I gave myself a lie in today until about 8am as I usually struggle to sleep on overnight flights.

Having got up, finalised all my packing, had breakfast and made several phone calls assuring people that I’ll be fine on the trip; it was time to head out for my train.  Every time a backpacking trip has started from Halewood train station it has been pouring down and today was no exception.

My train was late, and so was my train to London Euston.  You’ve got to love Virgin Trains.  Always give yourself an extra hour or two just in case!  Even though it is early March it was bitterly cold at Liverpool Lime Street station where I spent two hours on the platform.  The journey to London itself past in almost the same time I spent on the platform.

Due to the late arrival I hit central London at Friday rush hour.  Not much fun when you have a huge backpack and two big rucksacks to carry!  After an hour of straining under the weight and being crushed at the same time I was able to finally get some breathing space – and a sit down!

I had to kill four hours at Heathrow Airport and having bought myself a sandwich I pretty much just sat, waiting and rang my girlfriend one last time.

Eventually I made it onto the plane and enjoyed the safety announcements, which were in Amharic.  A first for me!  I also had an amusing chat with Abraham, one of the flight stewards, who was convinced that I was someone famous but he just couldn’t remember where he’d seen me before!  He didn’t seem to believe me when I said I wasn’t famous.  He must have thought I was trying to fly unnoticed…

The in flight snacks were as expected – rather strange.  I still don’t know what they were.

I spent the rest of the time trying to sleep, talking to the other ‘Explorers’, reading and writing my diary.  All being well tomorrow will be the first time I have ever been to the southern hemisphere.

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