A few final images...

Me at work - pink top...

The whole team - and the best road sign I've ever seen!

The Final Day!

We spent our last night in Namibia in relative luxury - although I did miss my tent a little (Ashley - you know the reason why!!). Serg was extremely generous and provided numerous bottles of champagne before the meal. But then he did point out that as a city banker, he was just spending our money which he'd received in bonuses in the past!! We had a wonderful meal all together and all stayed up well past what had become our normal 9pm bedtime. We were also treated to a lie in the following morning as we didn't need to leave until 9.30am. Most of us were up early and at breakfast for 7.30am when it started. Old habits die hard!

We were then driven an hour or so to a private game reserve where we jumped on a couple of jeeps for our mini safari. We were extremely lucky to see lots of wildlife - some of which I will confess to not remembering the names.

We started with a couple of crocodiles, before we moved on to what I really wanted to see; White Rhino and Giraffe. I was also fortunate enough to touch the horn of one of the Rhino's who came round the back of our vehicle.

We didn't see any more elephants, but after our intimate experience with them the previous morning, I'm not sure anything else could have compared. We also didn't see any Lion's - but I'm going to save that until next time I visit Africa.

After the game drive, we had lunch at the superb lodge on site (with Warthog grazing on the lawns!). We then drove to Windhoek to visit a wood market and purchase a few souvenirs en route to the airport. I didn't really like Windhoek and hated being back in the bustle of the city. I was much happier when out in my tent, getting up every morning to go and do some physical activity, before retiring around the camp fire each evening. I didn't miss TV, Music, the Internet or any of the technology that the modern day provides us.

Very soon we were on our way to the airport, and had checked in. We said some goodbyes to a few of our number who had quite sensibly arranged to stay on in Namibia and explore a little further. Whilst feeling a little jealous, the whole experience for me had centred around the team and the project and I would have felt a little strange staying in Namibia without this support network around me. So - it was farewell to Namibia - hello cold and hectic Heathrow!

As for my next adventure - watch this space...!

Wednesday 7th October

We had until 11.20am (when the kids have their lunch break) to get the kitchen finished. It was a real "ground force" effort and we worked flat out until the very last minute. The roof and floor had been completed, but we needed to get the sides on, finish fastening the roof ties, install a sink and build a step. We took the "divide and conquer" approach with people quickly sorting themselves out into teams to tackle each element. The roof team continued from the previous day, and the team who had been putting the side beams on took on the role of cladding the side. The role of plumbing in the sink was not one that Faan, our local guide wanted to risk giving to anyone - so he took on this role himself!! We had no major problem with that - and the plumbing arrangements are a little different to the way we work in the UK.

I worked with the team who had to back fill trenches, build shuttering for the step, mixing concrete for the step and the top of the French train. It was actually an extremely hot day and by 9am it was reaching temperatures that we had only been used to in the afternoon. Our work was a little exposed and I missed the shade of the kitchen. There was then lots of running around, tidying up, putting the stoves back in place and getting it ready for inspection by the headmaster and a few of the other teachers and elders of the local community.

I'm pleased to say that - we did it! And we only ran over by 2 minutes! I know what you're thinking; that isn't a kitchen - and how come it took 3.5 days to build that?! Trust me - it was hard graft and something that we feel confident will still be standing in 10 years time and feeding children with their main - and sometimes only - meal of the day.

The school were delighted and the headteacher made some wonderful comments at the presentation ceremony, pointing out to the children that we had achieved so much, but only done this through working as a team. He went on to remind the children how team work is vital. He was spot on! We had worked extremely well as a team and without that, I don't think we could have left as strong a legacy as we had. We also handed over all the gifts we had brought with us to the headmaster and teachers so that they could be handed out fairly and equally to the children. We had 3 large bin bags of clothing, books, pencils, sports equipment that I know will be put to extremely good use.

Unfortunately, our trip was all too soon over and we had to leave the school to get our coach, which was some way down the road, to travel back towards Windhoek and our lodge for the night. We had a great trip out on the back of the "bucky" and waved a very sad farewell to the children and teachers we had set out to help and who had welcomed us so warmly to their community.

Visitors in the Night!

