And we're off - welcome one and all to this the new way of keeping in touch - also the new way of not forgetting to email everyone and upsetting peeps, because I think you're all fab.

Okay, a brief history so far.......

11th of Jan - moved out of my house

14th of Jan - left job - unchararistically cried multiple times during the day

14th of Jan, evening - off to Heathrow for my new adventure.......

15th of Jan, morning, landed in Sao Paulo and after a few hours of sleep on the plane, had to try and figure out the airport and how to get a domestic transfer - all well and good if one speaks portugese, however, sleep deprived and bad spanish don't make a good combination and the Brasilians don't quite have the same concept of queuing for flights that the english do. Eventually got flight and landed in Manaus, the capital of the Amazonia, around lunchtime. Paid 49 Reales for the cab to the hotel (about 17 squids). Met one of the roomies and went for a wee exploration of the city. Not much there, a couple of museums and a port. The beer wasn't bad though.

16th of Jan - Off to the Jungle - travelled for an hour or so and then took a boat out to the meeting of the two rivers, where the Rio Negra and the Rio Soliminoes join and flow together without mixing for several miles - one river is brown and cooler, whilst the second is dark and warm - managed to see the odd dolphin, but not much else.

Headed further out into the wop wops and then got another boat and headed up one the tributories of the Rio Negra to a Jungle Lodge called The Molacas. Went for a camp out in a hammock for the night, bbq'd chicken for dinner - well I say bbq'd, it was more like chicken on a stick - but it was right up there with kfc as far as I'm concerned, and those of you that know me very well, know how big of a compliment that one is!!

No problems sleeping in the Jungle - but the eye mask and ear plugs may have helped that one - not that I was concerned with the night noises, more those of several loud snoring peeps in our party.

17th of Jan - back to the lodge for breakfast, then we headed off for a jungle trek. Being the start of the wet season, we were caught by a torrential down pour and although I had waterproofs on, I think I was still soaked to my bones. Also being the well adversed trekker that I am, I managed to slip off a wet log and land calf deep in a pool off mud - I dare not think about the things that were in the pool with me, some things are best not thought about.

18th of Jan - back to civilisation and Manaus to sort ourselves out for our five day trip down the Rio Maderia. Most important essentials, chips, sweets and alcohol.