I brought the sun with yesterday

Mbare

Flew out of Harare on Saturday. It had been quite an eventful week as on the way home from seeing a friend in Hatfield on Wednesday our car's clutch gave out. It started playing up as I drove through Mbare at rush hour. Luckily made it further into town before it completely gave out by the Polytechnic but right in the middle of the road at peak hour - not fun, there was nothing I could do. My mum got a lift to where I was with a driver from the school and our mechanic came. The same friend who rescued me on Saturday kindly came with his tow rope and towed the car home. Cephas the mechanic then had to go in search of parts - not easy. It was still not fixed on Saturday, so the H.I.S. driver took me to the airport. He was late though as there seems to suddenly be a fuel shortage in Harare again and he then took a very circuitous route to the airport to avoid police but I did start panicking when we seemed to be going in completely the opposite direction but I made it.

Boarding the plane in Harare the aircraft was stifling as apparently some charger in the engine wasn't working and therefore the air con wasn't working until we took off. I did hope that the air con was the only thing that wasn't working. In Joburg I had to have my eye and fingerprints scanned. I then had to wait it out for six hours. Missed having my mum and friend Vee with me this time to while away the time with. I must have walked across the duty free area six times and tried not to spend too much. Had a very chivalrous Chinese man next to me on the next flight but he watched movies all night and the flickering light from his screen kept me awake. When we landed at Heathrow the pilot said it was 12'C - pretty much our mid-winter temperature at home, but when I got out it was warmer than that and I had managed to bring some sunshine with me.

I was met by Beth and Andrew and they had quite a day planned. We went to see our friend Mags in Virginia Water and I went with Beth and Andrew to church at Christ Church Virginia Water where Beth and Andrew got married last year. We walked from there to lunch at Savill Garden with Mags and some others. We then stopped via Reading to see Andrew's parents on the way back to Swindon. I did feel a little exhausted by bed time but it was good to maximise on the sunshine. Today is a bit overcast. I am going to go for a walk just now and then will make babotie for dinner. Will go to Beth's pilates class this evening.

Savill Garden