My final Hep B jab, administered this afternoon by the nurse, hurt like hell. I felt myself squirming on the chair in her office and caught her out of the corner of my eye with an expression on her face that clearly said 'baby'. I tried to turn my grimace into a smile but the way I was sitting only succeeded in making me look like I'd just had a stroke. A slight but distinct shake of her head told me that in her mind she was giving me a week in the Bushman clinic. Max. When I got home I read through all the instruction leaflets from the many medications and scared myself further with all the side effects. There are so many possible side effects they could cancel themselves out. So I won't know if I am having side effects or not. "You should have gone to Skegness" the nurse had said. She's probably right.
One of the girls at the Yoga group tells me she flew Air Namibia to Cape Town earlier this year and lived to tell the tale. This is a relief as I have heard mixed reports about African airlines. Air Angola, Air Zimbabwe and Chad Airways are all banned from flying in European airspace due to their safety records - or lack of safety records actually. Air Namibia is at least allowed to fly into Gatwick. But not into Heathrow I note. Does this then make them only 'fairly' safe. And how far from fairly safe is moderately safe and how far from moderately safe is only slightly safe. I decide to take sleeping tablets on the flight with me and pack my own parachute. If it doesn't get used in the aeroplane then at least it can double as a mosquito net. Good plan I decide.