There is nothing quite like sitting in an airport for hours on end to get you in the mood for travelling ;)
Today started at a very reasonable time of 8am – if only this was an indication of what the rest of my holiday would be like! I particularly savoured my morning shower, knowing that my schedule meant this was going to be my last one in a very long time (maybe I dont mind that I’m spending the first few days alone after all!)
The minute Andy dropped me off at the airport and I ventured in alone my heart started trying to jump out of my chest. This travelling alone thing seems like a giant character building test! Even the mundane things like going through security seemed somehow exciting.
After getting to the airport a good two hours early there was plenty of waiting around to do. I spent most of this time wondering why Kelly wasn’t there to chat to me and fretting that I had forgotten to pack EVERYTHING. Considering that the last time I travelled I forgot my bathers, pyjamas, playing cards and house keys perhaps this wasnt a completely unfounded concern. It wasn’t helped by the check in lady commenting that my bag was particularly light – I must have forgotten to pack all my heavy things!!
Airport time was spent with Regina Spektor’s new album and the beginnings of Middlesex on my kindle. Then, on to flight number 1. Nothing overly eventful to report there. 7 hour flight to Singapore, good food, free wine. After three neighbour changes, I was sat next to a lady on her way to an Intrepid trip to the Everest base camp. She was chatty and I was chatty and I really needn’t worry about this travelling alone thing in the slightest!
Movie wise, watched War Horse, which took up all my emotional energy, and the Men in Black, which took up no emotional energy at all.
Then finally Singapore, which looks nothing at all like what I remember from 2004. But it is still big, and still shiny, and there are still many many things for me to not spend my money on. A six hour wait at the airport ensued, filled with netbooking, kindling, exploring and eating.
Dinner was a random ‘Singapore Selection’ that I found somewhere upstaits: Cripsy Chicken and rice, Prawn Mee and Mee Siam. Plus a crazy green drink of something tasty.
Finally on to the second flight, 13 hours this one. I managed to luck out again and sat next to a Sydney guy named Russell who must have been in his late twenities, heading to Europe for a 2 month trip – plenty to chat about there. Also some 21 Jump Street and Top Gun on the side (which I hadnt seen before and that is bad apparently).
Have to mention that we were flying in a specky new double decker A380. They have luxury suites with chairs AND beds upstairs. And they had to divdide the passengers into 6 different boarding secions, and everything was big and shiny and new!
Also should mention that I got seated right in the young children area, which meant lots and lots of screaming kiddies throughout the night. Somehow sleep still happened though, in bits and pieces and I was nice and perky 3am London time!
After nothing much more eventful than that we arrived at 6am in the morning. London!!
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