pestering-porters from hasseling us too much! He then took us to a huge flower market on-route to his gorgeous home, where we have been really looked after and we can definately say that we are NOT slumming it whatsoever! However, Johannesburg is FREEZING!!
written by  chrischarly on July 15, 2010 from Johannesburg, South Africa

Man vs. Food
Roodepoort, South Africa
Sanette Snr, Johan and Chris
Chris enjoyed his first South African meal with an amazing 500g Aged Rump steak, rated as in his top 5 ever eaten. It was a difficult challenge but Chris managed to polish it off washed down with 2 bottles of South African Red shared with Mario. A most memorable first meal with our amazing hosts! So much for our new and healthy lifestyle!
written by  chrischarly on July 15, 2010 from Roodepoort, South Africa

Chillaxing
Roodepoort, South Africa
Our first wildlife encounter
Had a relaxing morning where we did nothing except- nothing... fantastic. However, even though we are from the U.K, we never expected S.A to be this cold, where we had layer-upon-layer of clothing.
Although Chris was feeling a little under-the-weather we had a lovely evening again with Sanette and her family at Mario's 500 seater restaurant sport's bar where we Chris ate another steak and I ate pizza... delicious!
written by  chrischarly on July 16, 2010 from Roodepoort, South Africa

Lion Park
Randburg, South Africa
Lion cubs
Lion licking a bogie
Cheetah
Today we woke and visited the Lion park. It was a fantastic opportunity to see African Lions, Zebras, giraffes, Meerkats, Cheetahs and some other fantastic animals where you may not get the opportunity to ever see in the wild.
Chris n Giraffe
Giraffagus
Simpler
A little later, Chris, being the amazing cook he is, made a delicious spagetti bolognaise and we had a relaxed evening drinking wine digesting far too much food!
Mario, Sanette and I
written by  chrischarly on July 17, 2010 from Randburg, South Africa

Another Lazy Sunday
Roodepoort, South Africa
Chris, Little dog and Chloe
As you can see...
We didn't exactly achieve anything today...
We played a few games of Pool...
Chris cooked an amazing pork belly dinner...
We drank loads of wine...
Very chilled...
Very relaxed...
written by  chrischarly on July 18, 2010 from Roodepoort, South Africa

Moving on... almost
Sandton, South Africa
A Big Bird
Today we went to Sandton City for the morning to a huge shopping mall, with a million over-priced items which were crying out to us to buy! However, we managed to resist and instead went on the look out for a hire car.
This proved to be more difficult than we originally thought as most company's won't let you cross the border!
However, after much searching on the internet later, Chris thinks he's found the right car hire place for the right price... So looks like we're moving on, on Wednesday!
written by  chrischarly on July 19, 2010 from Sandton, South Africa

Planning
Chris and I
Today we had a pretty stressful day as it seemed all we have done is try to get things sorted but without success.
The internet connection kept disappearing and the car hire company that we chose wasn't replying to emails as there was a problem with payment.
So was quite a shitty day as we pretty much achieved nothing.
Thus we are now moving on, on Thursday.
A day later than planned!
Chris however, lightened the mood though by cooking a delicious dinner-
which was in fact the highlight of our day.

We finally have our car!
Johannesburg, South Africa
Our mini 4x4
We have just collected our little kia picanto from Johannesburg airport so are pretty happy! Not entirely sure where we will end up over the next month, but that makes it even more exciting! We can't exactly say that it's the nicest car we've even driven, as it doesn't have air-conditioning or power steering, which will make things challenging in hotter climates I'm sure! Yet at least it has the bare neccesities such as a 4 wheels and brakes.
written by  chrischarly on July 21, 2010 from Johannesburg, South Africa

A long Drive
Uvongo Beach, South Africa
The Crab that kept Attacking the Line
Today we woke up at 5:30am for our long drive down to Margate.
After a long 7 hour journey,
not including breaks we finally arrived to gorgeous sunshine!
To treat ourselves we went out for lovely Italian and had an early night.
written by  chrischarly on July 22, 2010 from Uvongo Beach, South Africa

Fishing
Margate, South Africa
Chris fishing
This morning we woke up with the best intentions of catching crayfish for dinner in the evening. However, although we had a great day, after around 7 hours of trying, loosing a lot of bait, line, hooks and patience we finally gave up. So we decided to drown our sorrows and go out for the night! We had a fanatstic evening and saw some very strange sights, but the bar-man seemed to like us and was gave us a few free drinks! We then stumbled home at around 12.30 and ate cheesy chips.
Perfect end to the perfect day!..
written by  chrischarly on July 23, 2010 from Margate, South Africa

Sunshine Worshippers
Ramsgate, South Africa
Crayfish Catching
I eventually managed to drag the ultra-sulky-hung-over Chris out of bed at 12:30pm and due to the lack of groceries and fish we caught the previous day we had 1/2 sausage sandwichs for breakfast and headed for the beach.
When we found the perfect spot, we sat and spied on the local fishermen to steal some tips on how to actually catch fish.
We then went out for a bite to eat, though it was pretty tasteless and had another early night.
written by  chrischarly on July 24, 2010 from Ramsgate, South Africa

WE CAUGHT 3 FISH!!!
Ramsgate, South Africa
Breakfast
Today we finally worked out how to catch fish in South-Africa.
Although we were fishing from 10am in the morning, we managed to catch 3 fish in the space of 1 hour at around 3pm.
We just need to wait until the high tide and all the fish come towards the beach!
We were so pleased with ourselves even though we've spent 10x the amount the fish are worth on bait and fishing tackle that we went out yet again to celebrate and ate so much food we could hardly walk!
However, when we got back I noticed that I'd forgotten to put sun-cream on the backs of my legs... Ouch...
written by  chrischarly on July 25, 2010 from Ramsgate, South Africa

Yummy Fishies!
Uvongo Beach, South Africa
Chris Casting
Today we ate Chris' catches from the day before for breakfast and they tasted just like Seabass and were delicious!
So we decided to give fishing another go today to see if our luck would continue- it didn't :(
However, we spoke to some people at the fishing bait shop and they were amazed and very impressed that we managed to catch 3 Shad!
So Chris walked out of the shop with his head held high feeling very pleased with himself-
I was so proud!!
written by  chrischarly on July 26, 2010 from Uvongo Beach, South Africa

Best Beach- so far
Port Edward, South Africa
One and only catch for the day
Me Swimming
Today we went to the prettiest beach we've been to so far in Africa. We went to a little park, drove around and found a secluded path to a beach! It was practically deserted apart from a couple of passers by, but the mile long beach was practically ours! Unlike the other beaches we went to, this one wasn't stoney or windy and the sea looked so inviting and warm I just had to go for a swim. The added bonus was that Chris caught another fish so we had a lovely dinner afterwards too! Perfect last day in Margate...
written by  chrischarly on July 27, 2010 from Port Edward, South Africa

