Downunder trip number 7 2010

Door: Akerkvliet

Geplaatst op Nov 12, 2012

Let op in het Engels geschreven: Part 1:

26-march-2010
After saying goodbye to the wife and my daughters at the Customs gate, and my sister Joyce saying her goodbyes to her loved ones we passed through the check for illegal items without any problems after they tried to give me a full body search which I might have enjoyed I it had been a good-looking female instead of ugly bloke, and I have seen enough of those in my life and this one was not going to get his hands on me! But my sister might have enjoyed it!!
After walking around having a look at the tax free shops another cappuccino which looks more like coffee with soapsuds on top of it and tastes like it to, strange that there are not many people who understand the making of a real cappuccino, but I have enough time to do a consumer test in and around Australia.
Time to go to the gate and get on the plane for the long haul to Singapore and enjoy the more than spacious seats we have been assigned.
Finally it’s time for takeoff and get underway, I love the taking off part of flying the power unleashed and it is still a wonder that four small engines can get such a cumbersome beast into the air, I compare it to trying to get an elephant into the air by tying a couple of firework rockets onto its ears, roller-skates under its feet “krikey that’s what they must mean by Jumbo jet “, and watch it takeoff!!
Time to settle in and watch a movie! No first things first we have to listen to the stewardess about the safety features onboard, how to use a life vest and the slide if we where to crash into the sea we can slide down them and use them as a life raft. Lovely girl but can anyone explain what the use of a life vest is when you crash into the side of a mountain? And a slide? Is this a children’s playground?
Oeps I am losing track of the experience in the air. After the safety instructions it’s time for the hot towel ritual! The small bag of nuts, plastic cup of water or orange juice, and finally a headset to hear the actors in the movie seeing that lip-reading is not something I have come to grips with as of yet.
After changing course a couple of times, I hope the pilot knows how to use his navigation unit !! The stewardess hands out the menu for dinner a thrilling experience we can chose chicken, beef or vegetarian, so we chose the vegetarian meal and that was not really smart! When we took of the foil wrapping it looked absolutely disgusting and the smell let alone the taste of it all we could do is look at each other and laugh, never again will we eat vegetarian on a plane.
So the hours pass we drink, eat and try to suppress our farts, that is until we get into the toilet and let them rip…. I still cannot understand why flying makes you so gassy but it sure does. Imagine having to clean the plane after 300 passengers have left the plane! Talk about a weapons of mass destruction.
After 12 hours of flying time we have arrived in Singapore one of the stewards on the flight was kind enough to mention that the assistance I applied for would be ready when we arrived at the gate and yes it was! And kind lady was waiting for me and pushed me in a wheelchair for about 1 km hard work for her but I enjoyed it especially getting through customs pretty damn quick and up to the Singapore Airlines transit desk to receive our vouchers for our stopover hotel and transfer bus.
After about a 30minute drive we arrive at our hotel the Copthorne Orchid not a name that you would associate with it, it was more the Copthorne “I wish I was a Orchid”, the hotel had seen better days I suppose about 10 years ago. After checking in up to our room, not a twin bed as requested but a double? I love my sister but not that much! So back down to reception for another room and yes they had a twin room with balcony available at no extra cost, amazing that is the room I had requested, and the porter was still hauling our luggage around in the sweltering heat and humidity with a smile on his face.
Singapore is a nice enough city for 3 or 4 days but that’s it, it has lost some of its charm due to modernization which is a pity. So after a long day and a good night’s rest we went on a bumboat tour checked out the mosque and a factory where they make the most beautiful things with pearl shells.
Back to the Airport for the last leg of our flight to Sydney which I was really looking forward to. The mighty Airbus 380 what a beautiful piece of technology, 550 passengers and quiet compared to a 747 Jumbo, great seats and legroom, it is a pity they don’t takeoff from Schiphol as of yet, but who knows what the future might bring.

Morgen deel 2