"I'm coming home ... "

I apologize, I've had Daughtry in my head, ever since I heard it at the baggage claim the first time through Johannesburg. Finally, it's applicable, it's time to make our way home.
We've been on a lot of flights but this final stretch is going to be the longest, let's do this part like a running diary, we'll even use Pacific standard time, let's start the clock:

Saturday morning, 12:01AM (running clock):
Hop on our Cessna bush flight from Pom Pom Camp to Kasane Airport (flight time, about 90 minutes, about 30 minutes too long for someone in particular)

Saturday, 3:00AM (3 hrs):
After a brief delay waiting for someone in particular, we're transfered from Kasane Airport to the Kazungula border, go through Botswana customs, cross the river by boat, go through Zambia customs, pay outrageous transit visa fee ($100), continue on by bus to Livingtone

Saturday, approx. 6:00AM (6 hrs):
Arrive at Livingstone airport for our flight, depart for Johannesburg

Saturday, approx. 8:00AM (8 hrs):
Arrive in Johannesburg where we have about a 5-6 hour layover before leaving for London

Picture taken about an hour before leaving Johannesburg, it's been a long day already, I think we're looking pretty good, not too tired.

Saturday, 11:00AM (11 hrs):
Depart Johannesburg for London

Well, I thought we weren't too tired:

somewhere over Africa

Saturday, 10:00PM (22 hrs):

Yes, we really do have another flight

Arrive in London, it's early morning in London, Heathrow is packed, about a 3-4 hour layover, not enough time to go into London this time, no pints or pasties.

Sunday morning, 2:30AM (26.5 hrs):
We leave London, next stop, Los Angeles, CA.

Looks like someone's still tired:

hibernating with the rest of his pack

Meanwhile, Katy and I are having a movie marathon:


FINAL STOP, Sunday, 1:00PM (37 hrs):
Arrive in Los Angles, CA

FINAL STOP(a), Sunday, 5:00PM (41 hrs):
Arrive in San Francisco, CA

That's right, 37 hours after leaving Pom Pom Camp, we finally arrive in the U.S.

London

We land in London ahead of schedule around 11:00 a.m. local time. With an eight-hour layover on our hands, we decide to make it into town to see a few sights.

JP: I promise that we saw more than just the Underground sign.

JP: Ryan was stoked, he'd never been to London, look how excited he is.

We thought $50 (per person) for the day would be plenty.

Heathrow Express: 17 pounds return

JP: Ryan put on his glasses so he wouldn't miss a thing. So let's see how much of London we can see in a short afternoon. 1st stop ...

Big Ben, kids ...

Parliament.


the Thames and the London Eye


Westminster Abbey


howdy, Queen. your palace is purdy

Although we should have probably guessed a major sporting event was afoot by the number of Londoners sporting football jerseys around the city that day, we were pleasantly surprised to find out that the start of the FA Cup Final (Chelsea v. Manchester United at the New Wembley) coincided with our fortuitous detour into a big-screen-TV-bedecked pub called Shakespeare. We grabbed a table right as people started to pour in for the game. Three pints, a "city sampler," and an order of fish-n-chips later, we were 54 pounds deep into a British experience that was pretty well worth it in the end.

Not a bad bonus to our Africa trip.

Did I mention that three beers and two plates of food cost 54 pounds? Yikes.

More London photos can be found here.