Friday 26 January

We get up early and pack before leaping into the minibus at 7.00 am. The road from Gapang to Sabang is far better than it was in April - the journey now takes 45 minutes rather than 90 - but it is still unsurfaced and potholed most of the way. The journey should actually only take 20 minutes - maybe when we return next, it will be a proper road!

Our favourite taxi-driver

We arrive at the port in plenty of time for our 8.30 ferry so go and have super-strong coffee with condensed milk and fried doughnut-ey things at a nearby cafe. Mr. Fir (our favourite taxi driver here) turns up to say goodbye, and joins us for a coffee - he presents us with a DVD he has made of the shows that he has taken us to, and interspersed it with shots of pretty parts of Pulua Weh - hot springs and waterfalls we have never had time to visit. He is a lovely man - he always charges us far too much for trips in his beaten-up old taxi, but he is wildly enthusiastic about the shows and very helpful with the sound system and everything - we can't help but like him! We swap email addresses and promise to keep in touch.

Emails and dolphins

A super-flat crossing from Balohan to Ulele this morning - quite different from the bumpy earlier rides we have had. I work on my computer, drafting more emails, and Haggis goes on deck and sees 2 huge pods of dolphins, lucky thing.

There has obviously been a huge amount of rain overnight in Banda as the dock area is completely covered in water, and all our luggage has to be carried up steps to waiting becaks - the water is too deep for any vehicles to come near the landing dock. We go in one becak and the luggage in another. Very talkative becak driver, who will insist on looking at us as he talks - we nearly hit several other vehicles, but he eventually delivers us safely to Green Paradise.

Dear little room

Oh the joy of air con, pedestal loo and WiFi (it really is a snip at 200,000 rupiahs a night - roughly £12 a night for the two of us). We both seem to be coming down with colds so we retire to our dear little room and Hags has a sleep while I catch up with all the emails. There are masses, and I send off masses in return and manage to get most of the web diary up and send all the pix up to date to David our webmaster in England.

Positively dangerous

Farid and Shufik of Muslim Aid are a bit late collecting us and we head off to the far side of town to Barrack Blang Kreung, where about 130 children and a similar number of teens and adults are already waiting for us. This Barrack looks terribly run down - I do hope they don't have to stay here much longer! The balai floor is very dodgy and the steps up positively dangerous. We set up the badge-making, and the children really enjoy designing their badges. There is no time for parachute games, sadly, so Haggis sets up the show and we move the badge table so that I can operate the badge machine and the sound at the same time. Our Muslim Aid driver is lovely and very helpful with the badges. Hags does a fine show, despite feeling a bit under the weather, which the children really enjoy. Suddenly we are told we have to stop as it is prayer time, so he doesn't get to do his fire finale. Wish we could have arrived a little earlier. Hey ho!

Exhausted but sad to leave

Back to our room and it's Pizza Express delivery again. Talk to Chris in England - everything is going fine there. We are so lucky to have Chris - if she were not there, holding the fort, we could not be here! Tomorrow we have the lovely kindergarten we visited in April in the morning, and another barracks in the afternoon. Then 2 more shows on Sunday, and that's it. We will be sad to leave, but I must say we are exhausted - it has been a very full tour (which is what we wanted) plus all the housing inspections. Get rid of a few insects (real ones, rather than the ones in my eyes) and have an early night - we are both feeling as though we may be sickening for something. Drink lots of water, which seems to be the best cure for everything, and go to sleep praying we will feel a bit perkier in the morning.

SORRY NO PIX FOR TODAY OR FOR THE LAST 4 SHOWS OVER OUR LAST WEEKEND IN BANDA.

I WILL GET THEM UP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.