Bye Bye Margate and Hello St. Lucia!
Saint Lucia Estuary, South Africa
Our holiday home in Margate
A Crocodile!
Today we played a little role reversal... I cooked breakfast for Chris this morning!!! The first time I'd ever cooked scrambled eggs, tomatoes and mushrooms and he loved every mouthful! Then we drove for four hours north to a more rural part of South-Africa, Saint Lucia where we are staying in a gorgeous b&b called Anna's (www.annasbnb.com). Ivan and Brenda are fantastic hosts who are ultra friendly and helpful, ensuring our stay is perfect!.. Had a lovely afternoon spotting crocodiles and hippos whilst having a beer. Lovely. Then later to top it off I beat Chris 4-2 at Pool, of course changing the rules slightly in my favour :)
written by  chrischarly on July 28, 2010 from Saint Lucia Estuary, South Africa

9 amazing hours of Safari!
Hluhluwe, South Africa
A White Rhinoceros' Bum
A Hyena regurgitating his food!
1 Zebra
At 4:45am we woke up and went on an amazing safari.
A Pretty View
Blue Wildebeest
Impala's kissing
Our tiny little car was amazing and managed to take us pretty much everywhere the jeeps and 4x4s went.
A Cheetah!!!
A Bush Pig!!!
A Goliath Heron
We had a very lucky day managing to see the extremely rare sighting of a cheetah, 2 Bushpigs and so many more animals.
Warthog Family also having a drink
A Warthog
A WILD Giraffe this time!!
However, Chris is now exhausted and has been sleeping for over 2 hours now after his very long drive, whilst I'm getting itchy feet and hunger pains desperate to go out again! Anyway, I will let the pictures speak for themselves!!!
Nyala and Impala having a drink
A Hyena
written by  chrischarly on July 29, 2010 from Hluhluwe, South Africa

My Birthday!
Saint Lucia Estuary, South Africa
Hippos play-fighting
Hippos and a hidden croc!
I had a lovely day today, of course being pampered by my lovely boyfriend! We moved to a different B&B, Parkers which is also lovely as neither could accommodate us for the full 4 days. Had a strange pizza for lunch with bacon,Banana and garlic??? However, was still a taste sensation!
A Mangrove Kingfisher!
A Croc
In the afternoon we went on a hippo and croc tour and we saw hippos and crocs, obviously, and also a Mangrove Kingfisher, which is the rarest bird in S.A.
Hippos
Pretty sunset
We then sat and watched the most gorgeous sunset. In the evening we went out for some yummy dinner then went out to party till 2am, where the owner kept giving me far too many shots. Unfortunatly there isn't much night life in Saint Lucia so we had to beg for the last few drinks and then staggered home...
written by  chrischarly on July 30, 2010 from Saint Lucia Estuary, South Africa

The Morning After...
Saint Lucia Estuary, South Africa
A rhino
A family of baboons
Today was a little slow-starting as we were both a little hung over! But once we'd finally got up we went to Cape Vidal which is a little park just outside Saint Lucia where we saw a rhino properly and not just it's bum. We then found a lovely secluded beach again and went for a long walk, however, it was so windy that the sand HURT!
A chameleon
A dwarf Chameleon
In the evening we went on a night safari to try and spot the elusive leapord, however, instead we saw 2 chameleons, one so small and rare, almost impossible to spot! The sky was so beautiful at night you could see the milky way very clearly.
written by  chrischarly on July 31, 2010 from Saint Lucia Estuary, South Africa

Hello Swaziland!
Siteki, Swaziland
Hut in Siteki
A Swaziland Airport!- Honest
Today was our last day in Saint Lucia and we were sad to say goodbye :( However, we were both excited to going to Swaziland! We didn't get a border crossing permit for the car so we were praying that they wouldn't check it closely as I forged the documents! Luckily, they didn't as we were ultra-friendly and we were also lucky they didn't search the car as we had some wine and gin stashed in the cool box! We eventually found our little place and it was amazing, situated on acres and acres of land. In the evening we went out for dinner in a scary 'restaurant', where Chris ordered me a pizza ensuring it wasn't spicy by repeatedly saying, 'Not hot. Not hot'. Thus, it came out stone cold :(
written by  chrischarly on August 1, 2010 from Siteki, Swaziland

Things that Annoyed Charly today...
Maputo, Mozambique
Today everyhting that could go wrong- did today:-
I had a restless night's sleep, with a huge headache
Neither mine or Chris' bank cards were working so we had to leave Swaziland early as we didn't have money
The banks refused to change our currency as we didn't have an account with them
I left the ring Chris brought me in Venice at Swaziland
The lady at the Swaziland border asked me loads of questions and I couldn't understand her so we both got very annoyed with each other
The guy behind the counter wouldn't accept dollars for the visa- only rand, so took our last rand and wouldn't give us change- until he saw that we weren't leaving without it.
Chris then had to buy even more car insurance to enter Mozambique and then they kept begging him for more money.
I got attacked by a swarm of children at the petrol station for sweets, then one accidentally punched me in the face
We couldn't find any accommodation in Maputo so had to drive 4 hours further than planned
I got ripped off buying a high vis jacket (an essential in Mozambique) by giving the guy rand instead of meticas, 5x the amount he asked for as I got mixed up with all the currency we had on us. Chris thought it was hilarious, I was fuming
We got stopped by the police for no reason at all.
We had no choice but spend 70 pound pp for a night's accomodation as there was no where else.
A very stressful day...
written by  chrischarly on August 2, 2010 from Maputo, Mozambique

An Adventure Drive!
Xai-Xai, Mozambique
Pot holes twice the size of our car
A Lorry refusing to move out of our way!
After staying a very quiet night in Praia do Bilene, we decided to move on to a more livlier place. The journey to Tofo beach was very difficult for our little Kia, ideal for a 4x4, but we still found it pretty amusing! Yet we still made it getting stuck only once, but luckily it was the 'car park' at the next B&B, which was pretty over-priced for a so-called backpackers place for what it was. We just relaxed in the evening after the long drive where we got served raw Chicken and cold pasta, delicious! We got kicked out of the bar at 9:20pm as the generator was about to be switched off leaving us in complete darkness!.. Still a fun day though :)
written by  chrischarly on August 3, 2010 from Xai-Xai, Mozambique

Aquatico lodge!
Praia do Tofo, Mozambique
Aquatico Beach
In the morning we went for a little trip around Tofo, finding a lovely little deli where we made a couple of friends who found us some much better accomodation, which a lot cheaper right on the beach! So we swiftly moved all of our things out of Bamboozi lodge into Aquatico receiving a frosty goodbye from reception. In the evening we went out to an all-you-can-eat pizza evening and I out-ate Chris by 5 slices whilst being eaten myself alive by mosquitoes :(
written by  chrischarly on August 4, 2010 from Praia do Tofo, Mozambique

