Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Photos!
Stay tuned for photos! As soon as I can find a power adaptor for my laptop, they will be up. Everybody loves photos!
Made it here!
Well, my first full day in the UK is over! So it is about time to report on my progress.
Thanks heaps to Mum and Dad for dropping me off at the airport. It was my last day of NZ normality so it was nice to spend it with you. I was a bit worried that perhaps the trip had got off on the wrong foot when I said farewell to Mum and Dad, and then started to head in the the departures security airport then realising that dad was still carrying my carry-on bag. Not to worry, a qucik dash the wrong way through secuirty and I grabbed it off Dad, without being shot in the back as I ran.
It was nice to see you both, Mum and Dad, waiting to watch me walk by from up in the departures observatory area, but I didn't expect you to stand there and not see me as I waved frantically from downstairs! Luckily, Dad must have reached a boring part of the paper and looked up long enough to notice his first-born son (who was leaving the country). Then the waving and goodbyes commenced!
The flight was a little late to get going, with electrical faults delaying us (sitting on the tarmac) for about an hour. I heard a few people complaining and tutting as they announced the delay, although personally if they need to fix the plane to stop it falling out of the sky I will not be the first one to complain! I met a lovely English girl on the plane - my first one of the trip. When I say lovely she was until her TV screen wouldn't work, then she was just-short of horrible. I had to lean politely away as she dealt to the flight attendant, telling them what she thought of the airline. Then she asked for the Senior flight attendant and thus there was round two. There were a few good movies available for me to watch, but to be honest it was more fun to watch her with the flight attendants and so I politely paused my (working) movie each time the attendants approached her.
The first stop at Brisbane went without a hitch - it was simply to allow some people off and a few others on, but was the same plane that I then departed for Brunei on. We got off the plane on the gangway to the ground floor of the terminal, went through secuirty, and boarded the plane again from the floor levle directly above, with the gangway elevated. Bloody Australians.
The trip to Brizzy was just short of four hours - a mere training exercise for the long haul ahead.
Brunei took a further 7 hours to reach, but it was good fun. It was stinking hot, at about 35C. A short stop there, and a frisking by the secuirty guard and I was in the transit lounge ready to go. Our departure was however delayed by about an hour as thunderstorms and heavy rain blocked our take off. I thought it was supposed to be challenging to get a lightening strike on film, but I took a short video from the window and you can see the huge blasts of lightning! Again, I don't mind delays to the flight if it means that they don't have to fit pontoons to the bottom of the plane because of water on the runway.
Then we stopped in Dubai for an hour or so after the 8 1/2 hour flight from Brunei. Despite being 1.00am it was incredibly busy. I saw plenty of men in turbins with squadrans of ladies following them, and another (who got off the flight at Heathrow) who I later saw with about 15-20 huge suitcases being carted behind him by his entourage. When I grow up I want to be a Sultan.
The flight onto Heathrow was another 8 hours. I have never eaten so much food in my life, as I did on the flights. I think it is the fact that you are not doing anything physical beyond pushing the call button for more juice. Couple that with sitting in a narrow seat ultimately a bit bored, and you end up eating all of the food they put in front of you - whether you really want it or not!
When we arrived at the terminal we all stood up (us you do), but were instructed on the intercom to sit down again. Of course very few people did sit down, and we were asked again. Then an announcement asked for a man of a certain name to make himself known to an attendant. We then had three armed police enter the plane, approach him, take his bags, and escort him from the plane. Perhaps at meal time he insisted on the chicken, when he was told that there was only fish left? Anyway, I reassured myself that taking only one lolly from the hostess before landing must have been a prudent choice.
John and Mary picked me up from the airport when I arrived at about 7am. We headed south toward Bexhill, stopping for emergency coffees in Uckfield. It was an totally fine and sunny day, a tad suprising considering I was expecting dreary UK weather. We made it to Bexhill, and I was met with a beautiful seaside with a warm wind. We spent the day walking around the town, along the side of the beach, and visited the De La Warr pavillion. Being a sunny day, the walkers had a terrible excuse to wear shorts. They shouldn't. I can rest assured that I do not have the whitest legs in the UK.
I have taken a million photos! I know that pretty much everything I looked at will be remembered by family (Mum, Nana and Grandad particularly), so I grabbed the shot and I look forward to talking about them all with you.
It was fantastic to meet John and Mary, and Mary has offered to try and meet me in London when I come back later in my trip. She will be an enthusiastic tour-guide!
I was then dropped at Brian and Linda's place in town. Taking my suitcase up to the door I suddenly hoped that it was the right house. Standing with the case on the door step of a house when the door was anserwed, asking "are you my family?" could have been awkward if I got the address wrong. It was the right address and I was welcomed by Linda right away. After three days of being awake I'm sure that I was super company, and after a beer with Brian at dinner I was looking forward to bed.
Today has been great. Had a fantastic sleep, and breakfast with Linda. Walked into town and had a look around. Couldn't find an adapter to power my computer in the power sockets over here (who would have thought that they don't stock OUR adaptors?!).
Drove to Beachy Head with Linda and again took more photos than anyone ever should need to. We had lunch and then headed back to Bexhill.
Its been great being here! Its been a realaxing couple of days but already I have meet heaps of great people, and plans for the next few days. I hope that you all are well, and now that you have my address in Denmark I can look forward to recieving qualtities of Red Cross food parcels.
