Back at Los Angeles airport. The international departures gate reminded me a lot of the first time I ever put my feet down on US soil: sometime in 2002, when Rach, Sarah and I spent a grand total of about five hours in the Los Angeles airport. And it was about as exciting back then as it is now, which isn't saying a lot.

It's kinda funny cos this is the fifth time I've been here - and I'll be back at least another three - yet I've never really seen Los Angeles. Just the airport. 

Maybe I should write a guide book about airports around the world, the best and the worst. Bangkok, where I spent a total of over ten hours, is definitely my favourite: free wireless, cheap food ... at an airport - can it really be true?! Vancouver was the most scenic, with its waterfall alongside the escalator, and giant huggable statues of cuddly things like bears. Nairobi was well, cosy, shall we say. Mombasa was humid. Heathrow is Heathrow, busiest airport in the world. