FSO Crew We've all signed a card but didn't know where to send it!!!!

The FSO Crew Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday dear Vicky Happy Birthday to you Hope you have a fab birthday in the back of beyond!! Lots of birthday hugs- we'll have a party in your honour!! Linette, Debbie, Irene, Julie, Kylie and Becky xxxxxxxxxxx

vicky Hello guys!!! Sorry it has been a while - I promise we will email individually soon but just for now i thought I woudl let you know what we have been up to, and keep you updated on our african adventure!! after murhison falls we headed to Lake bunyoni in the west of uganda and stayed on this sustainable development project which was sey up as a tourist camp but run by the local community with all the profits going back into the community to help with schooling and so on. It was a brilliant place and really peaceful, woudl recommend it if anyone ios in need of a retreat. we just swam and paddled in canoes and sunbathed - perfect. From Uganda we then headed into Rwanda and visited some of the genocide memorials which were truly amazing and shocking at the same time. Basically there were churches went ten thousand or so people had been locked inside and massacred with machetes or grendades or whatever came to hand really and the churches had just been left as they had been found - with skulls, bones, bits of clothing everywhere. you looked between the pews and it was fileld with bones, it was really harrowing. they were run by survivors who didn't want anyone to forget what they had been through and it was very humbling. a more uplifting part of our trip to rwanda was that we visited the mountain gorillas studied by diana fossey, of which only 700 remain, we visited a group of about twelve including the biggest sliverback in the forest. it was really amazing and they came so close, so close in fact that a baby one that was playing around grabbe dme around the waist as he was rolling down the hill. it was brilliant! it is quite rare that they actually touch you so i felt quite lucky! we have so many pictures!! from Rwanda we headed into he Congo possibly the scariet place in africa, with a gun and machien gun ratio sighting of 500 per minute, but a worthwhile experience. we are currently soaking up the sun in lovely zanzibar where we have just completed out divin PADI course which was brilliant. we shall write more soon!! it is greta hearing what you have been up to, keep all your news comimg!! lots of love vicky and stuart xx

Nia Hey guys, It all sounds amazing! Am utterly envious...though not sure I'd be quite as together as you both in some of the strange situations you've found yourself in! Things here all dandy - ankles proved themselves up to Race for Life at the weekend, thanks for sponsorship! London days are drawing to a close which is most strange now that its finally happening... Continue with the stories and pictures - cheers up my days in the office! And Stu, maybe you ought to practice your meat consumption before you go up against any skinny little girls again....the shame. Say hello to the giraffes for me. (I hope you've not eaten any of them have you....?!) xx

Peter Edwards Hello Sounds like it's going well. Cumbria is sunny but presumably not as sunny as where you are. Your photos look good - but if one of you fell over in elephant dung that would be a good comedy picture (sorry - my mind has reverted to an adolescent state). Wrote 1,800 words today, felt very constructive, including a piece on World Cup venues (who knows which German city has Europe's biggest red light district?) Hope the trip goes well and that you took a supply of tea bags with you! PS Had afternoon tea at The Ritz a few weeks ago!

Linette wow it sounds like you are having the wickedst time!! Only you could get so many freebies thrown in, it all sounds lovely very jealous.....Colchester is wet and cold it feels like October here. Been on a couple of dates and now very confused they are both very nice. Kylie and I going speed dating on June 15th first one got cancelled as not enough people - good job really as we were proper manic about the whole thing. Post some more messages to let us know what you are doing - and some more pics!! Would have loved to see you white water rafting vicky hee hee!! Do you miss the world of Grazia yet? No bet you dont!

vicky there are some photos now!!