I'm thinking of you all! Talk to you later, Rob.
Thanks heaps to Mum and Dad for dropping me off at the airport. It was my last day of NZ normality so it was nice to spend it with you. I was a bit worried that perhaps the trip had got off on the wrong foot when I said farewell to Mum and Dad, and then started to head in the the departures security airport then realising that dad was still carrying my carry-on bag. Not to worry, a qucik dash the wrong way through secuirty and I grabbed it off Dad, without being shot in the back as I ran.
It was nice to see you both, Mum and Dad, waiting to watch me walk by from up in the departures observatory area, but I didn't expect you to stand there and not see me as I waved frantically from downstairs! Luckily, Dad must have reached a boring part of the paper and looked up long enough to notice his first-born son (who was leaving the country). Then the waving and goodbyes commenced!
The flight was a little late to get going, with electrical faults delaying us (sitting on the tarmac) for about an hour. I heard a few people complaining and tutting as they announced the delay, although personally if they need to fix the plane to stop it falling out of the sky I will not be the first one to complain! I met a lovely English girl on the plane - my first one of the trip. When I say lovely she was until her TV screen wouldn't work, then she was just-short of horrible. I had to lean politely away as she dealt to the flight attendant, telling them what she thought of the airline. Then she asked for the Senior flight attendant and thus there was round two. There were a few good movies available for me to watch, but to be honest it was more fun to watch her with the flight attendants and so I politely paused my (working) movie each time the attendants approached her.
The first stop at Brisbane went without a hitch - it was simply to allow some people off and a few others on, but was the same plane that I then departed for Brunei on. We got off the plane on the gangway to the ground floor of the terminal, went through secuirty, and boarded the plane again from the floor levle directly above, with the gangway elevated. Bloody Australians.
The trip to Brizzy was just short of four hours - a mere training exercise for the long haul ahead.
Brunei took a further 7 hours to reach, but it was good fun. It was stinking hot, at about 35C. A short stop there, and a frisking by the secuirty guard and I was in the transit lounge ready to go. Our departure was however delayed by about an hour as thunderstorms and heavy rain blocked our take off. I thought it was supposed to be challenging to get a lightening strike on film, but I took a short video from the window and you can see the huge blasts of lightning! Again, I don't mind delays to the flight if it means that they don't have to fit pontoons to the bottom of the plane because of water on the runway.
Then we stopped in Dubai for an hour or so after the 8 1/2 hour flight from Brunei. Despite being 1.00am it was incredibly busy. I saw plenty of men in turbins with squadrans of ladies following them, and another (who got off the flight at Heathrow) who I later saw with about 15-20 huge suitcases being carted behind him by his entourage. When I grow up I want to be a Sultan.
The flight onto Heathrow was another 8 hours. I have never eaten so much food in my life, as I did on the flights. I think it is the fact that you are not doing anything physical beyond pushing the call button for more juice. Couple that with sitting in a narrow seat ultimately a bit bored, and you end up eating all of the food they put in front of you - whether you really want it or not!
When we arrived at the terminal we all stood up (us you do), but were instructed on the intercom to sit down again. Of course very few people did sit down, and we were asked again. Then an announcement asked for a man of a certain name to make himself known to an attendant. We then had three armed police enter the plane, approach him, take his bags, and escort him from the plane. Perhaps at meal time he insisted on the chicken, when he was told that there was only fish left? Anyway, I reassured myself that taking only one lolly from the hostess before landing must have been a prudent choice.
John and Mary picked me up from the airport when I arrived at about 7am. We headed south toward Bexhill, stopping for emergency coffees in Uckfield. It was an totally fine and sunny day, a tad suprising considering I was expecting dreary UK weather. We made it to Bexhill, and I was met with a beautiful seaside with a warm wind. We spent the day walking around the town, along the side of the beach, and visited the De La Warr pavillion. Being a sunny day, the walkers had a terrible excuse to wear shorts. They shouldn't. I can rest assured that I do not have the whitest legs in the UK.
I have taken a million photos! I know that pretty much everything I looked at will be remembered by family (Mum, Nana and Grandad particularly), so I grabbed the shot and I look forward to talking about them all with you.
It was fantastic to meet John and Mary, and Mary has offered to try and meet me in London when I come back later in my trip. She will be an enthusiastic tour-guide!
I was then dropped at Brian and Linda's place in town. Taking my suitcase up to the door I suddenly hoped that it was the right house. Standing with the case on the door step of a house when the door was anserwed, asking "are you my family?" could have been awkward if I got the address wrong. It was the right address and I was welcomed by Linda right away. After three days of being awake I'm sure that I was super company, and after a beer with Brian at dinner I was looking forward to bed.
Today has been great. Had a fantastic sleep, and breakfast with Linda. Walked into town and had a look around. Couldn't find an adapter to power my computer in the power sockets over here (who would have thought that they don't stock OUR adaptors?!).
Drove to Beachy Head with Linda and again took more photos than anyone ever should need to. We had lunch and then headed back to Bexhill.
Its been great being here! Its been a realaxing couple of days but already I have meet heaps of great people, and plans for the next few days. I hope that you all are well, and now that you have my address in Denmark I can look forward to recieving qualtities of Red Cross food parcels.
I'm thinking of you all! Talk to you later, Rob.
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