Thursday 21st July 2005
"Buy a beer and use our internet for Free" - so that is what I am doing!!
But this is just a quicky.

Today is the first day of the Cricket First Ashes Test Match
------ and my second day in Lagos!!

And I love it!
Awesome beaches but so so so hot!!

I sent a parcel today - it should be there in about five days - and it includes a photo CD.

First day of the Ashes so I watched it from about 4.00pm to 6.00pm at the pub.
Going back tomorrow.

Bye, bye.

Tanya has arrived in Lagos!!!

Lagos - so this place is meant to be a party town which suits a lot of people but not me.

Give me the beach all day, a nice dinner and a few drinks with an early night and it is all good!!

I had had no sleep the night before as Trent and Carl had snored and snored the night away so I was shattered when I woke up.

We were all excited about the three hour bus ride but we forgot about the time change so it was actually four hours - never mind.

---Street views as Tanya walked through the City---

We arrived and checked it and then I went with my roommate Justin to get a feed.
He has no sense of direction and tried to take me to all these places that have good cheap meals but they were all shut and he was lost anyway.
We found somewhere to eat and then we went to the beach.

It was stinking and the water was so cold but you had to go in cause it was so hot!!

I stayed for a while and then hit the supermarket and got milk and cereal and yoghurt and lollypops to keep my snacking instead of eating crap (and having to pay for it!)

I was tired and everyone went out but I didn´t care - I was able to shower and unpack in peace and it was quite nice.

(two photos)---Dona Ana Beach---

......and a postcard view of the beach

I got up the next day and headed to the beach that Irma had told me to go to and it was great!!
A bit further away and much more secluded - still packed but no one I knew was there.
I had called in to a really cheap sandwich shop and got a chicken salad roll takeaway and took that with me so I had lunch and a bottle of water and it was great.

And as there was no one around that I knew I got the 'kini top off!!
I am getting better with that now but having to put sunscreen on in public is really just a bit rude.
Anyway, I am sure that everyone has to do it!

Watching the cricket - and having a good time!!!--- Trent and Tanya

Tanya and Jess-- Rosie, Jess and Tanya-- Tanya and Justin

Tanya and the group enjoying themselves

After the day there I had organised to meet Trent and Dave and Jess at a bar in order to watch the end of the first day of the First Ashes Test.
I wasn´t particularly looking forward to it as I had been getting messages from everyone at my old work and 'my traitor brother' telling me how crap we were going!!
Well, that had certainly changed by the time I saw the score - Oh Glenn McGrath - "five-for"!!

We then went to another bar for a bit and then we decided we were hungry so we went to a great place called Casa Rosa which does the best meals for really, really cheap prices.
I had roast chicken with chips rice gravy and salad for 5 euro - a bargain!!

Then it was back to the pub and I got in about 2.00am and felt it the next day but couldn´t let it go to waste.

So it was up and to the sandwhich shop for takeaway and to the beach again - same spot and perfect.

Spent the whole day there and then had a shower and went for dinner again to Casa Rosa with a whole group from the hostel.
This time chicken stirfry - so craving vegetables!

I ran into Christie and Julia who had arrived that day and we organised a time to do the Grotto Tours the next day.
Then home to bed for me.

Vanessa, Tanya and Julia heading out for the Grotto Tour

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Vanessa, Patrick, Tanya, Julia and Christie

Tanya during the Tour

Met the girls as well as Vanessa and Patrick and we went and bargained ourselves a tour of the Grottos.
They were amazing!!
Rocks and caves and chimneys and the like - all made naturally by the sea.
The colours were amazing and the water reminded me of the reef - so clear and blue.

Don Camillo Beach--- Julia, Vanessa and Tanya in the water

......and Tanya getting a bit of sun

(two photos)---The view from the cliffs above the beach---

We took about fourty minutes doing that and then instead of going back to the marina we asked him to drop us of a beach that is a bit further away.
It was further than the one I had been at the last few days and it was nice to be somewhere different.
More sunbaking and then a swim - it wasn´t as cold as it has been - then lunch - I had another chicken sandwhich!
More sunbaking and then Christie and I walked back - the others had been too hot and headed back earlier.

A postcard from Tanya after her Grotto Tour and a bit of sunbaking!!!

I went back to the hostel and showered and changed and went to dinner with Stevie and Kate.
Yes, Casa Rosa again and this time I had the roast chook again - so good and cheap!

I went to the Three Monkeys Bar to buy the t'shirt and ran into some guys from my Pamps tour in the bar so had a few drinks and a chat with them and then Karl and Corrine (from a few days ago in Seville) arrived there too.
So a few more drinks and then back to the hostel.

It was only about 10.30pm and everyone was out so I had plenty of time for packing and showering and generally pottering.

Tried to have an early night but got no sleep at all!!
Everyone was being incredibly noisy and they didn´t have a key so kept opening my window from the outside and asking me to let them in and then slamming doors and basically I got no sleep.
Never mind - you have to expect that I guess in hostels.

"A last look at Lagos"--- A postcard view of the City

Didn´t have to get the bus until 11.00am this morning so I got up early and had brekky then went out for a coffee and a last look at Lagos before hopping on the bus to Lisbon.