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Hi All!!Well we got to Jo'burg after a really annoying bus journey where people spoke all night and then at each stop they put on the lights and radio and announced stops even though it was like 2am. When we got to Johannesburg we called the hostel and they said they could come straight away, we then spent an hour waiting on the guy and it was well scary in the station people kept asking us for money and the security guard kept standing near us and asking if we were ok which was worrying. At one point one woman came over and was abut to ask me something and I just said No and turned away an she was like you don't even know what I was going to ask you yet you say no and I am from a backpackers, we were like well still no, waite like half an hoour on a cup of tea to and at one point Craig told one guy we had also slept rough last night lol, we probably passed as we looked like crap lol! Anyhoo the guy came from the hostel and when we go there we thought it was wrong but it had just changed its name and we had a private room before our camping, it was nice to have our own loo. We went back to Sandton so we could change our money and it took ages as nobody understood what I wanted as I just wanted to change from my bank card to rand to dollars for the tour. We went to the cinema to see Bolt in 3D which was amazing and we looked so funny with the 3D glasses over our regular glasses lol! We eventually fund a way t do the money and had too pay about £50 in fees, it was a complete nightmare and we have like a million exchanges to do and nowhere knows what they are doing and ATM's only let you take certain amounts of money out so its costs a fortune in fees but hey ho you don have much choice. The next day we just did washing and chilled by the pool. There is a group of black guys staying at the hostel doing labour work or something and when they all came back at teatime they all got undressed to their shorts and walked to the shower and we, well I was just sitting watching thinking how much Natalie would like this hostel lol!!The next day we went to the hostel where our Acacia tour starts from and it was a horrible dump and he had to add bunks into the already packed room for us. We couldn't bare to stay in it and thought we would go to the shopping centre to have something to eat, everywhere was too posh and expensive so we just went to the cinema as it was cheap tat day for some reason, we went to see Australia and t was just us and loads f old biddies and they were quiet and the film was really good. After we went back to our hostel and had oour welcome meeting for the tour which was not very good, we didn't feel like they were giving us much information and none of the group looked too friendly and the local payment was even more expensive but I argued that we had been told this price and had it in writing that was $300 each less so we didn't have to pay it - father's daughter. After we felt depressed and wished we had done it ourselves now we know its possible so we went out to have dinner there was one place which was quite posh but it was dark so we didn't want to walk further and I say expensive but in our money it was abut £18 and it was amazing lol! The next day we got up and on our truck which is not as bad as I thought it would be but still not amazing. We drove all day apart from breakfast and lunch stops and as we got nearer Kruger National Park the scenery became hilly and really pretty and there were loads of African children and even adults all waving at the bus it was really nice. When we got to our campsite it was really pretty and they had lots of little touches and outdoor showers and toilets and a big dog that was smelling and was 18 years old but really cute and some wee dogs. Everyone went on an afternoon game drive but we decided not too as we had not paid the fully inclusive payment yet and didn't want to pay for it and we will also we doing it in Tanzania but most people are going to Cape town once we get to Livingstone as everyone changes there and we will get a new group. We had chicken stew that was made with coke and they had the bones and skin and everything in it but it was good. Our tent is not too bad either and much bigger than our Trek America one. The next day we were up at 5am for our full day game drive in Kruger National park. It was amazing we saw all of the "Big 5" named this as they were the hardest to hunt, the lion, elephant, rhino, leopard and water buffalo. We saw loads of other things to like giraffes, impala, antelopes, baboons, monkeys, marabou storks, vultures, cheetah with her cubs and lots of zebras. The guides were really good and told us lots of facts and somehow seen stuff nobody else would have ever noticed so I'm glad we didn't go ourselves. At one point an elephant looked like it was going to charge us and the driver rapidly moved out the way. We also had giraffes and zebras in the road too. The lions and other wild cats and the rhino were quite far away but we were happy we seen all of them as they ha been successful the night before on the private drive and we dibt want to have to have missed something for sake of the wee bit money we saved. At night we had happy hour and everyone had a few drinks and then we watched a little dancing show with African drums that the kids of the workers had put on. It started right as the heavens opened and there was huge bursts of thunder, strikes of lightening and bucketing rain and all these little kids were splashing in thee sand doing there dance for us and everyone was clapping and soaked through, it was amazing such a great surreal moment!! Craig even danced with them at the end lol! When tea was eventually served it was all lamb bones practically and maize which is like stuck together rice, we went to bed soon after to our sandy tent in a camp site like a river with no power lol! The next day I felt awful, I had only had 5 drinks but I had felt bad after we had champagne on our engagement too which again was not much so I reckon it's the mixture with my malaria pills as I have antibiotic ones which happen to treat cholera and all STI's too lol! I was up from 3am with D&V and was totally panicking as we had a 9 hour bus journey. I got a wee bit more time to settle though before we left as the truck was stuck in the mud and everyone had to make a make shift ramp thing and push it out, I watched and took photos lol! I was ok though and had some lunch when we stopped. We stamped out of South Africa and into Botswana which was easy and free and it seems more what you imagine Africa to be like and so far practically consists of a huge straight long road lol! When we got to the camp site we had decided to pay for the upgrade as all our stuff was wet and I needed a decent nights sleep. Everyone had decided they wanted one and there was only one with 4 beds and a special tent so we went in the room with two older ladies on our trip, who are about the only people we like lo, well there is another couple that are ok but people are quite clique-ey and we cant really be bothered with it. I was annoyed as I had been ill all day and everyone knew it and people were claiming they were ill too to get the room but we stood our ground and got it and it was great. To have our own bathroom and beds!Yesterday we drove all morning to get to Elephant sands which was really cool there were actual elephants in the grounds and on came and had a bath in the watering hole it was amazing to see, a totally wild elephant in its natural habitat. We just chilled by the pool and had dinner as it was too hot for the bush walk so they were going to do it the next morning. Also the campsite has a wee puppy and it bit Craig on the nipple lol! Don't worry it had a flea collar and an owner. We had dinner and an early night. Today we got up and played Stop the Bus and some quizzes with Sue and Jo on our tour. We stopped for more ATM and money exchanging which takes forever to do here. While we were stopped we saw some strays and one had three bad legs especially the back ones and it couldn't even walk at all it was awful I just wanted someone to shoot it as its not like anyone will actually take it to a vet or anything. After we got to our campsite at Chobe and set up camp and headed off on our river cruise on the Chobe river. We saw lots of hippos, some alligators, elephants and giraffes, it was really good till it started to rain. I never had a coat and we all got soaked. When we got back off the boat and back to camp the whole place was like a river, it was awful. All our flip flops got totally stuck in the mud so we had t walk about in bare feet and I have cut all my feet and am completely minging. It was not nice in our tent but my resourceful fiancé managed to get a basin of water for us to get the caked on mud off our feet before getting in the tent lol! The showers and toilets were full of huge spiders and all kinds of beasties, it was horrible and scary!! We eventually got in the tent and Craig peed in a bottle, yet another tme on this campingf malarky I have wished to have been born male lol! Its all a good experience though!!Hope you are all well at home, we miss you lots, especially since we got engaged - we want to party with our friends and family!!Lots of Love Eva and Craig xxx
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