Biakpa - 20th August – Thursday

Off to Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary, where tourists are taken for a walk through the forest with a banana-bearing guide. He calls the monkeys (Mona Monkeys) by pushing his mouth out (yes, he now looks like a monkey) and makes strange screeching noises. Surprisingly that doesn't help, so he pulls out his mobile and makes a call. I am assuming he spoke to another guide... and around the next corner, there they are!

The monkeys grab bananas from his hands and are pretty cheeky (we have a go, too – at offering bananas, that is, not grabbing them!). My concern is that they will get used to people with food, and get aggressive like our baboons do.

Lovely area, and there is accommodation too. Primitive huts and communal bathrooms. Friendly staff, and some beads for sale. Bought a lovely necklace for Sue, but I may just end up keeping it...

Back in the car, off to Logbe Tota, which is a little village high up in the mountains, overlooking miles of valley and more mountains. If it wasn't so misty it would be lovely. Kim is very tempted to open a health spa as a volunteer project, and train the locals in massage and beauty therapy! There is a lovely waterfall nearby, with a good pool to swim in, but we didn't get to see it.

Sitting now at a hotel called Mountain Paradise in Amedzofe. It is in a beautiful area, overlooking the Kulugu River, but the woman working there is surly and rude, and the place is dirty, the toilets really gross. We were hungry by then so had spaghetti bolognaise (in this case Toppers with two minute noodles!). It was apparently the only meal that we would get in a hurry (i.e. under an hour).

Stayed up past 8pm for a change – made it to at least 10pm! Had a fun evening with Bernhard, Sabine, Stephen and Yao. Kim got herself a foot and neck massage!