:( :( Poorly Toe! :( :(
Praia do Tofo, Mozambique
My Poorly Foot
After going for a lovely long walk along the beach we went to check out going on an ocean safari. Luckily, we didn't book one as an hour later I tripped up outside the deli on a step and ripped half of my big toe nail off! Blood squited out everywhere and the pain was so bad I though I might faint. I couldn't put a picture of the actual wound up as it's so vile but here's one bandaged up after covering it in anticeptic...
written by  chrischarly on August 5, 2010 from Praia do Tofo, Mozambique

Partying
Praia do Tofo, Mozambique
A Boat
I woke up to find Chris watching the whales jump out of the sea in the distance. It's amazing how clear you can see them! We had a lovely day even though we couldn't do a lot due to my toe as it's hard to walk, but in the evening we went out to Dino's- which is the local bar and had a great night, but unfortunately unable to dance. I haven't a clue what time I managed to drag Chris away but I'm sure the sun wasn't far from rising.
written by  chrischarly on August 6, 2010 from Praia do Tofo, Mozambique

Zzzzzzzzzz
Tofo Beach
Myself and Chris eventually woke up at 2:30pm, Chris with a raging hang-over and ate till we were fit to burst to soak some of the alcohol up! However, that was pretty much all we did as we fell asleep around 7pm. Pretty wasteful day but we feel so much better for it!

Night Out With Friends
a boat
Women having to transport things through the water!
We had a great day today relaxing outside our little home reading in the gorgeous sunshine then making a couple of new friends, Sam and Mags who we later invited out to dinner with us in the evening. Had a great night, drinking till quite late at Tofo Tofo and then back at ours.

Exploring
Inhambane, Mozambique
Sunrise
swimming pool
This morning we woke up to catch a glimpse of the lovely Sunrise before getting up to explore somewhere new. We found an amazing hotel which was we ate a lovely lunch- only purchased as we wanted to use the pool! Although the weather was lovely it was so windy that we tried to play cards later in the evening but was difficult as they kept blowing everywhere.
written by  chrischarly on August 9, 2010 from Inhambane, Mozambique

Windy day
another boat
Chilli's- the deli
Not much to say about today as we didn't do much as it was too windy and to cold to do anything! So went spent 4 hours in a deli eating some nice Comfort food and spent the rest of the day reading. It was far too cold to go to Tofo Tofo, so had a very disappointing pizza at Dino's with a few additions to the pizza which I didn't order, such as thick lumps of fat! So watch out eating in a dimly lighted room!

Another Windy day
Me and Chris
Our front garden!
Today was just as bad as the day before, which also meant that the sea was impossible to go in as it was so dangerous; they weren't even launching boats! However, Chris was outside reading his book watching kids as young as 3 and 4 playing in the sea whilst their parents enjoyed a beer! He though he may have to go and rescue them when one disappeared for a minute finally coming up crying. The parents didn't even notice! In the evening we went to Casa Barry to listen to a whale shark talk in preparation for our ocean safari which we still hope to do. However, we have 'till Saturday for the sea to calm down before we move on, so keep your fingers crossed for us!

Lovely Walk
Menu at Black and Whites. Very simple!
Gorgeous beach
Today we went on a lovely walk to Casa Barry completely the other side of the beach and although it was still windy the sun was shining. However we couldn't spend long there as the weather was still awful so we were afraid of being cut off. We found another amazingly cheap place in the heart of the market called black and whites which served basic yet tasty food. Even though the rice was served to us cold we could hardly complain as it worked out just over 1 pound each! Bargain

Ocean Safari
A boat and a whale
We both had a fantastic day today, not believing just how exciting the ocean safari would be! We saw hump back whales about 5 feet away, I swam above a whale shark and saw 2 pods of dolphins. Not bad for my first ever snorkelling experience. However, it was ultra scary and seriously tiring, especially as I didn't even know how to breathe through a snorkel! Climbing back into the boat wasn't exactly glamorous either as I managed to flash everyone on the boat when Chris dragged me up :O How embarassing!

Friday
The beach
Had a nice day today,
booked our ocean safari for tomorrow,
but they're still not launching boats
so we pray they do!
Went out in the evening for an opening party at Turtle Cove,
we had a great night,
lovin' the complimentary pork rolls!
When we were walking home at night
I thought it was strange that a half moon in Mozambique is upside down?!

9 1/2 hour drive...
Siteki, Swaziland
Mozambique public transport!
Acres and acres of pineapples
Today we woke up at 4:45 preparing for our long drive back to Swaziland this time prepared with lots of currency! It didn't take anywhere near as long as we'd expected as the road works had improved loads. We got stopped by the police again, but this time he was really nice and all he wanted was a drink, so we gave him a can of red bull and he was so delighted I thought he might kiss me! This was the first night that we'd stayed in backpackers accomodation, yet you wouldn't have though so as we had our own room in a gorgeous setting, the only aspect making it different was sharing a bathroom, but it was huge with hardly any guests staying there that it didn't matter.
written by  chrischarly on August 15, 2010 from Siteki, Swaziland

First night in a game park
Ezulwini, Swaziland
2 crocs and a hippo
Our hut
View from our hut
Today we went searching for somewhere else to stay as we'd already stayed at Mabuda before so we wanted to explore a litle further. This was harder than we thought as the first 10-15 places we tried were either fully booked or very dodgy-looking. Eventually we found a lovely little backpackers place in the middle of a game park! The surroundings are by far the most beautiful I'd ever seen and we stayed in a hut in the middle of no where. Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous!
written by  chrischarly on August 16, 2010 from Ezulwini, Swaziland

Sleeping in a stable!
Ezulwini, Swaziland
Inside the stable
Me sleeping
Our private stable!
After a rubbish sleep we decided to move on again and this time came across a stable to sleep in. Yep, a converted stable! It was for true backpackers and housed 36 people, 4 beds in each room with half a wall separating us from the next room. However, although it sounds scary, which it was in fact, we remarkably were the only ones staying there, thus we had our own private kitchen and 2 bathrooms! Great adventure at a bargain price, althought it was freezing!
written by  chrischarly on August 17, 2010 from Ezulwini, Swaziland

A little bit of luxury :)
Barberton, South Africa
How high up are we!
Our makeshift washing-line!
A dam
After 3 night of backpacking accomodation we decided that we would treat ourselves to a comfy bed for a great night sleep which luckily was achieved. Chris also liked it as it had we had a pub in our garden! So that's where we spent the majority of our night! During the day we went for a lovely drive from Swaziland up in the mountains and found a town dedicated to help orphans and AIDS survivors, so we decided to support it by staying for lunch and buying some fresh tasty milk from the local bakery!
written by  chrischarly on August 18, 2010 from Barberton, South Africa