We had gone to bed fairly early (9pm), and a few were still sat round the campfire when shouts went around, "Everyone - get out of your tents now! Get round the fire! Elephants in camp!" I hadn't quite got into my sleeping bag as I'd been packing ready to leave tomorrow. I threw on a fleece and some trainers and we all sat quietly round the campfire, waiting for instructions. Two of the cooks had seen the elephants in the trees right next to our camp. They were 20 meters away!! We could hear trees breaking and rustling, and I was extremely concerned about what to expect! Our guide briefed us on what we had to do. Basically, we were told to get into our tents and to stay there. The elephants were expected to walk through the camp, but wouldn't stampede or tread on us, and in fact would be very gentle. If we need to use the toilet in the night (definitely wasn't going to risk that!) we were told to get out of our tents slowly, look around and if the area was clear, move quietly and slowly. At that point - the small generator that provided some light in camp at night went off - and we were plunged into darkness! So - head torch went on and we scampered off to our tents.

I then lay in my tent and listened to the elephants munching on the trees all around us. I stuck my head out of the tent to try and watch, but could only see shadows and hear the deep rumbling that they make when talking to each other. After an hour or so, it seemed to go quiet and I drifted off to sleep.

However, at about 5am I woke to hear the same, fairly loud munching, tree breaking noise. I was up at 6am, but camp seemed quiet. And then - I discovered why. Half a dozen of the team were stood at the perimeter of camp watching the family of 9 elephants quietly grazing just meters from our tents. The Bull elephant was enormous and there was also a baby that was just a few months old. I was amazed at how gentle they were. They knew we were there watching them, and they just continued grazing, reaching up with their trunks high into the trees to get the best bits before eating, and watching us, watching them.

Unfortunately it was still quite dark so photo's were difficult. But I did manage to get a shot of them crossing the riverbed when they left us for pastures new at around 7am. What a start to our last day on site!

Tuesday 6th October

Now we were back up to a full strength team, it was all systems go to catch up on some lost time. The aim of today was to get the floor completely laid and the roof on the building. We worked really hard and managed to achieve this - but not without huge effort from everyone shift large amounts of sand and concrete. It was hot and hard work, so we worked in shifts pushing large wheelbarrows of sand, mixing concrete - and then moving this too, which was incredibly heavy. The other key ingredient was water - and lots of it. This meant long trips to the tap, filling the buckets and walking back to the concrete mixer. However, this activity did allow us to interact with the kids who were now all back in school (Monday was a teacher training day) who tended to congregate around the one working tap in the school.

The kids aged from 4 years old to around 13. The older kids weren't really too interested in talking, but the younger kids loved to sit and play and giggle at how old we were. I was most depressed when they always seemed to guess my age - but be much below many of the others!! Maybe it was because I had that air of authority about me - not!!

We also managed to get some of the side struts on the school before having a quick, but very cold shower under the basic shower facilities in the girls washing facilities. These were really needed as we were caked in concrete and sand dust.

We the returned to camp for what was our last night under canvas. I couldn't believe how quickly it had all come about and was definitely ready for a few nights more. One of the other trip members (coincidentally also a facilities manager) had his 50th Birthday so we were treated to a BBQ over the fire - and a small cup of some very drinkable sparkling wine.

We were then given some very exciting news. We were told that the Elephants were in the area and had been spotted approx 1km away - and that there was a very good chance that they may come into the area around our camp overnight, as they like the seed pods off one of the trees which was in the centre of our camp. They had ripened in the time that we had been there and were now falling to the ground...fingers crossed!!

Monday 5th October

What a way to spend a Monday morning! A requirement was needed for a few tonne of aggregate for the school and 6 of us volunteered to be dropped off at a small quarry area to shift the stone - by hand! However, with the views that we had, Springboc skipping around, we weren't complaining about an hours hard graft in the relative cool of the morning (at 7.30am)

We had been told that the Monday was going to be an extremely tough day. The aim was to get the floor completely finished and the roof on. However, disaster struck late morning and one of the team had quite a nasty accident which resulted in a dislocated elbow. We have a Dr with us at all the times on these projects and they were swiftly dispatched in the "bucky" for a 2hr drive to the nearest hospital. We were all really concerned, especially as the casualty had been quite an integral part of the team. We also were then restricted to less risky activities whilst we had no Dr on site with us. However, un-deterred, we undertook as much as physically possible and actually managed to get quite a lot done. The floor was prepared and trenches were dug for water and drainage, and whilst we weren't meant to use ladders, we started on the roof!

A little later that evening, we were taken for a quick drive in the old military truck to go and watch the sun set. It was absolutely spectacular, topped off nicely with a cold can of beer. When we got back to camp that night, we were amazed to see our colleague and the Dr back already. Fortunately they had managed to pop back in her elbow, and whilst she was on light duties she stayed with us for the rest of the trip doing really useful things like making sure we had our hard hats on and keeping the kids away from the tools.

