Monday 28th June 2010

Monday 28th June - ALAN
9am UK time and we are sat in Jo'burg waiting for our connection to Durban. Seems a long time since we left Banbury at 3.30pm yesterday! Does anyone know the football result? Second again - we thought we might see the guys heading home!!

Flight was great, only 11 hours, and I am really looking forward to getting to Kwa Zulu Natal and looking at some projects. After our transfer to Durban we picked up a hire car and drove 25 miles to our B + B - arriving at 2pm UK time (22.5 hours jouney time BUT what a view from our terrace!! - makes it all worthwhile).

It is my first time in South Africa and I am a little apprehensive (ask my wife, Sue, she will confirm this) - as many of you know I have been involved in Sierra Leone for the last 5 years BUT this is a new challenge for me personally and I have mixed emotions as I am outside my comfort zone and know very little about the area we are visiting and don't speak Zulu!! - despite the 6 page crib sheet that Charlie gave me b4 we came away!

Really strange I left the UK near Midsummer but here we are in SA and it is dark at 5.30pm!!

Charlie -

Well the flight all I can say is I did recieve a phone call and she did allow me an extra 5kg's, so a vist to the baggae shop and a very hot and sweaty twenty minutes later we were able to check in!

To be honest I still hadnt thought of our final destination and it dawned on me only as we landed. I had left South Africa only 7 months earlier after being there for 19 months. South Africa is a country were I left part of my heart and it was given back to me as soon as I walked of the plane. After our connection and hirring our car I drove, unaided by maps or directions I knew this place like I know England it was home from home. We arrived at our wonderful BB with a view of which you dream of. We unloaded and made our way to Gods Golden Acre, I was so nervous I did not know what to expect, would they remember me? would they be happy to see me? The answer I'm so fortunate to say is yes. There were a few people I wanted to see one was Asanda, one of the children I myself brought to shelter at GGA she was perfect, perfectly formed and natured and happy to come to me. Asanda is one of a few people that I have thought about everyday since I left. Here she was all very surreal, all a bit too much. Even though I met Asanda when she was 3 days old and she bathed in my sink spent the afternoon in my office and napped with me on a sunday aftyernoon she didnt know me anymore. She like so many people in South Africa, continues to survive and still with a smile on her face. I look forward to hopefully spending more time with her in the next few weeks!

Afterwards we met some old friends and went for Dinner, of which I was the main humourous topic! Until Alan tried to speak Zulu!!!

One day down already so much to do and see, Im just concerned whether Alan can keep up as he seniority is a concern to me! - Im preparing a funding propsalfor a Zimmer frame after I have done this!