Double Booking!
Komatipoort, South Africa
3 warthog and Chris' sandal
The road which we were driving along
As we were off to Kruger the following day we decided to stay over at Marloth Park for the night which was about 30mins from Crocodile Bridge Gate entrance. Chris made a provisional booking before on the internet, yet to our Surprise it was already booked out! So after searching for the place for over an hour we weren't at all impressed, but luckily found a cute guest-House not too far away.
written by  chrischarly on August 19, 2010 from Komatipoort, South Africa

The Big 5
Komatipoort, South Africa
A leopard!!!
3 rhinos
Buffalo
Yay today as well as many other amazing sightings, we saw the Big 5!!
Lion
Elephants
written by  chrischarly on August 20, 2010 from Komatipoort, South Africa

Big 4
Malelane, South Africa
A black-backed jackal
A honey badger
A poo bird
A young male lion
A very colourful bird
Lion
Today was our second day in Kruger and we saw 4 of the big 5 excluding the leopard, with 3 other new sightings, a black-backed jackal, a honey badger and 3 porcupines, resting this time in Mopani rest-camp.
written by  chrischarly on August 21, 2010 from Malelane, South Africa

Big 3
Phalaborwa, South Africa
Lion cubs
3 elephants
A hippo yawning
A monkey family
Today was our last day in Kruger, and we surprisingly didn't even see a rhino as we were much higher in the park.
A baby hyena
Mother and baby rhino
A Vulture
Chris cooking on the Braii
We left around 4pm to search for our B&B having had an amazing few days, but seriously exhausted.
written by  chrischarly on August 22, 2010 from Phalaborwa, South Africa

The Great Panorama
Graskop, South Africa
Today we decided to take a scenic route through S.A to return to Sanette's House. Unfortunately it took a little longer than expected, even though beautiful resulting with Chris spending another 10 hours driving!
written by  chrischarly on August 23, 2010 from Graskop, South Africa

Last day in S.A
Johannesburg, South Africa
Me and Chris
We spent our last day in Joburg packing and getting Dora (our car) cleaned. This took over 2 hours with at one time 4 people cleaning it! In the evening we enjoyed our last evening with Sanette and Mario with Chris cooking a culinary delight!
written by  chrischarly on August 24, 2010 from Johannesburg, South Africa

4 minutes left to check-in!
Livingstone, Zambia
Lunar Rainbow
We decided to go against our gut instincts by leaving at 6 for the airport, by leaving at 7 as it wasn't far to the airport... BIG MISTAKE!! There was so much traffic leaving us arriving at Europcar and our panicked expressions meant the guy kindly driving us to the terminal himself so we got there quicker. However, we didn't know which terminal to be at, so we guessed at unfortunately we were wrong! I don't think either of us have ran so fast in our lives! Eventually we made it with only 4 minutes left before the lady closed the desk and we were the last ones on the plane. Had a great flight with extra leg room seats blagged by Chris, arriving in sunny Zambia half an hour earlier than expected.
We were greeted by our friendly host, Richard, the owners of a lovely B&B we would be staying in for the next 5 days. We relaxed for the majority of the day before going to the Victoria Falls for the first time but in the dark to see the rare sighting of an amazing Lunar Rainbow! It was fantastic and unfortunately the photos don't do it justice.
written by  chrischarly on August 25, 2010 from Livingstone, Zambia

Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
A day-time rainbow
Today we went to see the Victoria Falls but this time during the day. It was a fantastic experience and we both got drenched by the spray.
We walked across the bridge as far as we could before we got stopped by immigration. In the evening we made plans to go out for dinner with our neighbours, Sylvia and Nicolas, however, we noticed later that a doctor had been called out and Sylvia had in fact got Malaria :(
written by  chrischarly on August 26, 2010 from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Day 44
Livingstone, Zambia
A bridge
Today it's our 44th day of our travels so far and we just can't believe it! We had a nice day not doing much as the weather was blisteringly hot, but in the late afternoon talk a nice walk into town amazed at how built up Livingstone is.
written by  chrischarly on August 27, 2010 from Livingstone, Zambia

Nightime walk
Livingstone, Zambia
Chris and the Falls
Victoria Falls and Me
Had a lovely day today, relaxing by the pool before taking a walk to a restaurant in town in the evening. Although we made it perfectly fine we were in fact a little scared with dodgy road surfaces the whole way only to be ignored once at the restaurant resulting with us taking a taxi in the end to another restaurant which we have become big fans of over the last couple of days.
written by  chrischarly on August 28, 2010 from Livingstone, Zambia

Chillaxing
Last day at Chanter's today so a nice day enjoying the gorgeous sunshine before a great deal of travelling over the next few days...

1st Coach journey
Lusaka, Zambia
3 Chickens in a basket
This morning we woke up ultra early to catch a 'business-class' coach to Lusaka.
It was surprisingly not a bad journey apart from getting hassled as soon as we left the coach and I Split open my carrier-bag full of drinks.
Checked into a nice place in the evening,
though a little over-priced to catch another early night.
written by  chrischarly on August 30, 2010 from Lusaka, Zambia

Finally on the Tazara!
Kapiri Mposhi, Zambia
First-class-lounge
This morning we took an early morning coach to Kapiri Mposhi to catch the Tazara railway to Tanzania. Again the coach journey was fine, but getting hassled constantly is getting a little tiresome now! We boarded the train at 4pm into our 'first-class' cabin, made a prison-cell look like luxury! Nevertheless, we are very excited about our journey...
written by  chrischarly on August 31, 2010 from Kapiri Mposhi, Zambia

Still on the Tazara
Mbeya, Tanzania
3 boys dancing
We are still on the Tazara, luckily I managed to sleep a little, unfortunately Chris barely had an hour, very surprised we didn't roll off the bed as it bangs and crashes every 10 minutes.
People selling food
However, I now know what cockroaches look like as many seem to live in our cabin! We made a couple of new friends, Jason and Joyce and played cards with them to pass the time.
written by  chrischarly on September 1, 2010 from Mbeya, Tanzania

Now in Zanzibar!
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Chris' head!
After 48 hours on the Tazara we were so happy to finally get off.
The Tazara
We shared a taxi with Jason and Joyce to the Ferry to go to Zanzibar as we just wanted to get all our travelling finished with.
Our cabin
I don't think we have ever appreciated a shower so much! Not at all what we expected but we are getting closer to the beach every day!
written by  chrischarly on September 2, 2010 from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