Sunday 4th October

We were up at 6am with breakfast ready at 6.30am. Breakfast consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. I’m a little fussy with food, so stuck to eggs and toast, with lots of black coffee to try and re-hydrate from what was a surprisingly warm night. We then had time to get plenty of water (treated with iodine in my case) ready for the warm, hard day we had ahead. We left camp at around 7.15am for the short walk up to the village and the school.
Our camp was in a small clearing to one side of a dried up river bed. The river bed was extremely sandy, but was the most direct route to the project site. We were surprised to hear that the river was actually running, but a meter below the surface. It was possible to dig down 50cm or so and find water, and it was obvious that this has been done in a few spots.

As it was a Sunday, the kids weren’t in school so it was quite strange walking through the empty school, with just a few goats wandering around the playground. The school has clearly benefited from other projects in the past and whilst extremely basic, was in fairly good shape. However, the kitchen which is used to make meals for the 200 day pupils was in a major state of disrepair and this was to be our project for the next 3.5 days.

The first thing we had to do was to carefully dismantle the existing structure as we wanted to reuse as much as it as possible or let the local community have whatever we didn’t need. Building materials were very scarce and extremely valuable in this environment. Within an hour, the old building was neatly stacked to one side and we were starting to break out the remaining concrete and excavate the base of the wooden pillars.

The aim of the first day was to have done all the ground work and form the basic structure to the new building. With everyone pitching in and pulling their weight, this was comfortably achieved even in the 35 degree heat that we would have to get used too.

Saturday 3rd October

Arriving at Windhoek was really quite strange. The plane started to descend but rather than seeing a town or city on our way down – there was nothing! It was like we were about to land in the middle of the desert. The airport consisted of a small terminal building that has one international flight per day and several internal flights within Africa. No need for an air bridge or bus to the terminal. A short walk and we were in the chaos that was passport control. It took over 45 minutes to clear with some very officious staff struggling to understand that we were camping and didn’t have a fixed address to give them. We managed to explain ourselves and were let through to collect our bags, meet Faan (our wonderful local guide, mentor and project manager) and jump on the bus to be on our way.

We quickly realised that timings don’t really mean much in Africa. A 5hr journey turned out to be much closer to 7hrs but it was a great opportunity to see the country – and the wildlife! On the drive from the airport to Windhoek we saw several troops of baboons on the side of the road. It also became clear that the airport was a good 40 minute drive outside Windhoek. Windhoek was a strange place. It was quite modern and didn’t seem to have many original buildings. I was also amazed by the vibrant purple and pink trees that they had – and even more confused by the road names. At one point we turned on to Nelson Mandela drive – which led immediately off Robert Mugabe Drive! Two names you don’t immediately put side by side.

I was immediately struck by the beauty of Namibia, with its mix of mountains, desert, wildlife and vegetation. It was very warm, but we had all the windows open on the bus which allowed a nice breeze and kept us cool. We saw more baboons and loads of termite mounds. At one point there was a huge baboon sat on top of a termite mind, however we were travelling too fast to take photo’s – and clearly this sight was nothing new for the driver as he didn’t seem to think it was anything worth slowing down for. However, the tarmac roads dried up quite quickly and we were soon on hard packed gravel roads. These were a little bumpy but generally in very good shape.

After a stop at Omararu for a “rock shandy” and the use of the most immaculate toilet on the entire trip, we were finally dropped on the side of a sandy track, where the bus could go no further. Fortunately it was only a short walk into camp and our large bags were put on the back of the “Bucky” and driven to camp for us. The Bucky is basically an open top landrover and we all had the experience of riding in the back at some point during the week – which was a real thrill.

We arrived in camp at around 5pm, but this was too late for us to visit the project site, as the sun goes down at around 6.30pm. We were therefore given an hour to sort ourselves out in our tents before having dinner and settling down for the night. We were lucky enough to have a tent each on this trip as they weren’t very large. I’ve slept in a lot of tents, but never one that has had an open mesh at the top which meant that it was possible to lie in your sleeping bag at night and look up at the stars. With no light pollution and a full moon, this was a fantastic way to go to sleep – and after travelling for over 24hrs, an early night was definitely on the cards.

