So finally we’ve had a chance to rummage through all the fan mail. Needless to say it took a little while.

Anyway, you may rememember a couple of weeks back we initiated the ‘AfricanSurfer Academy’ at the 2nd grade class of the International School of Dakar where we preached a little about African travel and conserving the environment.

One of the students at that class, 8 year old Kevin, has subsequently been in touch with us to chat a bit, ask a couple of questions and even draw us a picture!

In fact, we had no less than EIGHT letters from Kevin! We’ve condensed them into one:

“Dear Afrikan Surfurs

I wish I would go on a trip like you. I wish I was one of you gise.

Did you learn anything, on your trip? have you gone 31 miles from South Africa? Remember you asked us questions? I won 1 prize. It said: African Surfur.

I nowe Your in western Sahara. If you are, then Your in the country under marocco. Is the country cold? Dearing wintir it was frezing. Dearing Hallowin were You driving? How will You get to Eourope?

I hope you have a good time.

from Kevin”

Not bad for an 8 year old. Definitely a potential ‘AfricanSurfer’ of the future! We’ll try our best to reply…

Dear Kevin

Thanks very much for your mail, we’re glad you seemed to enjoy our presentation!

To answer your questions:

We have learnt very much on our trip. Many people refer to our journey as a ‘holiday’, but we prefer to call it an ‘education’, just like school with Mr D!

Yes we have now gone 31 miles from South Africa. In fact we have now travelled 18 600 miles (29 760km) from South Africa.

We left some questions about our trip with Mr D and gave him some of our famous ‘African Surfer.com’ stickers to hand out as prizes. The questions weren’t easy so well done on winning! Where have you decided to stick the sticker?

So we are still in Senegal and not quite in Western Sahara (we note that you are clearly a seperatist, just like our government in South Africa and hence why it’s so difficult for South Africans to get visa’s for Morocco!!). But we will visit Western Sahara for sure. Our journey to Europe will take us up the Atlantic coast of West Africa via Mauritania, Western Sahara, and finally Morocco before we cross over the straight of Gibraltar to Spain.

Thankfully at the moment it is not too cold although we fear we may get very cold soon in Morocco… none of us ever really thought to pack warm clothes – according to the original plan we were supposed to be in London by September last year after all!

Finally, where we driving on Halloween – absolutely not! That would be waaay to scary with all the ghosts about. We were hiding in Nico’s apartment in Abidjan I believe… most likely watching another episode of ‘Heroes’!

OK Kevin, keep up the good work and don’t give your teacher too much of a hard time!

From the AfricanSurfers

Tim, ‘getting an education’ somewhere on the road in West Africa…