On the beach
Zanzibar, Tanzania
Keys B&B
After talking to a local guy we managed to pick up a 4x4 for only $25 per day, and Jason and Joyce got a motorbike for $15, although it's a little rustic it's a fantastic way to get around the island. We then found out the same guy also had a place right on the beach for just $35 per day so we headed up there and spent the evening in the bar.
written by  chrischarly on September 3, 2010 from Zanzibar, Tanzania

Beach Party
Zanzibar, Tanzania
Collecting seaweed
Although we felt a little jaded from the night before, we heard there was a beach party in Kendwa Rocks so headed down there for the evening. We had a fantastic time and the night flew by arriving back at 4am to be locked out of our B&B which meant Jason had to climb over the wall to wake up some of the staff.
written by  chrischarly on September 4, 2010 from Zanzibar, Tanzania

Sun-bathing
Zanzibar, Tanzania
Erin and I sunbathing
Today was a lovely day, and Tanzania sure is hot.
Enjoying some cocktails
We walked along the beach with Mark and Erin to a hotel with a swimming pool with a beach par and pool table and spent the day enjoying their facilities.
written by  chrischarly on September 5, 2010 from Zanzibar, Tanzania

Another relaxing day on a gorgeous beach...
Me and Chris
Today we woke up and went to another lovely beach not far from where we are staying and splashed around in the sea for a while and then spent the evening playing drinking games and I lost loads of times :(

Last day in Zanzibar
Jason, Joyce, Erin, Mark, Me and Chris
Had another lovely day and went swimming for ages in the sea then finding a lovely local restaurant in the evening for about $3 per meal. We decided at around 9pm that we would leave tomorrow and head back to the main-land with our new friend Erin and Mark as they want to do the same things as us so not exactly sure where we're headed for the next few days... what an adventure!..

Stupid Stupid Police...
The ferry
This morning we woke up nice and early in preparation for our Ferry journey back to Dar es Salaam. We decided to go in convoy with Erin and Mark, however, Chris wasn't paying attention and we lost them. I seriously was not impressed, then we got stopped by a corrupt arrogant policeman on the way which kept us there for 20mins threatening to take Chris to court and saying that he would refuse him bail. I lost my temper quite a bit with him, which I think upset him even more... oops. But when he saw that our wallets were empty and that we couldn't bribe him he let us go. I was fuming...
Us waiting for the ferry
Eventually we made it to the Ferry dropping our car off on the way and into accommodation with just a little hassle.

11 hour bus journey...
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
The luxury bus
Today was a pretty long day taking a bus journey from Dar es Salaam to Arusha on a 'luxury' bus.
The journey was supposed to take 9-10 hours but the driver was so slow it took 11.
We were so pleased to finally get off the bus and have a walk round town, but it is impossible to simply enjoy a walk without at least 10 people stalking you; it's pretty stressful.
Had a good night eating street food and having a drink in a bizarre local place before retiring for the evening.
written by  chrischarly on September 9, 2010 from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2 safaris booked!
Arusha, Tanzania
Our safari car and Nixon
We had a pretty practical day managing to book 2 tours to the Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire national parks and a bus to Mombassa for Monday. However, getting hassled is getting very annoying now; a group of guys waiting for us outside even made our friend cry by calling her vicious names. So I'm actually looking forward to leaving Arusha.
written by  chrischarly on September 10, 2010 from Arusha, Tanzania

Taranguire Safari
Babati, Tanzania
Jackals, and a vulture
2 ostrichs
A squirrel
Elephant
Mother and Baby
Baby elephants
We had an awesome day today without many expectations as it's not a very popular park in Tanzania, but we managed to see a leopard,
Another Leopard
3 cheetahs together,
3 cheetahs
3 lions also together,
2 lions
Big teeth
3 lions
a golden jackal and loads of elephants, thousands of wilderbeest plus loads more animals...
1000's wilderbeest
A golden jackal
written by  chrischarly on September 11, 2010 from Babati, Tanzania

Ngorongoro Crater
Ngorongoro, Tanzania
A black rhino!
Yet another amazing day on another safari in a Crater, a collapsed Volcano.
Hyenas eating a wilderbeest
A cerval!
Thousands of flamingoes
A monkey and her baby
A sleeping hyena
We saw loads of other amazing animals, loads of hyenas eating a wildebeest, a cerval which we'd never seen before, 2 black rhinos and thousands of flamingoes.
The kestral that attacked me
My attacked finger
However, when we (stupidly) got out of our cars to eat some lunch a kestral swooped down in atempt to steal my roll and hit me pretty hard on the head and cut my finger!
written by  chrischarly on September 12, 2010 from Ngorongoro, Tanzania

Losing my camera, and getting into 1st fight!
Mombasa, Kenya
The Busy Bus
It was hard work getting up at 4:15 to get ready to catch the bus to Mombasa for 5:30am, it was only an hour late, which was pretty irritating and only arrived when I decided to go to the loo, without realizing that I had to pay for it! Thus a group of guys grabbed me and tried to drag me into their office. I was petrified and fuming. Eventually they let me go after I lashed out at them and kicked them as I didn’t have any money on me in order to bribe them to leave me alone. My god I hate Arusha! Everyone just seems violent and aggressive so I was delighted when I finally managed to get away and jump on the bus.
Me and the 2nd Baby
During the 10 hour bus journey 2 ladies decided that they had enough of carrying their children so decided to put them on my lap for a while, strange but true. They were SO cute!
Me and a African baby
The bus this time wasn’t business-class but pretty rustic and battered but a lot quicker than previous buses which we were grateful for stopping at virtually every bus-stop on the way.
Us out for dinner
When we arrived we managed to find somewhere to stay pretty quickly but I left my camera in the taxi, so that was frustrating, but it restored my faith in humanity when it was returned on Wednesday morning!
written by  chrischarly on September 13, 2010 from Mombasa, Kenya

Erin's (almost) birthday
Mombasa, Kenya
Me, Erin, Mark, Hans and Marjol
Today as it was our last day with Erin and Mark we decided to celebrate Erin's birthday a day early.
Chris' culinary delight!!
Chris cooked some delicious food in our shared cottage and we had a great day swimming in the sea and literally baking in the heat
written by  chrischarly on September 14, 2010 from Mombasa, Kenya

A huge spider!
Mombasa, Kenya
A Huge Spider
Today we woke up early to wave off Erin and Mark at 5:30am, we're gutted to see them go! When we got back to our cottage to jump straight back into bed we saw a huge spider that scared the life out of us sitting on a chair... Anyone know what kind it is???
written by  chrischarly on September 15, 2010 from Mombasa, Kenya

Exploring Diani Beach
Our new palace!
Today we went walking around Diani Beach enjoying the gorgous beaches and sunshine, it was so hot but lovely and we made a couple of local friends who invited us to stay with them for just 20 pound per night! Fantastic! We have a private pool and the House is virtually ours as they're constantly working as from tomorrow! Yet again we've landed on our feet!