Friday 2nd October

We were due to all meet at Terminal 5 at 13.45 on Friday afternoon so we could check all our bags in together. We had been asked to not exceed more than 15kg on our baggage allowance so that the emergency and med kit could be checked in as part of our allowance. All went smoothly and we were able to check all our bags in direct to Namibia which bearing in mind we had to change at Frankfurt and change from BA to Air Namibia was good news indeed! My hand luggage was pretty heavy though as I’d put all the school books in my rucksack just to make sure I could get them through OK. I also had a load of tennis balls (thanks Carol) but had put these in my main bag as they were nice and light.
What then followed was a bit of time getting to know the others on our trip whilst we had time waiting time in Heathrow, and then Frankfurt. There were 18 of us in total, with Sid our trip leader and Sian, the Dr bringing us up to a total of 20. The journey consisted of a short hop over to Frankfurt, followed by a 10hr flight down to Windhoek, arriving at 9am in the morning on 3rd. The journey was fairly uneventful with most of us managing a fair amount of sleep, ready for the adventure ahead.

Tomorrow!

We're off tomorrow! I am really looking forward to the trip and am so ready for it! My fundraising has really picked up and Carol at work has dropped in some tennis balls for me to take, which I'm really grateful for. Apparently we will be working on the school kitchen as part of our project, which sounds really worthwhile.

I was sent the picture in this blog yesterday. I'm fairly sure there are no lions where we're going to - but need to try and avoid those late night trips to the "long drop" whilst camping in the bush!!

So - this will be my last post until I'm back, where I'll be telling you all about it! Can't believe the time has now come. Really excited! 'Till next time......

5 days to go

OK - so I'm now all packed! You'll see from the picture that I got everything organised this weekend and I'm pleased to say that I'm just under the advised 15kg weight limit too! Can't wait now!

Next Week!

Well, I'm off next week and think I'm pretty well all prepared now. I nearly had a practice pack at the weekend - how sad am I?! I've got all the last few bits for my first aid kit as it's been significantly depleted since my last trip over 4 years ago. The only part of the preparation that's not gone so well is the physical bit. I was really good over the summer and went out on the mountain bike all the time - doing some fair mileage too. That's dropped off to being almost none at all now. But with 10 days to go now, no point worrying about that. Not afraid of a bit of hard graft - and it's only for a few days. I've got lots of pain killers - so should be able to work through it!

New digital camera that John got me for my birthday has arrived and I'm very excited to start playing with that. Just can't wait to turn the Blackberry off and be on my way now. Still a good few hard days of work left though between now and then.

Three weeks to go....tomorrow!

I'm off for a long weekend - where hopefully I will get off my b*ckside a bit more than I have over the last few weeks. I spend far too long sat at my desk!

I've been making slow progress on the fundraising but am much happier with where I have got to now. We've got a cake sale organised in Oxford for the Friday before I go, so hopefully lots of people will come down and visit the department (no 1 priority!) and also buy some cake to raise a few more pennies (no 2 priority.

I was also really relieved to hear that I don't need to take malaria tablets! Not only does it save me some money, but it stops me from feeling ropey whilst I'm on them. Another piece of useful advice (via the medium of facebook) was to take probiotic drinks/tablets to help the immune system in the gut. I normally take these during the winter to ward of coughs and colds - which does seem to work - but I've started a bit earlier with my probiotic multi vitamins and yoghurt just in case it does help - even a little bit.

My sister has also dropped off a great box of educational books from WHSmiths (her employer) which will be really useful. Not quite sure how I'm going to get them out there with the weight limit. I think the hand luggage is going to be critical on this - whilst making out that my bag weighs less than the 5kg hand luggage allowance. It will be interesting getting through security though - I'm sure they'll think I'm smuggling staples!

Not long now - and I'm so excited. I really hope it works out to be as good as we all think it will be.

5 weeks to go!

5 weeks to go - or one month tomorrow to be precise! I'm pleased to report that after my RE World article last week, my sponsorship has taken a jump up to £720, after some very generous donations. I'm so pleased and want to thank everyone who has supported me so far.

I've also learnt that whilst lots of people are very interested in my trip, going onto the Internet and sponsoring someone is alien territory and I guess also ties people into feeling like they need to give a fair sum of money, be it £5 or £10. A few people have asked whether I could send round a sponsorship form, and if I'm honest this never crossed my mind. So, I've drafted a form and will start sending that around. I'm sure people are going to get a bit hacked off with me soon, so I'm going to make this the last big push. A few £2 here or there soon add up to £10, £20, £50 etc - so I think it's worth pursuing.

