16th Mar OLHAO

So we had this wonderful morning planned, walking around the nature reserve; we packed the rucksack with my sketch book and paints, kindles, and water, and set off ............we entered the nature reserve ................. and got called over by the guard ‘to search us’ and then tell us that we had to pay to get in (we hadn’t brought any money with us!) so we had to leave. Yesterday we kind of got in illegally (now we realise) walking through a fish farm (where we saw the flamingos) and over a trodden down piece of fencing!!!! So we had a bit of a walk around the village, which wasn’t very pretty and went back to the van.

We’re having a bit of a problem with our utilities; our water is only last for a couple of days – less if we have showers; the gas, three weeks now the fridge is on (and if we’re having showers!); and electricity is running low (as we’re camped up and not travelling very far). We’ve decided to use the campsite hook ups (to charge electricity) but, of course, we haven’t got the right lead – so that was today’s mission. We had to get a three pin (female) going to a two pin (male), we travelled 30 miles and couldn’t find a camping accessory shop so we had to go to a DIY outlet and now Brett is making a lead (I have faith).

While we were driving along the N125 we noticed this girl, at the side of the road, she was dressed in a short skirt, off the shoulder top, high heel and lots of makeup (this was 3.00 in the afternoon); then we saw another one and then a third; the conclusion we came to is that they were prostitutes (they looked like gipsies), (I’ve never seen one in real life), who their customers were we’ve no idea.

We picked up Brett’s bike this evening; it was fixed and it cost ................... 11€, so we’re very happy about that. Tomorrow we might do a bike ride.