Home Sweet Home

---

---

This blog was supposed to be written just as we left Mumbai for London, it's a little bit late but here at last.

The Andamans seem like a distant dream now and remembering what happened is all a little fuzzy. We left (I like to state the obvious here) and had a night in Port Blair, jumped on two planes the next day and ended up in Mumbai. For our last night we cashed in a generously donated 'Get out of hostel free' card and booked ourselves in to a king suite in a very posh hotel.

Looking as though we'd just spent the last month living in a hut, we decided to dress in our best clothes (Steve in his brand new suit and me in my one smartish looking outfit). The only problem then was to decide what to wear on our feet; battered, tatty flip flops or holey, muddy walking boots. Well, even before the third bottle of wine was finished we'd made friends with all the waiters and I'm sure they didn't notice our foot attire once.

The next day, after a wonderful breakfast and another swim in the gigantic bath, we set off on our journey home. It was standing in front of Mumbai airport about to enter the building that it finally sunk in that we were heading back to the UK. A whole year had passed. A year filled with so many adventures, laughs, tears and dives. How can we possibly be the same again.

Quite easily it seems.

After a fairly eventful journey home involving an electrical fire three rows behind us (those people got a free upgrade - lucky swines) our feet finally fell on British soil. And my word, what clean soil it is. Walking around the airport and Reading train station was a real eye opener; everything was clean, so clean I'd have quite happily curled up in a ball and slept on the platform had it not been for the Baltic temperatures.

We made our way to Devon and then on to Manchester catching up on missed time with our family. On our first Saturday back in Manchester (and the day after getting the keys to our house) our sneaky friends threw us an amazing surprise 'Cocktails & Condiments' party (people gave us condiments to restock our kitchen). It was a fabulous night where some people travelled so far to be with us. Thank you for all your effort, we are incredibly touched.

So we’ve picked up our lives again. There are little changes; like a new office at work, some new scribbles to the paint work in our house (thanks to the children who looked after it while we were away), a deli in Levenshulme, an abundance of children, rings on fingers, new faces with old friends but it’s the things that have stayed the same that make coming home so good.

Family and Friends. We missed you all.
And the espresso martinis.

To all of you who made this year possible - THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts.

Lots of love for the blogging last time

S&S

XXXXXX

---

Photos

The kitchen in Coconut Grove
where we'd order food and it was then delivered to our hut. Hut service - the way forward.

Comments

[Soody]

Glad to hear you got back safe and sound guys. Love the get out of hostel free deal you got, looked amazing and what a way to end your trip! Lucky monkeys! Hoping the weather warms up for when we get back...if you can sort that out, it'd be great ta! x

[M&D]

Welcome Home!
What a lovely end to an exciting year. As much as we have enjoyed reading your fantastic blogs, it is so good to have you both home. lots of love xxxxx

[Delphine LOHNER]

nice trip
Hello, I have a little look to your blog. I was nice to see you and steeve around the world. You sound having a nice year. See U Delphine

[Sheryl and Steve]

Thanks
Hi Delphine. Thanks for reading. Our trip is over now, sadly. Might have to start planning our next trip. :O)

[frankardenas]

And then...
And now, it is time to plan a new trip and give us another nice account of an enjoyable trip. Cheers.

[Sheryl and Steve]

if only...
We have two little ones now, maybe when the nappy years are over completely. ;) thanks for reading. Sx