Moving house...
Chris swimming
Today we moved our things into our new luxury palace! We swam in their pool for the majority of the day before taking their two jack russels on a walk in the evening.
Rafi and Kiki
Their dogs had never been on a walk before and they were shaking so much they were petrified, so we had to carry them to the beach! Eventually they got used to it, and loved it; they're our new best-friends!

3-1 to Spurs
Ukunda, Kenya
Lizard eating a Cricket
Today we went on the search to find somewhere for Chris to watch the Spurs game he desperately wanted to see and luckily 40's was showing it, a local beach bar so we walked down there with the dogs and Chris bribed me with a milkshake to keep me quiet during the game.
written by  chrischarly on September 18, 2010 from Ukunda, Kenya

Eating in
Ukunda, Kenya
Out walking the dogs
Today I went for a walk along the beach whilst Chris was cooking dinner for Dave and Mo as they finished work early on a Sunday, and although it was a lovely walk, one guy tried to steal one of the dogs off me whilst another one declared his love for me.
written by  chrischarly on September 19, 2010 from Ukunda, Kenya

Chillaxing
Ukunda, Kenya
Kiki and Rafi
Chris and Kiki
Today was another relaxing day enjoying the gorgeous Kenya sun and beaches, pretty uneventful but relaxing.
written by  chrischarly on September 20, 2010 from Ukunda, Kenya

Too much sunshine...
Camels on the beach
Today we stupidly decided to take a long walk in the midday sun and unsurprisingly I got a severe head-ache and felt pretty sick :( so the rest of the day resulted in chilling out in the pool to cool down and an early night.

African Pot
A monkey
Today was again a gorgeous day. Howver, I think bad weather is pretty non-existant in Kenya anyway. We went for a tasty curry at a local place called African Pot and although the staff didn't speak a word of English it was a lovely evening, the staff evening washing our hands before and after we'd eaten.

Dodgy Sport's Bar
A pretty Lizard
This evening we thought we'd try a new place to go drinking and headed opposite to where we're staying for a drink. However we didn't stay long, as the wine tasted like vinegar, the toilets, although I needed to go were vile, and i got chatted up by a local lady so we got scared and again ended up in Lymington's, our favourite spot for the evening.

Rongi's restaurant...
A sea Urchin
This morning we went for a lovely walk along the beach, never getting enough of the lovely sand and sea and in the afternoon we thought we'd experience another local restaurant, however, the term 'restaurant' is used very lightly!
Perfect Beach
The food although basic was pretty tasty but a little off-putting was the flea ridden cats and dogs sitting under the table. On the way back, Dave drove us around all the local markets, which were amazing albeit a little scary.

Lazy Sunday
Chris Chillin'
Yet another lovely relaxing day enjoying doing nothing... However, did a little reading up on Uganda and I've decided I'd love to go there next week, Chris needs a little more persuading though as he's loving Kenya but I've got itchy feet...

We're going to Uganda!
Me walking the dogs
After quite a lot of persuasion, I managed to convince Chris that we MUST go to Uganda, and eventually he gave in so we can't wait. One last country before heading to Nairobi before the U.K. Where has the time gone?

Productive Day
Bricks made out of Coral
Our Place
Today we managed to book a snorkeling trip for tomorrow, We can't wait- so excited! We also looked into going to Uganda further and tried flying but it's so expensive, so we're going to take an over-night train to Nairobi and then a bus to Kampala. Feel like we've achieved quite a lot in one day!

Snorkelling
Shimoni, Kenya
The Dhow
Today was fantastic...
Where we snorkelled
Snorkeling is so beautiful I simply didn't imagine how much I'd enjoy it.
Chris Free diving
Thumbs up
Pretty fish
Chris snorkelling
Fishies
Beautiful
A Bridge
Coral Garden
We were also very lucky to see a turtle. It swam right up to me I could have touched if I wasn't scared that it would bite me!
The Boat we were on
Me trying to crack open the crab
Chris relaxing
We also had a fantastic sea-food lunch on the island before going on a beautiful walk where we saw a coral garden.
Lovely Beach
A 500 year old tree
Coral
However, I was stupid and forgot to put sun-cream on the back of my legs and I couldn't sit down all night. It really hurts!
written by  chrischarly on September 29, 2010 from Shimoni, Kenya

Day 78
Tiwi, Kenya
A Dung Beetle
We hired a 4x4 off a local friend Mark who we met and it was the pefect chance to do a little exploring.
A Huge Tree
We found a few local villages to have a drive around and it was so beautiful.
Cows blocking the road
In the evening we drove back to our House and the maid, Benta was leaving so we offered her a lift home. I don't think she'd ever been in a car before as she couldn't open the doors, She was so grateful that she invited us into her home and showed us a couple of pictures of her family. It was a lovely experience going into a local home, it wasn't at all what we'd expected.
written by  chrischarly on September 30, 2010 from Tiwi, Kenya

BBQ
Auntie Mo
This evening Lymington's had a huge BBQ with a band and we had a fantastic evening drinking a little too much and eating a little too much food.
Jacob Cooking
I was in charge of selling raffle tickets, managing to sell 45 which was quite an achievement which helped pay for the band :)
Big John Dancin'
written by  chrischarly on October 1, 2010 from Ukunda, Kenya

Ali Barbour's Cave
Enjoying our romantic evening :)
Me chillin' at the Cave
Today was our last day in Diani and we went in the evening to the famous 'Cave' restaurant.
The ceiling at the Cave
It was amazing!
Candlelit dinner
The Cave
The setting was so beautiful-
Chris' dinner
Chris at the Cave
A completely natural coral cave.
written by  chrischarly on October 2, 2010 from Ukunda, Kenya

From Mombasa- Nairobi
Nairobi, Kenya
Mombassa
Today we left Diani and had a guided tour around Mombasa. It was surprisingly a very small city and quite beautiful in places.
Fort Jesus
Jammed in
Unlike many of the other cities in Africa, the people were very friendly and helpful and didn't hassle us.
Waiting for our train
After the tour we waited for our train to arrive at 6pm and it left on time. The train was quite similar to the Tzara but with smaller compartments so we didn't have to fight for our own cabin this time!
Our train
Meals were also included which were basic yet tasty but only 3 fans worked on the whole train and it was so hot. But apart from that- it was a very enjoyably journey.
written by  chrischarly on October 3, 2010 from Nairobi, Kenya