Anyway - onto the more important stuff. Went and got my fringe cut at the weekend. As usual, I had left it far too late for a weekend appointment, and I'm busy over the next two weekends. Fortunately, Vicky could squeeze me in for 10 mins - so attacked my fringe such that I can see again now. The other benefit is that longer hair is easier to look after in expedition conditions. It may sound like madness, but scraping your hair back into a pony tail, rather than looking something that's been dragged through the African bush backwards by a large and scary animal is much easier to deal with! I'm sure you all needed - and wanted - to know that!

I am really starting to look forward to my trip now and all the adventures it will bring. Whilst I've still got lots of work to get done before I go - it's really helping motivate me to get everything cleared - or organised and underway, before I go. I need to keep reminding myself that I'm only actually out of the office for 6 days, and the world won't stop turning without me. It just makes me feel much better to work this way!

6 weeks to go!

Only 6 weeks to go now, and before I know it - I'm sure it's going to be here. I was working through my work calendar this morning and can't believe how booked up I already am through September. I did an article for RE World last week and was quoted as saying that you need to set yourself personal targets and deadlines or before you know it, years have passed you by. This really is the case! I turn 37 in a few weeks but still feel like I'm 27. I remember my parents turning 37 - and it just scares me!

I also had a mild taster of Africa last night. I left the window open in the bedroom as it was quite warm and something has got in and bitten me right in the back of the knee. Fortunately, having got my first aid kit sorted I had some bite cream at home, so christened that this morning! Didn't expect to have to crack that open so soon.

I've also raised the profile of my trip over the last week or so, and lots of people are talking to me about it. I just need to transfer the general interest into sponsorship now - so if you're reading this - can you spare me £5? It all adds up - and anything anyone can spare will make a huge difference.

7 weeks to go!

This blog is a bit later than normal. No excuse - had a few days leave (Thu & Fri) and paid the price with having to catch up with work afterwards! On Thursday I had a major catch up on housework but more importantly got up into the roof to get down my exped kit bag and sleeping bag. I was pleasantly surprised that I'd been organised enough not to keep my sleeping bag in it's stuff sack for the last 12 months+ and it was nicely aired and fluffy already. I have now packed it into its' stuff sack to work out how much room I'm going to have for clothes and goodies for the kids! Looking promising so far! I also popped to the Dr's to see whether I had to have a private prescription for Malarone (which I do!) I think I'm going to take it, even though the risk is relatively low. Mosquito's don't have boundaries - and I don't fancy getting Malaria! I think I've made a decision on the Rabies jab though. It's £80 for the course of 3 jabs, but it doesn't stop you getting rabies; it just gives you 24 hrs to get to a hospital where they can start the treatment. We're only 5 hours from Windhoek, which should be well set up for this so I think it's worth an educated risk not to bother. Please let me know if you disagree!!

On Friday, I had my 7 year old niece for the day (Rachel) and we went horse riding. She's been going for a few months now. I used to ride a lot as a kid but haven't been on a horse for at least 15 years. I'm pleased to report that it is just like riding a bike and it did all come flooding back. We went on a lovely hack and had a great time together.

I've also stepped up the promotion of my trip - but have been equally disappointed by the number of cake sales popping up in the building! I think I need to pace myself otherwise no one is going to have any money left to even consider being able to sponsor me for this worthwhile cause.

The Link to my Fundraising Page

I've just been reading back through some of my posts - and noticed that the very sporty triathlete "Will" has made a very valid comment, that it would be useful to post the link to my fundraising page on my blog! Flippin good point - so here it is; http://www.justgiving.com/cathyburgess/

Up to £560 now and going to be putting in some effort over the next few weeks to get it up to at least £1000.

8 Weeks to Go!

I got in some practice with the DIY skills this weekend as the exterior woodwork on the barn needed sanding and re-staining. This is a picture of my now immaculate front door. I also did the patio doors and a few windows at the same time. I will probably finish off the others over the coming weeks. The only downside is that my hamstrings are killing me! I'm normally quite flexible and prefer to squat rather than kneel down. I've clearly extended the old hamstrings a bit too far this weekend. Everything else is in full working order - not stiff anywhere else! I also broke in my new light weight work gloves - again so they don't look too shiny and new when I get to Namibia!

9 Weeks to go!

I had quite a positive weekend and have bought almost everything I need for my trip now. Ordered iodine tabs, mosi spray etc via Nomad on line. I couldn't face the shops so thought it would be better this way - and it gave me the chance to use the discount too. I think the only thing left to do now is sort out my first aid kit, but only need to get things like imodium etc as I'm hoping to get lots of plasters, bandages etc from my sister's St John's kit.