vicky hi guys!! white water rafting was amazing - stuart was loving every minute of it. Unfortunately I ended up getting tossed around all over the place and nearly drowned at one point - it was still amazing though and I would definitely do it again. after that we decided to head up north to Murchison Falls, soem really beautiful waterfalls with lots of game. we decided we didn't want to do a tour up there because it was too expensive so we got a minibus halfway then a bus which took the long way around and we ended up virtually in the congo, and we had about a million little children climbing on us and falling asleep on our laps - very sweet. when we arrived in the town nearest the falls there was no other option but to pay someone to take us on the back of their motorbike to the park. we got on and had the scariest ride of my life - pitch black with no headlights - holding a torch above the drivers head so that he could see and neither of us could see each other, when we got off we were a little scared to say the least. we got to the gate to find we were too late to enter! faced with the prospect of returning on the bikes, we phoned the campsite we were supposed to be staying at and begged them to pick us up. such a nightmare!! the next day we went to view the falls and it rained so hard the boat had to turn back. Needless to say we felt the trip was doomed. so we decided to head back the next day and cut our losses. not wanting to return on the motorbikes we thought hitching would be a better option. we sat at the gate at 7am, two hours later still no vehicles had gone by. then suddenly a jeep came out of nowhere with three south africans in it. they offered to take us all the way home, but they had to stop off at the falls first - so we finally got to see them. they also took us on a de-tour to see some chimps at another national park (amazing how much noise they make and how strong, the chimps not the south africans). so they were our knights in shining amour. when they finally delivered us back to kampala they said that they were going to their private island on Lake Victoria the next day and if we wanted to come there was a spare cottage, how could we say no? the island was amazing, like something in the carribean - a huge private sandy beach and a cottage all to ourselves. They gave the nicest food - although steaks for breakfast was a bit much - and plowed us with booze. And the whole lot was absolutely free, they wouldn't take any money for it! we are now back in kampala organising things before heading off again tomorrow - we are going to another lake near the border of rwanda before heading into rwanda to trek with gorillas which we are both really excited about! hope you are all well back home, take care lots of love vicky and stuart xxx

Kylie Bloody hell- Nile rafting, Masai warriors!!! Jesus Mary and Joseph! Glad to hear you're having fun!! x x x

Stuart Hi everyone, Hows it going? Sorry for our slowness in getting anything onto this site, been trying hard to think of excuses but there doesnt really seem like any good ones so some news... We are in Uganda at the moment. First impressions of Kampala is of a super busy and choatic city which retains an undercurrent of order and genuine friendliness. We have been spending a lot of time cruising around on the back of boda bodas motor bikes sorting out visas and stuff for the next couple of months, had a good near miss this morning when our driver took out the traffic warden! At the momemt we are trying to arrange a rafting trip to the source of the Nile in Jina. I have heard there is also a standing wave bit like the Severn bore but much gnarlier with less inbreds and more snakes and fish..cool! In the end we spent two weeks in Kenya and really enjoyed a really varried stay - Nairoibi had to be our base which was a bit daunting because of it's reputation. Areas felt quite sketchy but generally it was nice enough ..through the window of a taxi! We had an amazing visit to Community Youth Programme in Kibele (the biggest slum in Africa, featured in constant gardner), without getting too pretentious about it it really was a bit of an eye opener. In contrast another highlight was a visit to Carnivore, an all you can eat meat buffet - massive dent to my masculity but ate too much and vomitted all the next day therefore losing out in an eating competition to a skinny girl! - Vicky has been telling near enough everyone we meet..in fact i better go as she is probably telling the internet lady) Just quickly also saw the big five on Safari and got held up in our campsite by about 250 masai with spears demanding we pay them to stay on the mara (lots of politics going on there at the moment) The 'seige' (as we like to call it) ended with three army 4x4 packed with hard boys and guns escorting us out of town - very excting but a story for another time. Oh also had a great time on the coast in Lamu and Mombasa - went fishing on a dhow boat and ate our catch on the beach, also hung out with a guy called Satan for a few days. We will type again soon, i really hope this is even vaguely interesting! All the best to everyone. Love stuart and vicky

Linette Come back to the office - miss you aaaaaagh!!!! Want to see some pictures now. White water rafting on the Nile wow wouldn't have thought that it gets that rapid!!! Any Crocs? What have you enjoyed most so far - come on journal entries we all want to know!!! Take Care - Stuart look after her!!

vicky sorry about the spelling mistakes!!xxx

vicky Hi guys!! I now I have been really slack - hope you are coping at work without me!! we have managed to see the big five - lions, rhinos, hippos, cheetahs and elephants and have soem great photos. oin uganda now, arrived yesterday, for some white=water rafting on the nile. will right some proper journal entries tomorrow. Having major problems uploading photos - the connections are just too slow. will keep trying, I am really sorry!! miss you all lots vicky xxx

Will Right you two... I've just saved this to my favourites so fully expect some witty, funny and general philosophical nonsense to keep us all amused while at work! Am very jealous to say the least!! xx

Debbie Hi you guys!!! Wow..You lucky, lucky, lucky!!! Just wish i was on one of those beaches right now...ohhh...dreammmmmms...... Miss you xxx