Hi !

Well - I hope that your German has improved by now - with all the time in Namibia and german TV !

I think we'll do Botswana the clever way - with the Allens in THEIR vehicle ! (They don't know that yet though !!!!!)

Be glad that you are "up there" in hot weather - we are expecting a serious cold front - with max temperatures dropping to 12 degrees on Friday - that is worse than normal winter weather !! And we were going skiing at Theewaterskloof - well so much for that !!!

So great to hear from you so often. Thanks !!

All the best - and holding thumbs that your trailer and vehicle don't give you any more trouble -

Heike

Hi Heike

We saw the German TV programme at Hamakari, we arrived just as Sabine was watching it!

Will let you know how Botswana goes, you will need to get yourselves a decent vehicle though! How about a Landrover Discovery Series 2 V8 1999 with only 185000km on the clock, not much off road, lovely motor?

Take care

Ralph

Hi !

Thanks for the message. Always great to hear from you - and amazing to hear that you went to stay at Hamakari ! I am SO envious. There is a TV programme being watched by my family in Germany - all about Hamakari and the Diekmann family.  So there we are again - such a small world !!

Enjoy Botswana - get lots of good travel tips for us - as that is most definately on the top of our "to travel" List. Have fun and be careful of the Hippos !! 

We'll continue to test all the good wines for you down here !  Looks like the weather of the long weekend is not predicted to be that great - so will have to keep warm with good red wine at Theewaterskloof. Allens might also be coming through.

Keep well  &  keep the fun  travel news coming !

All the best

Heike

Hi Heike

You may not have got our text the other day.

We'd took up your recommendation and stayed at Farm Hamakari near Otjiwarongo the other night, lovely peaceful campsite and Sabine & Wilhelm send their regards.

Pleased you had a good Cape St Francis trip, we are missing the sea already, and the choice of wine! Guess that side is going to get worse now as we head for Caprivi and Botswana. Spent a frustrating morning speaking to the 4 banks here in Tsumeb about buying Pula for Botswana. We've more chance getting Scottish Pounds!

I tend to lose half of what I try and put on this site, so I now copy & paste regularly!

Hope all is well

Ralph

Hi Jeff

I've been missing the political updates. Actually have CNN and BBC World in the Tsumeb B&B we are staying in only it is intermittent and reverts to Namibian Broadcasting Corp, which reminds me of UK TV from the 1970s only worse.

Sunday papers run 2 weeks behind, and the daily is usually 2 days behind!

Surpised you wish to comment on the French elections, they ignore you and you ignore them anyway!

Doing any London tour guiding yet, I miss those Friday nights (and I also miss the beer!)

Ralph

Hi Simon

Thanks to the superb training you received from me you've obviously now got time on your hands to use the messageboard!

I've been looking out for a hair loss recovery cream for you, the Himba stick some interesting potions on their bodies but nothing suitable for you yet. You never know there may be a hippo poo potion in Botswana that I can bring back.

Please don't mess up all those brilliant contracts I left for you to inherit. No need to share your bonus with me though, I'm no longer a capitalist wage slave!

Cheers

Ralph

Hi !

Just wrote a really long message and .... it disappeared !!! Well - just in short to let you know that Cape St Francis was really great - lots of cycling and red wine - to cope with the cold weather.  Off to Theewaterskloof for the next long weekend and then some cycling in the Cederberg in June !  Would rather be travelling with you guys - especially Dylan, who is hating every minute of school at the moment !!

HAve fun.

All the best

Heike

Hi Ralph & Angela,

Sorry I have not written lately. Happy St. George's Day. I have really enjoyed reading your blogs and looking at your pictures. You must be having such a great time gallivanting around southern Africa...sure must beat sitting on the M4 shouting at your fellow drivers Ralph. That reminds me, did you see the Virginia Tech shooting news? Nasty business that. The first round of the French general election was yesterday. Sarkozy walked away with 31% and Royal took 26%. I am torn between wanting France to continue being uncompetitive and feeble (Sego) and France taking a more realistic view of the world and possibly having closer ties with the US (Sarko). Keep the blogs coming, I am enjoying them. Take care.

Hey Ralph,

Never thought I would be living vicariously through you....really enjoying the stories of your adventures and travels. It's giving me itchy feet...

Things in Heston are ever changing with people dropping like flies.

Keep the blogs coming.

Simon

Heike

Correction, the custard bus pictures are in the Swakop to Etosha photo album.

We've emptied Spar in Tsumeb this morning and have enough wine to last 4 weeks, which should be long enough to get in and out of Kaokoland and back to Swakop or here in Tsumeb!

Enjoy Cape St Francis

Ralph

Steve

We were hoping to get to Kenya and Tanzania by September but have had a sudden change of plan now you'll be there. Going to Antartica instead, a reasonable distance from you.

Hoping to get to Tanzania & Kenya but probably next year at the speed we are going!

My zip has been repaired, replacement trucked up from Windhoek on an extended artic lorry with police escort.

Regards

Ziplock

Hi Heike

We class you as a mad South African German now! Tsumeb has an alpine cafe playing oompah & glockenspiel type music, food ok but music drove us out!

There are some photos of the custard bus on the Namutoni album, Florian is stood on top of it in one. The bright yellow doesn't come over on film because of the sunlight washing the photos out. The car that towed us in was a Nissan I think, not as bad as a Toyota, but still somewhat embarassing. No doubt Simon Allen will be laughing over this!

Have a great time in Cape St Francis with the Allens

Ralph

Hi Jessica

Thanks for letting us know the colour of Jeff's underpants. Must be the first instance of an American going green! Hope all is well at Heston.

Ralph