Saturday was a complete wash out, but I did pop out and do a food shop and also went to the DIY shop next door to get myself some work gloves for the trip. I've got a lightweight pair for painting (only £1.99!) and and more robust pair for heavier work.

On Sunday we went out on the mountain bikes for a couple of hours. Approx half of the distance was off road which was quite hard going - but better than being harrassed by cars on the country lanes. I took the opportunity to wear one of my new longsleeve tops. At least it now won't look shiney and new when I get out to Namibia! Need to do more work on fundraising too. I've got some ideas! I think a cake sale may be on the cards! Need to find some people who can bake now!

10 weeks to go!

So….I went to the briefing day for the trip on Saturday. It was so weird going into London at a weekend. Everyone was chatting and talking on the train – normally there is complete silence on the 7.10am during the week. And then there was the engineering works on the underground –so it was impossible to get anywhere directly or quickly – so I walked to the venue! I just couldn’t get over the number of tourists and tour parties – the week day commute was a piece of cake in comparison!

However, the aim of the day was to find out more about the trip and meet some of the others going on the project. There was lots of other briefings going on that afternoon, but the fact that ours was the best attended (14 out of 18 of us turned up) bodes well for a good trip. There was a really nice vibe about the group and our exped leader was there to give us the briefing personally. We were told more about the project, although as a group we will need to assess exactly the scope and what we want to achieve when we get to the project site. This will be very much dependant upon the skills of the group. It also sounds like it’s going to be a challenge to get anything done due to the attention the kids will pay us! Apparently they come from miles around and just want to talk and play. We were also warned that we would get very hot, sweaty, dirty and probably covered in lots of paint! Furthermore – there is no water in camp – so no showers for a week. Back to the old military wet wipe wash!

We are also briefed on the local wildlife. On the last trip, the camp was visited one evening by over 20 Namib elephants! It sounded like the game drive wouldn’t be the only opportunity to see lots of animals. I’m so excited!

However, the most scary element was hearing just how much some of the others had raised. One had raised £25k in one event; the group of 4 ladies from Cambridge have collectively raised £20k – all makes my £500 look a little weak – so more focus needed here in the next few weeks!!

But in summary – it was a lovely day and I can’t wait for 2nd October to come!

I've been so bad!

Just a very quick "post" as I've been so bad over the last two weeks. Work has been incredibly busy (no excuse) but I've done no exercise, no fundraising and no blogging! However, I'm off to London on Saturday (without my laptop - yipee - and in jeans and trainers rather than a suit & shoes - double yipee!) for my trip briefing. Only 10 weeks until I go now, so watch this space for a flurry of activity!!!

New clothes and a puncture!

My parents were down for the weekend, helping to look after my niece whilst my sister was busy doing her bit for St John's Ambulance. We went off to the Swindon outlet village in the morning - which I was particularly keen to do as they have several discount outdoor shops and I wanted to get some light weight, long sleeved tops ahead of my trip. Well - I was in luck as Mountain Warehouse had loads, in lots of different colours reduced from £29.99 to £10! I'm afraid I'm a mad one for a bargain so I bought 3 - saves me smelling when I'm away! And just for the record - I had a few anyway, so I've now got enough for a clean one every day! On previous trips I've taken really old, tatty t-shirts etc (it's not a fashion parade!) and thrown them away before I've left, which means there is more room in my bag for souvenirs! Also - this now means that with the exception of Iodine tables (and neutralising tabs) - I've got all my kit!!

I also bumped into an old colleague from a previous company and it was so great to see her. Reminded me of what a fantastic team I had and how much I miss them (not that there's anything wrong with my current team that is!)

On Sunday, we were up really early to do the Anthony Nolan "Oxford Big Bike Ride" which John's company were organising. We did the 10 mile route and unfortunately I got a puncture halfway round. But John was super organised and had tire levers, puncture repair kit and a spare tube in his rucksack, so we were all sorted and off again within 5 minutes. Most annoying - and very sorry to John for nicking his brand new tube. Replacement is on it's way!

I also watched the Ben Fogle series last night about their trip to the South Pole and was busy watching the open try out weekend for their third team member, when I saw an old colleague from the Army - and she made it to the final 4 candidates. I rated her really highly and it was great to see that she didn't let the side down. Pity she wasn't selected, but it did remind me just how much I've let my fitness go. She's got two kids now too - so no excuse on my part. John is also planning on cycling back from work tonight - over 15 miles - so I really need to start pulling my finger out, but I just struggle so much with motivation and am so tired after a day at work, that I just can't face it. I am doing a lot more at weekends now though - just need to start doing more in the week.

