Dear Coco

I am sorry we couldn't take you with us to see Tammy (and Gilly, and Wyndham and Tammy's friend Lauren, and Alison, Samantha and Cameron), but they wouldn't have let you over the border into Mozambique.

We got a bit lost on these sandy roads,

but eventually we found our way to Parque de Malongane

and set up our camp at campsite number 13 before night fell.

The loo was a LOONG way down the road.

On Sunday we spent time on the beach - here are Lauren, Samantha and Tammy - who has got a whole lot taller since you saw her last.

Lunch in the camp,

although Wyndham wanted us to eat this wild Monkey Orange (Strychnos spinosa) that smelled like custard but looked rather too like a brain for comfort. Also I am not happy knowing that strychnine comes from this genus!

We strolled up to the little village of Ponto Malongane and did some "window shopping":

nice tee-shirts,

rasta and beer-branded stuff,

and some cute land rovers. But the Alf said we couldn't fit them into the plane so we didn't get one.

We did, however, get lots of boxes of local beer.

There are lots of pubs here, this one is called "Come to see"

and there is music all around.

Cameron and the gels had raspberry juice without rum,

Gilly had a Laurentina beer,

and Alison had some raspberry with rum - known here as R&R.

We watched the sun go down over Lagoa Sugi -

and walked back to the camp in the twilight.

The next morning we walked all the way to Ponta do Ouro along the beach - about 6 km.

So we needed refreshments when we got there! Tammy, Lauren and Samantha.

We looked for souvenirs again - a vest for Phil,

baggy pants for Si, but there was nothing that you would have liked Coco,

although I did see this Red Squirrel (Paraxerus palliates) earlier that you would have LOVED to chase.

Starting the long trudge back to our campsite.

Tuesday was a very exciting day as we went in a boat in search of dolphins

with Angie Gullen (left) who is an expert in these Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) that commonly occur here.

They were a bit skittish - and this was the best view I got of them!

But it was great fun to snorkel around and I saw lots of other fish over the coral reef where the boat stopped to let us splash about.

We sat on the beach and were joined by some of the locals ...

before going in search of food.

We found a nice tea garden in the middle of Ponta do Ouro where we had coffee and carrot cake. 

Most of the locals get around on quad bikes - even the dogs!

Then it was home to our campsite

and time for supper - then all too soon, time for bed. I don't really enjoy showering in the rather smelly ablution blocks half a mile down a sandy track, and tend to miss home and you rather badly at this time my little Coco. I hope you are not missing Dougal too much and are keeping Simon company.

Be good and see you soon.

love from the Food Lady - and the Alf - and Tammy.