A slice of bread liberally coated with peanut butter then covered in a generous sprinkling of chocolate vermicelli (cake decoration). Eat for breakfast (perhaps lunchtime) and dinner with diet Pepsi.

The eating habits of our Dutch friends, Arjan & Patricia, helped Angela and I appreciate the benefits of Britain being separated from Europe for the last 50,000 years.

Having thought the Germans were odd (see blogs re Heike & Clint, Florian & Susie) it is nice to be surprised about other nationalities!

We joined Arjan & Patricia on their campsite at North Gate, Moremi Game Reserve last week and had a fantastic 6 days of game viewing, drinking and Landrover repair workshops.

You will see from the photo album (Going Dutch) that we had some very close sightings of lion (4 cubs home alone and the biggest male lion we've yet seen) and more leopard (4 different leopards including a mother and full grown male cub fighting). In between the cat sightings we were very fortunate to see wild dog (3) hunting impala, albeit a fleeting glimpse but always a thrill and privilege. The small things, like a Crested Barbet admiring itself in our wing mirror are always great to watch as well.

This trip was notable for some very close encounters with wildlife in camp. We had a large bull elephant dwarfing the Discovery as it admired our fire at Xakanaxa (probably attracted by the smell of chocolate vermicelli and peanut butter sarnies). Angela was filling the kettle from the tap at the same location and nearly fell over a large male hippo!

At Third Bridge campsite we had our usual run in with baboons, who managed to steal a packet of crisps from our trailer. Revenge was sweet; I left out a packet of Jalapeno chillies "by mistake". Sadly we couldn't stay to watch that particular baboon learn what it's backside was for!

Travelling in convoy with Arjan & Patricia with walkie talkie contact not only helped our game viewing success, it also gave us piece of mind with the Landrover when the radiator gasket went for a third time in a row! Last time we had to be towed out of Etosha, this time I just by-passed the gasket.

It was ironic then that the biggest mechanical problem was not with our vehicle, but with Arjan & Patricia's Defender 110 (hired from Bush Lore). On our second last day the fuel filter broke. Our super glue repairs failed so we drove on to a lodge at Xakanaxa and fortunately found the nicest maintenance manager in Africa who not only gave us a new filter, various bolts and teflon tape but also told me how to fit it and bleed the air out the system. On top of that he refused to accept any payment. Bob at Camp Xakanaxa, you are a true gentleman!

We soon had the car repaired (we'd left Arjan with the Defender in the middle of nowhere, sadly for Patricia's insurance claim hopes he was alive and well when we returned), re-inflated a slow puncture and chose to ignore brake fluid leaking over one tyre....Landrovers...why do we like them????)

A final notable feature of this trip was Arjan's uncanny ability to be told off by stroppy pompous safari truck drivers who seemed to zero in on him for being off road (watching a leopard with 4 other vehicles, all off road) or being out of the vehicle (in the middle of an open plain with no wildlife for miles). Maybe it was Arjan's 10 day stubble that annoyed them or perhaps they could just tell he is Dutch!

We are now back in Maun, having made absolutely certain that Arjan & Patricia got on the plane back to Jburg!

Tomorrow we are heading for Nxai (pronounced Nigh) Pan national park for a couple of days, it is semi desert with a single waterhole that the Parks Dept have assured us has water pumping (that will be the day!) It will be hot and dusty but we are looking forward to it. If all goes well we will then stay at a campsite in the middle of nowhere called Planet Baobob, they have a TV and plan to watch the rugby world cup final!

Life is hard here in Africa, going for lunch now then a swim at Audi Camp pool. It's tough but someone has to do it!

Regards to you all

Ralph & Angela