Anyway- it's 6pm, been in since 8am - so time to make a move. London tomorrow...can't wait!!

Another nice weekend and a bike ride.

Well, this warm weather is certainly going to get me into practice for the heat in Namibia; although I don't think that sitting on my b*ckside on the sofa for most of Saturday will have helped much. We had a viewing on the house at 1pm which pretty much scuppered the day - but did result in a very tidy house. Just disappointed that the lady who visited hadn't looked at the particulars and realised the 3rd bedroom was just a single/study! It was nice to chill out though in a tidy house - even just for a few hours!

Unfortunately I did spend the weekend on edge, due to various building issues. I had the first call at 9pm on Friday night about an issue with our Edinburgh office, which was then followed with major issues in Croydon, our HQ at the Strand (always career limiting when something goes wrong there!!) and Camden. I was dreading Monday morning and the fall out! However, all went as well as it could but never a nice feeling.

We went out for a really nice ride on Sunday from Abingdon to Oxford and back, along the Sustrans route number 5. I can really recommend it! It was quite flat and almost entirely on proper cycle routes and very close to the Thames. The only problem was that there were also lots of walkers out too - I remember the days when I was a keen walker and hated cyclists - and now I've become one of them! It was probably about 14 miles in total and we stopped short of Oxford (due to pedestrians) at a lovely little lock where they were selling ice cream out of the lock keeper's cottage. It was really very pleasant. I hope all the work pays off for the "Big Bike Ride" next weekend!

The fundraising seems to have gone a bit quiet so I need to start emailing around a few more contacts. I need to remind myself that doing this trip was also meant to help the "work/life" balance get readjusted. Failing miserably at the moment on that one, but will get there one day. I'll send a few emails to contacts tonight before I go and see what comes from there!

TTFN!

The end of a long week!

Well, this week has been really busy and was punctuated with a trip to Shannon in the middle which completely wiped me out. A 3am start on Wednesday morning, followed by a full day of work and then dinner with colleagues before finally falling into bed at 10pm. Up again at 6 am the next morning for a flight back and I was in the office in Oxford by 12.30pm and didn't get away until 5.30pm. I was shattered when I got home - and was so pleased to get back to my own bed. I really enjoy those feelings of home comforts and they are made all the better for stretching yourself and going away! That's what I keep telling myself anyway.

Whilst in Shannon I met a lovely lady who had sponsored me on my trip. She told me about how her Grandfather had gone to Windhoek to set up a school 100 years ago - and that this year they were celebrating their 100th birthday. Her father had lived there until he was 12 and told her stories about how he always considered Namibia as home. She had also done quite a bit of research on the education system in Namibia and had found out that it's probably the best in Africa - having increased literacy rates from 40% to over 80%. It was really interesting to hear about all this.

I'm also thinking about doing a TEFL course via distance learning before I go. Whilst I've got a 7 year old niece, I really haven't got a clue how to communicate with children - particularly those that don't speak English. I'd love to learn some games or exercises that we can do with the kids whilst we are out there. More research required in this area!

I'm sure we'll be off out on the bikes again this weekend. I need to find a nice long, flat route away from any busy roads. Weather doesn't look great though - but skin is waterproof as they say!

Two injections - and seventeen miles!

So, you won't have heard from me for a few days. I've had a long weekend as it was John's Birthday. By the time Sunday afternoon arrived, I actually felt quite relaxed rather than being stressed that it the weekend was over already!

I had booked an appointment with the Nurse to find out what injections I needed for my trip - and she clearly wasn't messing around. When I was in the Army, I had every injection under the sun - and a few more for good measure, but my medical records were never passed over to my civilian GP. However, it is 10 years since I was in Bosnia now and had the last batch of jabs, so they were probably out of date (although I'm positive I had boosters to last me 20 years!). So I was swiftly dispatched with an injection to each arm and a shopping list of all the extras I could have at a price (£80 for Rabies anyone?!) It wasn't quite what I planned as I have clear memories of trying to do drill (i.e. marching around the parade ground) and having dead arms.

