13 November

This day started on the flight from Cairo to Singapore. The first I knew of it was having breakfast about an hour before the flight was due to arrive in Singapore. I followed my resolution of only eating part of the meal and not drinking too much (despite the hype, I don’t dehydrate on a plane).

We landed near enough on time at Singapore and it was really the rainy season. However, as I was staying inside, it didn’t make any difference to me. I found that I had to get from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2, so I caught the Skyway across. The automated system arrives every few minutes and only takes two minutes to arrive at the other terminal. However …
I arrived at the correct terminal and found there were screens with the departures for quite a few hours ahead, so I found mine scheduled to leave at 0955 from Gate Lounge 13. On the way walking to there, I came across toilets (good, as they were clean and I didn’t have to pay!), an orthodox priest who had also come from Cairo (he was going to Adelaide) and a FREE WiFi hotspot (but no power points!). I sat down and checked email and sent some out, but didn’t have enough power to process photos or even write up blogs (as these take up to an hour each, but are normally done while photos are uploading).
I wondered about getting a drink, but, as what goes in must come out, decided against it. I walked, took moving walkways and eventually arrived near Gate Lounge 13. Just to vary, I sat near the window – but the scenery was limited to raindrops, the Skyway and a road. I tried to read the book I got on the Egyptian Museum, but couldn’t concentrate because of the flow of humanity passing by attracting my attention (and because the person on the seat next to me did not share my ideas of person space (she was on half of my seat and managed to jab me every time she did anything).
Eventually the crew came along to man the scanners and detectors. Even though I hadn’t been out, and had passed scanning before, I had to go through. But we first had to wait for that crew to get in – so they had to attract the attention of workers already in the area to open it from inside. Then they all fiddled and waited for the aircrew and cabin staff to go through before opening it for passengers. With less than an hour to go and the crew still not there, we were allowed to start.
Once again, certain things became obvious. Pushy tour guides got their groups to the front of the queue (why I don’t know because we all had our seats allocated already) and started to move them through. As soon as the line got to us (the plebs, that is), the crew arrived. We had to let them through as otherwise none of us were going anywhere. Naturally I set off the alarms, but a quick frisk satisfied them I was “clean”. The passenger after me had two 120 ml bottles of very expensive shampoo in his luggage – and lost them. But tubes of toothpaste, larger than mine at Melbourne, were allowed through.
All silver linings have a cloud, so I found a power point inside and set up – and as soon as I started, boarding was called for the rear rows (where I was), so I had to pack up and board. I put the laptop in the overhead lockers, with my backpack and jacket (to give me more room and because I didn’t want to flatten the battery, only to find out as I left the aircraft in Melbourne that it had power points between the seats in FRONT of me and BEHIND me – but not visible to me as I boarded) and just had the iPod with me. I ended up with a Singaporean with very long legs next to me (so I only left the seat when he went out too) and a smallish Australian woman on the aisle. I was in a window seat.
We took off and I dozed. This was a mistake, as I soon (and later) found out. When the meals came around, I didn’t wake up before I got hold of it and nearly lost it. By the way, we got metal cutlery but a plastic knife (contrasting with all metal from Cairo to Singapore, therefore implying that those flying to Australia are riskier that those flying to Singapore). I had about half of that meal and then dozed again. I woke to find my companion gone, so I ducked out to the toilet quickly.
The next time I woke the next meal arrived and I took it while less than half awake and bits of it went everywhere. The poor steward was apologetic (why I don’t know as I was half asleep, not him) but I recovered enough to have my meal.
I took a few photos while I was briefly awake, but one I wanted (the Eyre Highway) was covered by cloud. And then it started.
We had had a good tailwind and it looked like we would be into Melbourne around half an hour early – this was good, as it meant I would be able to catch the earlier Gull bus and be home earlier. But half an hour before we passed over Adelaide, hostesses rushed to the cabin section just ahead of ours, pulled the curtain and then called for any doctors. Three stood up and went forward, but didn’t return. We passed over Adelaide and I deduced that as we didn’t land, the situation was either trivial or (more likely) fatal (as none of them had still come back).
We came in for our approach quite early and I passed over home (I could have dropped in – the 9000 foot fall wouldn’t have hurt, but the next foot where I had to stop would have) and also saw a circular rainbow (but could only photograph bits of it). Then we got told that a cold front moving past the airport would prevent us from landing, so we circled the airport for another twenty minutes.
We landed (not a finesse operation, but very quick) and were soon at the terminal and everyone went to get their luggage and were told by the steward to sit – and then some were MADE to sit. I thought it just confirmed what I thought, and a few minutes later we were told that a passenger had died and we couldn’t get off until after the police had secured the scene (difficult when nearly 150 had to file past). A few grumbled but everyone understood and twenty minutes later we were allowed to leave (except the doctors, two of whom were in the same row (centre) and had to make statements after we had all left). One of the police commented how we were packed in (a surprising comment from a policeman at an airport) and another was shielding the seat from the view of those passing).
Once off the plane, we were quickly through Customs and Immigration, then our baggage was already on the carousels and we headed out through the customs area. I got asked about my card and I explained Vegemite was the only item involved (and asked if he would put in a bid, but he didn’t). I headed out (a total of five minutes from leaving the plane to entering the Arrivals Hall) and walked resignedly over the bus stop … only to see the Gull bus pulling out, ten metres ahead of me!
I ended up in a discussion with a bus driver there, waiting for a tour group from New Zealand (late flight, delays, and now nearly four hours late) until the next bus arrived at just after 2200. By 2220 we were off and I was in Werribee by 2250. You guessed it – it started to rain as I left the bus and had to walk over to the taxi rank (I wasn’t going to wake anyone up at that time of night). I found an empty taxi (well, not really empty as the driver was inside) and was home within ten minutes, $8.60 lighter but elated at being back home at last, after 87 days this time and a total of 229 days away altogether.
I was soon in bed, but dozing in the aircraft meant I had difficulty in getting to sleep. But that, and what I do next, is another story.
However, the next entry will be observations made from home about places, where it would be unwise to make comments from.