Non-stop travelling
Kisumu, Kenya
Our 2nd 1st class cabin
The train arrived in Nairobi on time and we took a taxi straight to the bus-stop to book our bus in the evening.
Just arrived in Nairobi
When we got there, there was a couch just about to leave, so we jumped straight on it so it meant we didn't have to hang around in the city.
Tortoise crossing the road
The coach left at 10am and was supposed to arrive at 6pm, but after having a tire change, being stopped by the police and our bus driver almost arrested for playing music and a lady having a fit in the restaurant when we stopped for a break, oh yeah, and having officially the slowest driver in the world, we arrived in Kampala at 2am!
written by  chrischarly on October 4, 2010 from Kisumu, Kenya

My God, it's good to have a shower!
Kampala, Uganda
Huge Ants
Luckily when we arrived at Red Chilli's Backpackers this morning at 2:15am there was a night guard who found a room for us and we instantly fell asleep. In the morning it felt incredible to have a shower!
written by  chrischarly on October 5, 2010 from Kampala, Uganda

Another day of Travelling
Para, Uganda
One of many tire changes
This morning we woke up seriously early to get ready for our trip to Murchison Falls.
Where we are
Still stuck!
Pushing the matatu
L-R, Chris, Margaret, Aicha, Jaclyn, Me, Jess and Sophie
A Stuck Matatu
Another Road blockage
After our 3rd or 4th tire change on the way we eventually made it.
Chris' Catch
A Nile Monitor
A huge Truck
In the evening there was an incredible electrical storm that completely drowned us and made puddles in our tent!
written by  chrischarly on October 6, 2010 from Para, Uganda

Shoe-bill!
Para, Uganda
Giraffes
Strange Antelopes
Today we went on a game drive around Queen Elizabeth National Park not exactly expecting to see a great deal.
Elephants
Flying Bird
A Purple Headed Stork
Elephant with a little trunk
However, we did see lots of elephants, some with missing trunks due to snares :(
3 lions
2 Lions
Lions again
6 lions,
Lion
and the elusive shoe-bill!
A shoebill!
A Baboon and her Baby
A Baboon's ugly Bum
Murchison Falls
Chris
A Hippo
Later, we went on a river cruise to see the Murchison Falls.
A Buffalo
An African Fish Eagle
We saw lots of other wildlife including hundreds of hippos, lots of crocodiles and birds, such as the African Fish Eagle. Amazing day!
written by  chrischarly on October 7, 2010 from Para, Uganda

Murchison Falls
Masindi, Uganda
Us on a rock
This morning we went on a lovely walk along to see the Murchison Falls, they were so powerful it's incredible, then we took a slow drive back to Kampala.
Chris and I
Us and the falls
On the way the matatu started making strange noises so we pulled over fearing the wheel was about to fall off!
The Nile
We stopped in a tiny village with lots of children who we gave balloons to and little balls after witnessing a fight between some locals that got really vicious involving a huge Machete! It was pretty scary.
Children playing with Balloons
Children
When we finally got back we moved into a dorm with our new friends and met up with a girl, Mel who we saw in Zanzibar!
written by  chrischarly on October 8, 2010 from Masindi, Uganda

We've booked rafting!
Kampala, Uganda
Our dormitory
Today we finally booked our rafting trip for tomorrow! Pretty excited, yet petrified at the same time.
written by  chrischarly on October 9, 2010 from Kampala, Uganda

Rafting!
Jinja, Uganda
My God rafting was scary,
I thought I was going to drown!
We flipped over at a rapid and I got stuck under the boat.
I don't think I've ever been more frightened! However, at least we can say we've finally done it!
written by  chrischarly on October 10, 2010 from Jinja, Uganda

Last day in Jinja
Jinja, Uganda
The Nile
The nile
Today was our last day in Jinja and we spent the majority of it recovering from rafting!
Where we were staying had a fantastic view over-looking the Nile it was gorgeous.
written by  chrischarly on October 11, 2010 from Jinja, Uganda

Staying in a true African House!
Naivasha, Kenya
Donkeys
Today we took another bus back to Naivasha intending to spend the last few days of Africa relaxing by the lake. By the time we had arrived it was already dark and we got dropped off what seemed to be the middle of no where at a petrol station. So we took a walk up and luckily found a 'taxi-driver' who drove us around to find us somewhere to stay.
Elsie and Nelly
After 3 failed attempts at accommodation I jokingly said to him that we'd stay with him, which he responded saying he'd love to have us stay with him!
Our new home!
So off we went to stay in his House to experience the real Africa!
written by  chrischarly on October 12, 2010 from Naivasha, Kenya

Exploring Naivasha the local way
Naivasha, Kenya
Catherine and an Electrical Engineer
Today we went exploring Naivasha as true locals would.
A Stork
Illegal fishermen
We went to all the hidden gems of the town away from touristy areas and ate some amazing food at amazing prices!
Elsie and Nelly
We also went to visit Samuel and Catherine's daughters Nelly and Elsie at their school where they pretended I was their Auntie!
Chris and Stacey
Stacey and my Breakfast
What was also interesting is that in Kenya, men can have as many wives as they wish, Samuel only had two which is rare, so we visited his other wife Monica and tiny daughter Stacey.
Nelly and Elsie
It is apparently a great honour to have 'wuzungu' in their House, and they all made us feel so special, especially the two girls who said a kind prayer to us before they went to sleep.
written by  chrischarly on October 13, 2010 from Naivasha, Kenya

Carnivores!
Nairobi, Kenya
Samuel, Catherine and I
Today was unfortunately our last day in Naivasha with our new friends and it was such a shame as we loved being a local we just wished it could've been for longer!
Monkey
So we did a little more exploring of the lake and fed a few monkeys bananas before going for a local lunch.
Kenyan Oven
5* Kenyan Restaurant
We had fried fish that cost less than a £1 and fed three of us! We then caught a matatu into Nairobi for 30p after saying a sad goodbye to Samuel and Catherine.
Denys and I
Chris and Denys
Where the food was cooked in Carnivore
Carnivore Menu
In the evening we took another matatu across town to meet Chris' god-father Denys at Carnivore's restaurant where we ate crocodile and ostrich!
written by  chrischarly on October 14, 2010 from Nairobi, Kenya

Last day in Africa :(
Nairobi, Kenya
A Millipede
Today is our last day in Afria and we were both feeling really sad :( we just couldn't believe it had been 3 months already! We checked out of our hotel early and headed to the airport 10 hours before the flight was scheduled to leave feeling unsafe walking around Nairobi with our bags. Once there I was feeling pretty rough managing to be sick 4 times; once in the departures lounge, (hopefully not on anybody) resulting in Chris having to buy me a new t-shirt!
written by  chrischarly on October 15, 2010 from Nairobi, Kenya

Waking up back in the U.K
After a long flight which surprisingly not too bad as I slept the majority of the way we arrived back in the U.K. It is so cold! Just have to sort out a few things, getting Chris a new passport, selling his car and arrange our India visas before we fly again on the 7th November! Cannot wait!
written by  chrischarly on October 16, 2010 from Rayleigh, United Kingdom