Anyway - I got home and John was ready for a bike ride! Never one to say no, off we went.....for 17 miles! Two hours, twenty minutes later and with numb hands and painful arms...I was pleased to be home. It reminded me of being back in basic training! I think the contents of the jabs was rapidly working its way around my body, as I didn't fell 100% - so enjoyed chilling out for the rest of the afternoon - and for once, didn't have the urge to keep checking my blackberry every 5 minutes. I'm definitely going to have withdrawl problems when I'm away!

Apart from that, we had a very relaxed weekend. We didn't go cycling on Saturday; I was surprisingly quite tires. I went shopping to Sainsbury's - reaching for items high on the shelves was a bit painful - I'm sure my fellow shoppers thought I was mad...wincing when reaching for a pint of milk which was at the back of the shelf! We did go for what we now concider a short ride on Sunday - approx 8 miles in 50 mins and then jumped into the jacuzzi aftewards which is so nice, if not a little too hot for me.

Just tweaked the press article and sent it back. Dreading when that goes out!!

Definitely not doing any exercise tonight. If John's playing golf on Tuesday - I may go for a run and then off to Shannon (3am start) on Wednesday, so definitely no exercise for me then!

Also - just noticed that "Just Giving" have changed their website format. Not sure I like the new one - old version was so much better. Hope it doesn't affect my fundraising!

TTFN!

I walked up the escalater instead!

Just a quick note to say that after a long and busy day in London (Camden in the morning, Chancery Lane in the afternoon) I was simply too pooped to go for a run! In my defence, I walked up nearly all of the escalators instead. Does that count??

I made it up the hill!

Having declared that I was off out on my bike last night - I thought I'd better be good and get out there. Despite the cold can of cider with my name on it in the fridge, I did indeed get on my bike and go out for an hour. I was sorely tempted to jump on John's new bike - but though better of it and went out my my cheap and squeaky Halford's number!

We live in a very small village which has an extremely quiet, minor road leading from the back which goes for approx 3 or 4 miles, down a very steep hill towards the Thames. It's fantastic on the way out - wizzing down, with the rolling Oxfordshire countryside in front of you - but pure hell on the way back. The hill steps up in 3 different tiers, which gives some respite but the last bit is an absolute killer and I've never made it up yet. I normally have to practically fall off the bike, with heavy legs and walk up the last bit. However, last night - I made it the whole way! The odd weekend on the bike is clearly making a difference.

The only negative element of last nights ride was all the flys I ended up covered with. I looked like the windscreen of my 4x4 by the time I got back - I was covered in green fly! It's hard to exercise with your mouth shut (and for those who know me well, keeping my mouth shut is just something I can't do!) and I'm sure I swallowed a few on the way. Pure protein apparently!

Hey ho - it's all in a good cause and should improve my fitness. Thinking of a run tonight....just thinking of it though. I'll let you know if I make it!

24hrs Later...

So, it's 24hrs since I published an article via "My Elsevier News" on the intranet - and I can't believe the response I've had so far. Colleagues from the US, Amsterdam and Shannon who I've not met before have made donations. I'm really pleased and very touched. We've got £195 so far excluding gift aid - which is great!

I've also had a draft article come through for submission to the local press. It makes me feel really uncomfortable reading that stuff about myself - I must look through it tonight and make a couple of ammendments! Either that or I need to go and polish my halo!!

I've also got myself booked in to see the nurse on Friday morning (when I'm on leave) to find out what injections and malaria tables I need to take. I hate being ill - and the realisation of some of the bugs etc is starting to hit home. John (my partner) has a colleague at work who is originally from South Africa - she had the following words for me:

- Always wear something long sleeved as the sun in Africa is different to here, you really won’t feel you are burning till it’s too late.
- Always wear closed shoes in case you step on something that will not appreciate being stepped on and can be poisonous.
- Do not wear perfume coz it attracts flies & mosquito’s.
- Do not play with wild animals, they are dangerous. And don’t try to get too close to take pics, many tourists are stupid that way.
- Do not swim or go in any water holes or rivers, not only are there crocodiles but you would be prone for bilharzia if it is still water or snakes.
- Please take your malaria meds at least one week before you leave to go there and also take them a week after you get back.
- Keep well hydrated coz it is definitely not fun in an African hospital!!!
- Do not wonder around by yourself at night or any time really!!!

Mmmmmmmmmm....let's wait and see what happens!

Off home now to go out on the mountain bike for some exercise.

Cathy

Me - at my desk!

Hello - and welcome to the first post on my blog! Never had one before and my forthcoming trip to Namibia made me think that this would be a good way to share news, updates and other info about this adventure - and maybe even future trips!

Watch this space for more news - as and when is happens ofcourse!