AIRPORT.

Over the next year or so we will use this space to update you of our travels. Will write a bit more about our preparation for this trip soon but for now we thought we’d get something on here.

Our last hour and a half in Perth was spent with our best friends. Ellen and Shauna came to see me off and I just felt neutral, the excitement of going away was cancelled out by the sadness at leaving my best friends for just over a year. Mikayla spent the time with Zeena, Rory and Sheridan and Mum spent the time with Marilyn and Michelle. We were so sad to say goodbye when the time finally came and there were lots of tears. When we went through the departure gate we realised there was a bit more to do than just get on the plane so forms were filled out, hand luggage was scanned and toilet trips were made in a mad rush before making it onto the plane on time.

During our flights from Perth to London we gained a few funny stories to tell. We flew from Perth to Denpasar (Bali), Bali to KL, then KL to Heathrow London. When getting off the plane in Bali we thought we were organised with all our hand luggage (3 large hand luggage, 1 backpack, and 2 handbags). Half way up into the airport we realised that we had left our coats in the overhead compartments on the plane so Mum had to rush back to retrieve them! She wasn’t allowed back on the plane so the flight attendants had to go and find them, when giving them to Mum gave her a look that said “why on earth do you need coats in Bali??” It was boiling! So humid and we had to pick up our luggage and drag it through the airport to check it in with a different airline. Tip: when transiting through Denpasar airport (if you ever have the need) make sure you have enough cash to pay visa and airport taxes.

Short flight to KL and then we started the 13 hours to London. This flight was on a Boeing A380 and actually quite comfortable. Even thought the flight left at 11:50pm we were quite hungry and waiting for food before trying to sleep. About an hour into the flight we decided they must not be providing food until breakfast time so we took our sleeping pills. Literally just as we swallowed our sleeping pill they started serving food. I went into panic mode and had to be reassured by mum that they wouldn’t work straight away and we would be able to eat. Eating was uneventful until Mum started talking gibberish… She’d finished eating the main, savory, part of her meal and salad and was starting on her extras. She turned to me and said something I couldn’t quite understand, after asking her to repeat a couple of times I gave up and though she must be falling asleep. But, she continued to try to eat sitting hunched over and eyes pretty much closed. We had a small sachet of creamed cheese (about the size of a butter sachet) and she picked it up and examined it as you would something small in the light, opened it and then started dipping her fork in it, swirling it around her salad bowl (that was empty), then eating it. She did this a few times and then just as the flight attendant was about to collect the trays she picked up her scrunched up piece of foil that had covered her meal, looked at it then stuck it in her mouth to eat it. When I noticed she was sucking on the foil I had to pull it out of her hands with a “no Mum” and she turned to look at me as if to say “why not?” All the while I watched laughing, and then told mum the story when we all woke up about 5 hours later, very funny!

After arriving in London we changed into our thermals and warmest clothes to brave the freezing cold weather! Our cousins Matt and Kelly met us at the airport and it was then time to brave the tube…