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Wed Jun 11 2003 (Seronga to Sepupa)

Up early, didn't bother with shower. Breakfast at 7.30am. Driver gave me lift to boats at 8am. On way bloke greeted me, knew my name, I didn't recognise him. Okavango community boat, aluminium. Driver plus another guy on board and 4 oil drums. Women get on, leave baby with driver then leave, as does other bloke. Half an hour later I get bored and wander off. See Raj, gives me a lift around town, people chasing car, turns out boat is ready to go. Now have bloke who knew me, woman with baby and another guy. Freezing, getting smacked by papyrus stems. Get a few hundred yards and pull into place where Ben dropped me on Sunday. Picking up another passenger here. Thomson comes down to see me off. Set off and driver hammering it, really cold. End up wearing fleece, Gortex jacket, DCFC hat and shades. Still cold. Dead croc still there, smells much worse now. See Ben on way ferrying a bunch of people up to Seronga. Arrive back, see Jacques, had good trip with Irish girls yesterday, saw 12 hippo together and caught shed loads of fish. Pitch tent in area near toilets. Do laundry,much better with travel wash this time, hang out near tent. Use solar charger for AA's. Get second breakfast of day from Tim. Plan rough schedule for rest of tripwith Jacques. Realise I have around a week slack, which is not enough to do Namibia justice, so abandon that option. Go collecting wood and hunting with Jacques, Ben and boys and dogs (Che, Mollie, Ruger & Cruiser). I have Ruger first who is a handful, then Mollie who is perfectly behaved, then Che whi is desperate to be at the front. I'm driving landcruiser as blokes pile wood and Jacques looks for Franklins. Disappears into woods, crack of shot heard, then mayhem and exasperated Afrikaans accent "Ruger! You f*****g useless animal!" Me and lads pissing ourselves. /Turns out he'd run in totally the wrong direction and took the other dogs with him, then found bird and Jacques had to wrestle it off him. Get back and Gecko's are in, all Aussies. Also Rob & Wendy from London (originally Norwich). They started in Cape Town similar time to me, came through Namibia (sounds fantastic yet again), then going via SA to Mozambique. Then flying to Thailand and N Aus before going to Sydney for a couple of years where they intend to work. Cottage pie from Tim, then Aussies start with Mokoro 6.5 sec challenge, Tuso wins again. Then into Mokoro for boat race, then various pub games and dancing. I leave and get back to tent just before generator is switched off. Photos from today