WEEK ONE, BRIAN, PATRICK, FRAN!!
Trip Start
Mar 14, 2007
1
44
Trip End
Jan 16, 2008
Singapore,
Singapore
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Got to Auckland safe and sound. Nearly missed all three flights by
fannying about and having to rush to the gates at the last minute as
usual. From Dublin to London Heathrow, missed the final call as they
never bloody announced it. London Heathrow to Singapore Airport, had
name called, well yelled, over the intercom, MELANIE MAY FINAL CALL
FOR MISS MELANIE MAY! My name sounds great when shouted in public, well
in my head it does! I imagined that I was being announced for my sold
out debut at Madison Square Garden! But my dreams were shattered when I
was greeted with scowls and groans and not wild applause by the air
stewards! I was then too busy enjoying my Singapore Sling cocktail by
the pool on the roof of Singapore Airport, yes a pool on the roof of
the airport, and yet again missed the boarding call for my final flight
to New Zealand! I had to dash madly across the airport, which involved
a high speed train, many lifts and stairs and possible a time zone
change just to get to my gate! Nightmare!
Once on the planes however the flights were a smooth as my legs, which
means bumpy, hairy and very long, well maybe I made that last one up,
about my legs, not the flights, believe me they were very long! But
after all the dramas of getting on the flights I was sure once I was
landed in Auckland it would be plain sailing from then on.
Singapore Sling on Singapore Airport Roof
Yeah right,this is me we are talking about!
At luggage reclaim I spied my snowboard, thank goodness that arrived
safely, but alas, my rucksack "didn't make the flight" as I was told! I
guess it was having a coffee or something! Or Singapore Sling! Oh well,
I told the nice people at Auckland that everything I owned was in my
backpack and I needed something green to wear tomorrow! When I
explained it was because I was Irish and it was St Patrick's Day they
fully understood this need for green and gave me $100 for my shopping
spree! See, I knew things would get better! Every cloud and all that!
Well its Paddy's Day and Brian (my friend from Ireland who I am staying with here in Auckland) took me for a Guinness and Mussel breakfast in the Irish Bar at 8am!!!! in the morning! Not the most healthy way to start the day, but definitely an Irish way to start it! Spent the rest of the day crawling around the Irish bars of Auckland, and there is a lot of them! Then ended up in the Dog`s Bollox and got interviewed on t.v where Brian did a little jig for them, so can`t wait to see him looking silly on National t.v!! Had to leave the celebrations early cause the airport was sending my missing luggage back to the flat in a taxi so I had to be there to receive it! Not that I minded too much on missing out as the jet lag was catching up on me!
Next day I went to a car market in town looking for the ultimate speed demon to travel around NZ in style!! I bought a Nissan Serena!! More of a granny wagon then passion wagon!! But it is well kitted out like a Bond car! Well, it has a bed in the back! It's cool! It's an automatic and a diesel.
Sunrise in Auckland
I've never driven a van before, nor an automatic nor a diesel. Should be a disaster! Now all I have to do is decide where I'm going to go. Look out New Zealand, here I come! Oh, I have named my Van Fran, the Nissan! Melanie and Fran the new Thelma and Louise! Or The New Micheal Knight and Kit!! Brrrumm Brruummm!! Beep Beep!!
