Africa!

It's proving a bit difficult to do regular updates. The power is frequently out in this part of the world, and when it's not, the internet is out.

It's day 18 of my trip and I've already done some amazing stuff- come within a couple of metres of a wild silverback, observed a family of gorillas, encountered giraffes, hippos, rhinos. There's a real thrill to see these things for the first time. One thing that tv doesn't prepare you for is the scale- there's no way to appreciate the immense bulk of a silverback until you see it with your own eyes. And watching giraffes stride among the acacias is amazing. Watching those long, languid legs glide around can only be appreciated when you can comprehend their real height.

It sure is wild here. You arrive in Nairobi, and it's a dirty, congested and noisy city like any other. Choking diesel fumes hit you. But there's something else in the air- the smell of damp wood smoke, and the smell of rich soil. And that smell reminds you that you are never far away from the wilds- whether that be the Big 5 animals, muddy, potholed roads or a massive thunder storm over the Nile, and men with AK47s guarding the banks. Even our last camp ground had a man with a shotgun patrolling at night.

I have a lot more to say, and will try to cover the places I've been so far. If the power is on. And there's a connection.