Hello everybody!!!! I've finally managed to get some time on the internet to update you. The internet is extremely slow here so I'm not going to be able to upload photos or anything - you will just have to wait with bated breath.

We arrived on time last Tuesday morning having had no sleep on the plane so we were all exhausted. However, it took about 1 and a half hours before we were able to leave for the hostel we were staying in Cape Town due to "African time" which meant that, although the person who was meeting us was there, the combi taxi wasn't!

There are 11 of us in the group and we are all getting along amazingly - everyone is so friendly and we are starting to develop some really close relationships and are having such a laugh as well which is really great because I was a bit worried before I came in case any of us didn't get along.

We stayed in Cape town for two nights and left for Mamre on Friday afternoon. While we were there we visited one of the townships where people live in very small, one room houses - often with tin shacks on the back. This is a remnant of the apartide as all the black and coloured people (in South Africa there are three different people - black, white and coloured where the black people are of African origin, the white of European origin and the coloured from Asian origin) were moved out of their houses in the cities and into these townships on the outskirts. The ANC are trying to sort it out but it is a long process. It was a very moving and strange experience to see these people living in such poor conditions and it really gives you a bit of perspective.

In Mamre I am staying with Aunty Baby (whose actual name is Sarah but everyone calls her Aunty Baby) along with another member of our group, Damian. We have a "host brother" called Roysten who is 17 (I think - I've been living with them too long now to ask again!). We started work on Monday on Mamre Mill although we are not actually working on the Mill itself but on the surrounding area. We have been clearing a stream which used to feed the mill (it's a water mill in case you hadn't guessed) and its very messy work!! Yesterday we were at the creche which was completely crazy!! I'm in the library at the moment and I'm starting to run out of time so I shall tell you more about it next week.

That’s about all from me for now but if you want to contact me can you do it through this blog - either on the emails or the message board as that will make it easier for me to check them.

Missing you all,

Shaun x

Ps, Beth I just got your message and, although I don't want to rub it in, it is very, very sunny here :-P