From Zero Degrees Latitude to Zero Degrees Longitude

Yep, from equatorial Africa to Greenwich in two easy flights. Kind of neat to think about it that way, really.

My flights were both extremely easy. After the 90 min ride (thanks to one last experience with The Jam), Steven dropped me off at the airport. I checked in with Brussels Airlines and waited in the lounge, doing one of my favourite things: people-watching. It felt like there was a completely different selection of people in this airport than what one usually finds in North America and Europe. I heard so many languages that didn't sound remotely familiar. Saw passports from Russia, Croatia, New Zealand and Uganda. Saw a group of men who had clearly just come back from a safari (one looked like he would happily take on a Croc and wrestle it to the ground. With one arm tied behind his back).

Anyway, I slept on the flight, woke up to a gorgeous sunrise, and then had less than an hour to kill in Brussels before jumping on the 45 minutes BA flight to London Heathrow. I was through customs, had my luggage, and was in a cab within 25 minutes, but then had to sit through London's version of The Jam for the next hour.

My friend Heather flew in yesterday. We are doing some sight-seeing and meeting up with another friend who lives here with her husband and son, so we are looking forward to a great and gabby weekend!

Both Heather and I were a bit tired today, but we did London proud, walking from our hotel in Bloomsbury, down through Soho and past the horse guard and Parliament buildings at Whitehall (I thought perhaps I could go in and help the Prime Minister shuffle his cabinet - maybe apply a little process design to the new structure. But then I thought better of it and kept walking.), along to the Embankment, where we took a ride on the London Eye (which is just about the only touristy thing I have never done in London - great fun, even in the rain!), had a pub lunch, then over to Big Ben and Westminster Abbey where we did a self-guided tour (Jeremy Irons was the voice on the little headset for the tour - very cool), tubed it up to Selfridges for tea, walked down New Bond street (where a snotty sales clerk at Jimmy Choo was hovering so much, I finally left), in to Fortnum & Mason where we picked up some food hall snacks for dinner, and then walked back to the hotel along Oxford, Shaftesbury, and Charing Cross.

Whew! Time for a restorative cup of Earl Grey and a nice hot shower. I miss hearing the frogs outside my window in Kampala, and the friendly "welcome back Madam" from the concierge. I also miss the weather - cold and rainy here! But oh well, it is London, after all. And I love it here too!