Bushwacking

We're in the middle of nowhere – but within earshot of passing traffice. We've pulled off the road onto a dirt track, and we've just pitched tents. This is another 'bush camp'- that is, in the middle of nowhere, no facilities, no lights, just us, a truck and a fire. This is a strange country, though. It's sparsely populated, apart from the towns. It doesn't seem to matter, though, wherever we go, there are always one or two people hanging around. We've just had a small herd of cattle nearby, and there have been two or three Ugandans, just standing and staring at us. It's really quite disconcerting. Of course, as soon as anyone points a camera in the direction of the cattle, they want money. Otherwise, they're just there. Rob and Boyo have had a quick 'hello' chat with them, but we're largely ignoring them. Rob reckons they'll go away when they get bored and realise they're not getting anything.

Otherwise, we've been here a couple of hours now. We've just put up our tents. Rob told us to wait until dusk to avoid too much attention. While it's totally legal, and we're doing nothing wrong, it's just best to avoid as much attention as possible. The food's on, and it's stew tonight. While my wisdom tooth is still killing me, my stomach is, at least, back to normal, and I'm looking forward to food. This morning was leisurely, in the extreme. After going to bed around one thirty, I was up around nine. I'm a bit concerned about my tooth. I've been on the antibiotics for three days now, and no improvement. I really feel like taking a pair of pliars to it, but other than that, I'm really at a loss to know what to to. I'm pretty much back to form, but it's still bothering me.

Still, my ailments are boring, aren't they? There was a touch of tension last night. It was one of those ridiculously adolescent situations where someone thinks someone has taken umbrage over something someone else has done, when they actually haven't. I don't have to tell you that all the men were simply drinking beer and laughing about it at this point, do I? When we got back to the camp, Boyo and Rob had prepared kebabs and rice – great, but the toughest beef I've ever tasted. After that, we sat around the fire for a bit, drinking tea. Boyo had had a couple of days off, so was tucking into some rum and cokes. He's quite taciturn when we're 'on the road', but he's an interesting bloke. From Shropshire originally, he's a relatively small bloke that's actually less stocky than he looks. Rob tells me he's been a truck mechanic since he was sixteen, and also drove trucks for fifteen years. He's now in his late thirties, and Rob said there's no-one he'd rather have looking after the truck.

By eleven, everyone drifted down to the bar leaving Rob and I by the fire. It was good to catch up properly. Bless him, he's been gutted for me that I've been ill. He actually said that, while we'd only known each other a couple of days in Jo'berg, it was kinda like a friend had joined the truck, and I think he feels he can be particularly honest with me. Broadly, he reckons it's a pretty good group – although there are a couple of 'moaners'. I know what he means. He also reckons that things normally get particularly interesting when we reach Jinga, since we're there for three days, and people usually properly let their hair down.

(Rob can't stand Dave either. Ha!)

I'm currently trying to change my flights, so I can stay on until after Zanzibar. While five or six people are staying non the truck after we reach Nairobi, a whole bunch of new people are joining, too. I'd love to go all the way to Vic Falls but, after all, I have some prior engagements in the UK. Hopefully, I'll get it all sorted when I reach Kampala tomorrow.

God, I can hear Dave holding forth on the properties of metals outside. I feel like asking his opinion on an aluminium tent pole, before smacking him round the head with it.

After I left Rob, I went down to the bar, where a hard-core of drinkers remained. This is where I heard all about the various controversies. The conversation in the truck and in the bar at night has, shall we say, become a tad ribald on occasion. One person felt that some of the others may have been a bit offended. I was asked if I was offended. Frankly, I'm not at all – I've heard a lot worse. I do reserve the right, however, not to laugh at something I find a bit boring and unoriginal. Or 'Dave' if you like. It's a total storm in a teacup, and very 'Big Brother', actually. We've already had our first truck 'fluid exchange' - between Jess, our twenty-year-old medical student, and Hugh, our thirty-seven-year-old faux-Welshman. All good fun, but the gossip has been a little bit juvenile, if you ask me. Still, it's all part of the fun, and fascinating to watch as a study of human behaviour – providing I can remain an impartial observer.

So, dinner's nearly ready

Yes, yes, Africa, animals, people, etc..,