The Mother and child reunion is only a motion away

Hi everyone Philias speaking, for our penultimate blog of this trip.

Yesterday we went to Robben Island and had a facinating insight into the lives that prisoners especially political one had. The conditions are very difficult and to see and touch what they had to endure along with original video footage before the release, makes everything that Nelson Mandela said in his book "Long walk to freedom" all the more meaningful. It was a cool 31 degrees when we were there and the limestone was so white it was a good job that I had my sun glasses on otherwise I think I would have been suffering with "snow blindness" after only one afternoon let alone 25 years!

We are now in London at Heathrow waiting to be picked up by our friends Val and Daisy and then we will all be reunited with Simba. Of course I will have to introduce Wattlie, my Aussie girl friend to the family, although she has not been seen in the person they should recognise her from the photos which have been taken by Mum and Dad.
On the way back I got to ride with the pilot and co-pilot at the front of the A300 Airbus we fly from Cape Town on. All those dials and things. It really made me giddy just sitting with my back to them. Think I'll stay as couch bear!
We said good bye to Keith and Gill at the airport who have been real bricks in putting up with not only Dad and Mum but us two as well. 4 extra mouths to feed is no joke when you live on your own. It was great to see their children and grandchildren on Sunday. There was a great deal of chocolate around, or should I say round shaped. I don't like chocolate, so I'm not sure why humans seem to like it and in such HUGE quantities. I'll eat the odd coco beans and leaves if there is nothing else to eat, but it makes my head spin and my eyes cross - not very pleasant!

The flight was re-scheduled from 23:15 to 20:45 and so it was a good job that the humans decided to get to the airport around 18:45 as I could still be in South Africa writing this blog and that would never do. We had a nice smooth flight and the overhead seat we had was spacious and nice and cool. We bears don't like it too hot; well would you with a fur coat?

We arrived in London having flown up across Africa (Johannesburg, and then the western coast), across the Sahara and Morroco and then Marseilles, Paris and Biggin Hill. As we hit (not really) the London traffic into Heathrow we were required to circle in a stacking pattern over North West Kent and so we waved to those below singing the song I have used today. Well, my Mum is seeing her Mum, and later my Mum is seeing her child David, and then tomorrow she will be seeing her other child Jenny. Of course I haven't left Sim's out. But he is Mums adopted child and that is why I left him until last, but certainly not least.

We were expecting to have to dress up in warm clothes, but it is promising to be a warm 16-17 degrees today. You see there aer advantages to having your own fur coat!