Crossed the border into England!

Packed my bags and ready to go!

Hats, mosquito repellent and sun cream

I left home in the dark yesterday morning and set off on the early morning train to Swansea to catch the London train.  It was beautiful travelling through the fields of Wales as the sun rose and to see the estuary at Llanelli at its best.  The day was full of promise.  I moved from the Heart of Wales Line train across the platform to the train headed for London.  Got my bags on board and settled down to send off a few texts and emails re our itinerary to Zimbabwe.  I looked at my watch - seven minutes to departure.  I looked around me as all seemed suddenly very quiet and no-one else around; not one other fellow passenger.  I looked out the window and wondered why there were so many people over on platform 1.  Realisation dawned - I was on the wrong train (sort of as it was the London train departing at 09.28 an hour later than the one over the way).  I swiftly - with heart racing just a little - got on the right train!

Heart of Wales train on right and the "wrong" train on the left!

Travel always comes up with the unexpected.  I knew about the Severn Tunnel closure and that we would be bussed from Newport to Bristol Parkway, from where I would catch a train to Chichester and meet up with Penny.  However, I didn't expect an emergency medical incident on the train which meant that I missed all my onward connections.  I doubt the poor man who was taken away by ambulance at Bridgend expected his journey to turn out this way either.

So I arrived in Chichester 9 hours after leaving home; it took me 4.5 hours to leave Wales and cross the border!

Penny met me at Chichester station and we were soon joined by George and Aggie and then the returning honeymooners, Tom and Charlotte. Ended up having a celebratory dinner and happy travelling toasts - "safari njema" as they say in Swahili.