My trip back home

---

Monday 31st July - Tuesday 15th August I went home.

I had told my parents I was arriving on the Tuesday but had arranged for my brother to pick me up from the airport on the Monday.

I left my apartment in Shenzhen six hours before my flight. I got a taxi to the border and from there I got a sky taxi, which is a minibus that takes you directly to Hong Kong Airport. It took just over an hour to get there so I had plenty of time to relax after I checked in before my flight to Manchester..... Or so I thought.
A few days before leaving for the airport I had contacted the airline to ask how much extra luggage would cost. I knew I'd be over I just wasn't sure how much. I was told it would be 65$. Roughly what I paid when I came to China. I arrived at the airport to be told it's per kg and for my extra kg's they wanted £660!! After explaining to the lady I was told differently over the ‘phone she told me if I didn't pay my bags wouldn't be on the flight. I decided to go through my bags and see what I could do without. I got the cost down to £330 which I was still not happy about. I finally got the baggage weight down to £160. There was nothing else I could get rid of. I needed everything in the bags so I agreed to pay. Finally over two hours after arriving and trying to check in I could go to my gate.

After security and getting food and drink my gate was open so I went through and settled myself for the 13 hour flight to Manchester. It had just turned 1am by the time we set off and we arrived in Manchester at around 7am. With just under two hours wait I was on a flight to Exeter where my brother was picking me up.
When I arrived in Exeter H was late due to traffic but that was fine it gave me time to collect my bags or so I thought. Only one of my bags had made it. I was missing a suitcase! After recording it and finding out what happens next H had arrived and we started the journey home. The journey should usually be an hour's drive but with road closures and accidents the journey took over two hours.

We knocked on the door and when Mum answered she just stood and stared at me. After realising I had arrived early and after a lot of hugs we went out for lunch.
After lunch Mum rang Dad trying to get him to come home early, with out telling him I'd arrived. He had a meeting during the afternoon but said he'd come home after that. When we saw his car pull him I went and stood by the front door so when he opened it I was the first thing he saw. Like Mum he just stood and stared at me and gave me a hug.

By now I was exhausted. I hadn't slept much on the plan there was a seven hour time difference and all I wanted to do was sleep. After dinner I was finally able to do that. It was around 8pm.

Over the next few days I spent time seeing friends, scrapbooking all the photos I had taken while away and catching up with Coach Trip.

My brother volunteers at the local radio station and on Sunday evening I went with him to do a short interview about my time in China.

The second week was a little different. I still saw friends, I still scrapbooked, finishing four and starting a fifth. I still watched a lot of Coach Trip.
However for three days, Wednesday - Friday, Mum and I went to London.

For the past six years for a week during the Summer Mum and I have spent a week in London. We couldn't spend a full week this time but we got three days in. We stayed at the same hotel we usually do and had an amazing view of the Thames, the Eye, and surrounding city scape of London. As we were only there for a few days we had nothing planned, nothing booked, nothing we had to do at a specific time so we took our time and just walked.

When we arrived it was raining so after checking in we went for a short walk up to Covent Garden, Oxford Street and then to Leicester Square doing some window shopping. Once in Leicester Square we decided to have dinner. After going twice in Hong Kong, I knew Mum would enjoy Bubba Gump so we went there. We had a starter each and shared a main. Even that was too much food!

The next day we went towards Parliament and carried on down the river side all way to Chelsea Bridge). After crossing the bridge we walked back towards Westminster through Battersea Park and along the river Thames. Once we made it to Westminster we went back along Oxford Street before going to our hotel to get changed for dinner.

After we're changed we went to the Hotel's bar before going for dinner. Over our trips to London we have discovered a few favourite restaurants one of which we went to that night. Steak and Co. Your order the size and type of steak you'd like, the sauce, butter and salt and it is bought to you on a hot plate then you can cook the steak to your taste. Lovely.

The next day was our last, after a cooked breakfast at the hotel and checking out we walked through St James Park towards the Victoria and Albert Museum. We had looked around the Museum the year before and had found a lovely little café in the museums courtyard where we shared a scone before walking through Hyde Park and having an ice cream looking over the Serpentine River. After this we walked to Fortnum and Mason's where we had an Ice Cream milkshake and looked around the store.

We had to have an early meal that night as we had a train to catch and we had found an amazing fish restaurant and we decided to eat there again. We had oysters, crayfish, prawn and scallops burgers and three desserts between the two of us. It was just as amazing as it had been the year before.

After taking the train and Dad picking us up at the station we arrived home around midnight.

I only had three and a half days left at home now and on Saturday Mum, Dad, Grandad, Di and Tim and I all went to Memories, one of our favourite restaurants for a good bye meal.

On Sunday Dad took Mum and I to Bude where we walked around the town and along the cliffs and beach.

Tuesday was my last day. My flight was at 22:20 from Heathrow. Mum and dad were taking me and we were leaving just after lunch. I spent the morning packing and by lunch time I was ready. On the way to airport we stopped at Eton for dinner. By the time we arrived at the airport and after checking in, we had time for a quick drink before I had to go through security. Once through my gate I found my flight had been delayed. Finally we all boarded and it was time so start the 22 and a half hour journey, with a four hour stopover in Manila to Darwin Australia!

---

Photos

We found Wandsworth
Not sure if it's the dodgy end though