Away

So I will be heading to the airport in just a few hours to start my journey to Addis Ababa. I am a little apprehensive as it will be my first trip outside the 'western world' into the heart of the Dark Continent, but I am also excited, and hopeful of being able to see at least some of the vast country while I'm there.

Everything I've read seems to indicate that the internet is of inferior quality in Addis, but you can rest assured that if I am able to tweet/blog/post or poke then I will do so. But just in case, I have packed a notebook and a couple of pens to record my adventures.

The past few days I have spent trying to absorb the sights and sounds of London so that they will contrast more vividly with the African ones I am about to see. Girls on bikes, the chatter of a group of old ladies in the subway at Elephant & Castle, buses careering down the roads, and the milky translucence of the sky. Before I enter the other world of airports and aeroplanes, baggage checking and security scans, ears popping and tiny cans of drink.

I will stop off in Dubai for less than 2 hours, but am not expecting to see anything other than the interior of an airport lounge. So, farewell, and I will see you on my return if not before.

Wish me luck!