Hello from Swakopund!

Just a quickie to let you know that we are both alive and well and this has been our first chance to get to an internet.

We had a brilliant time in Cape Town doing all the usual stuff ..... Table Mountain, West Coast National Park etc., all in sunny weather during the day, but damn cold at night! Left 6 days ago and have been on the road ever since, stopping every night in mostly fab lodges - never there long enough to really enjoy them though. Crossed into Namibia and the scenery changed, the most desolate countryside and more sand than you want to think about really. The weather climbs to the high 30's during the day and we are in a 22 seater bus, pretty comfortable except when you get your turn on the wheel arch seat!!! Travel most days in this fashion for between 5/6 hours. We have an Afrikaans driver called Burt Lancaster (yes really) and drives like the wind, even so the days are long so just as well we all seem to get along really well. There are 16 of us mainly Canadians and Americans (we have 5 doctors on this trip, so no worries there then....) and I haven't laughed so much in years, very amusing lot!!! Finally made it yesterday to Swakopund the first big town we have come to, surrounded by desert of course, but pretty civilised. Went for a 2 hr quad bike tour out into the desert (they tell me they are eco-friendly and only use the same routes which they probably do as this is a very environmentally-minded country!!) and it was great fun and the desert is astoundingly beautiful, from the top of the dunes you can see desert as far as the eye can see in every direction. Some of you are thinking we are mad I know!!!!!

This morning I went sea kayaking to a seal colony and were surrounded by seals who wanted to play and dolphins - being at their level (like sea-level!) was just the best. Am plucking up courage to do a skydive but D not keen (think he is worried he may have to wash his own underpants!!!). D went on a Living Desert tour and dug up scorpions, snakes etc.... horses for courses as they say!!! This afternoon 5 of us hired a small plane and flew 2 hours up the Skeleton Coast and looked at ship wrecks amongst other stuff.

Tomorrow we leave here for a mega-drive (10 hours) up to Etosha National Game Park where we will spend a couple of days (and nights) in tents. Am told we can expect to have animals walking through the camp and that you shouldn't leave your tent after you go to bed. Been drinking quite a lot of SA wine which requires several night visits to the loo, guess this will have to stop.... We are both well and happy and having an amazing time. Our wedding anniversary was celebrated by all with a big party - 7 years - can't believe it.

Love Annie & Doug xx