Almost ready...
Oxhill, United Kingdom
Attempting to sell Chris' car
Chris' new passport has arrived, it only took 3 days! Went to visa embassy and received our India visas in the post this morning... So after a couple of last minute items and a fancy dress party at Neil's this Saturday we're almost ready for India! How friggin' exciting!
P.S, Anyone want a Mercedes SLK 350??
written by  chrischarly on October 29, 2010 from Oxhill, United Kingdom

Halloween Party
Coventry, United Kingdom
Neil our bestest friend held a Halloween house-warming party this evening which was a perfect opportunity for us to say goodbye to some friends before India.
A monster
We had a fantastic time...
written by  chrischarly on October 30, 2010 from Coventry, United Kingdom

Playing with Lucy and Jack
This afternoon we took our lovely niece and nephew Lucy and Jack down to the park, enjoying as much of them as possible before Sunday. We will miss them soooo much :(
written by  chrischarly on November 2, 2010 from Rayleigh, United Kingdom

bbq and fireworks
Tonight we had a bbq and enjoyed having a few drinks in the uk for the last time in 15 months. We had a great night wiv Neil and hazel coming down. I don't know about Chris but I'm pretty sacred now ...

My Poorly Foot

A Boat

Tofo Beach

Aquatico Beach

Chris testing the head- torch

Sunrise

Our front garden!

another boat

swimming pool

a boat

Chilli's- the deli

Menu at Black and Whites. Very simple!

Gorgeous beach

Women having to transport things through the water!

A dam

How high up are we!

Another Zebra

A leopard!!!

Buffalo

3 warthog and Chris' sandal

3 rhinos

Elephants

A very colourful bird

A poo bird

A young male lion

A honey badger

A hippo yawning

Elephant

Chris cooking on the Braii

A black-backed jackal

A lion cub

A monkey family

A baby hyena

Mother and baby rhino

3 elephants

A giraffe and it's tongue

Mother and baby buffalo

Lion cubs

A Vulture

Lunar Rainbow

The Great Panorama

Victoria Falls and Me

Victoria Falls

A day-time rainbow

Chris and the Falls

3 Chickens in a basket

First-class-lounge

3 boys dancing

Chris' head!

People selling food

The Tazara

Our cabin

Keys B&B

Erin and I sunbathing

Collecting seaweed

A Spider!

The luxury bus

Titanic and bar staff

Jason, Joyce, Erin, Mark, Me and Chris

Market shop

Rafi and Kiki

A Huge Spider

Chris swimming

Our new palace!

Lizard eating a Cricket

Kiki and Rafi

Chris and Kiki

Out walking the dogs

Camels on the beach

A monkey

Perfect Beach

A sea Urchin

Me walking the dogs

Our Place

A pretty Lizard

Chris Chillin'

Another Crab

A Crab with a huge claw

A Dung Beetle

The Dhow

Where we snorkelled

Beautiful

Me trying to crack open the crab

Reminants of the crab

The Boat we were on

Moi

A 500 year old tree

Coral

A Bridge

Coral Garden

Lovely Beach

A Huge Tree

A Mosque Beach

Cows blocking the road

Bricks made out of Coral

Auntie Mo

Jacob Cooking

Big John Dancin'

Chris relaxing

A shoebill!

One of many tire changes

Another Road blockage

Where we are

Strange Antelopes

Giraffes

2 Lions

Lions again

Elephant with a little trunk

L-R, Chris, Margaret, Aicha, Jaclyn, Me, Jess and Sophie

Flying Bird

A Stuck Matatu

A huge Truck

A Baboon and her Baby

A Baboon's ugly Bum

Chris' Catch

A Nile Monitor

Chris

Murchison Falls

2 Crocs

Us on a rock

Drinking a Nile on the Nile

Huge Ants

Chris and I

The Nile

Us and the falls

Murishon Falls

Tortoise crossing the road

Children playing with Balloons

A Purple Headed Stork

A Hippo

A Buffalo

An African Fish Eagle

Still stuck!

Pushing the matatu

Children

Our dormitory

The nile

Relaxing in Jinja

Elsie and Nelly

Donkeys

Chris and Stacey

Stacey and my Breakfast

Catherine and an Electrical Engineer

A Stork

Illegal fishermen

Samuel, Catherine and I

Monkey

Our new home!

Nelly and Elsie

Kenyan Oven

5* Kenyan Restaurant

Denys and I

Chris and Denys

Carnivore Menu

Where the food was cooked in Carnivore

Haze, Amba, Stu, Georgia and I

Jan, Haze and Bridge

Princess Daisy

Amba, Haze Stu, Georgia and I

Sara and Lilly

Bridge

Auntie Jan

Enjoying some cocktails

Us waiting for the ferry

The Busy Bus

A Millipede

Us out for dinner

Chris' culinary delight!!

Me and the 2nd Baby

Me chillin' at the Cave

The ceiling at the Cave

The Cave

Chris at the Cave

The demise of the fave flip-flop :(

Candlelit dinner

Mombassa

Jammed in

Our train

Attempting to sell Chris' car

Waiting for our train

Enjoying our romantic evening :)

Fort Jesus

Our 2nd 1st class cabin

Just arrived in Nairobi

Chris' dinner

A monster

Chris Free diving

Thumbs up

Pretty fish

Chris snorkelling

Fishies

A Mangrove Kingfisher!

A Croc

Hippos

A Giant Kingfisher

A dwarf Chameleon

Hut in Siteki

Mozambique public transport!

Pot holes twice the size of our car

A Lorry refusing to move out of our way!

A Swaziland Airport!- Honest

Me n Neil

Myself, Sanette and Mario

Sanette Snr, Johan and Chris

Spur

Mario, Sanette and I

Me, Chris and Baby Lion

Lion licking a bogie

Meerkat

Chris n Giraffe

Cheetah

Giraffagus

Simpler

Simples

A Big Bird

Our mini 4x4

Kia Picanto

Chris, Little dog and Chloe

Our first wildlife encounter

Crayfish Catching

The Crab that kept Attacking the Line

Breakfast

Chris fishing

Chris' first fish!!

One and only catch for the day

Me Swimming

Chris Casting

A Crocodile!

Our holiday home in Margate

A Hyena regurgitating his food!

2 Zebras

1 Zebra

A Cheetah!!!

Blue Wildebeest

A Pretty View

Impala's kissing

A White Rhinoceros' Bum

A Bush Pig!!!

A Goliath Heron

A Warthog

2 Wildebeest in the distance

A WILD Giraffe this time!!

Warthog Family also having a drink

Nyala and Impala having a drink

A WILD Giraffe this time!