And Away We Go
Trip Start
Jan 26, 2008
1
36
Trip End
Feb 29, 2008
Melbourne,
Australia
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Australia Day, seems like an odd day to be leaving Australia for the first time in 11 years, but what are you going to do.
In true Pete and Belle fashion, final organisation for leaving Australia for a month was done right at the last minute. Late in the afternoon I finally got around to registering with Emirates for their frequent flyers programme. This allowed me to check-in online before we headed to the airport and also to pick my own seat - aisle all the way!
We arrived at the airport by 7:30pm and got in the online check-in queue, population: one, me. Thus bypassing the standard check-in queue, population: enormous. Checked my bag in - checked through to Moscow, which was fortunate as the person at the check-in desk misheard me and thought I was going to Muscat in the UAE.
Off to find some dinner with Belle and her mom (American spelling because that is how Belle thinks it is spelt!). After dinner we checked out the duty free shop and then by about 9pm I went through into the 'sterile' area. Through customs in a matter on minutes - no queues. Then sat around till around 9:40pm until called to board the plane. Plane left Melbourne on time, relatively comfortable, more so given my recent weight loss. Good food, dinner just after take off and then breakfast about 2 hours before we landed in Dubai. Interminable flight, 15 hours or so, slept fitfully most of the way, read some Kafka (The Trial), listened to some Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows audio book.
Comments
Pete the Travelling Monkey
Hey Pete & Belle,
I miss seeing you at the bootcamp sessions. I hope you are still doing the right things for the waistline, but I do understand that you would want to enjoy your trip and experience (and taste) as much as you can of a different country.
I never got a chance to let you know this before you left but since you missed the 2nd half of bootcamp you have a free ticket to join in on Hell Week which is a 6 day bootcamp course. I know it may not sound enticing by having the word Hell in it but I think you would enjoy the challenge. It starts in March so you will be back in time if you are keen to give it a go.
I look forward to reading more of your posts.
Take care guys and please be safe.
Now drop and give me 20 push-ups, hehehe.
Nata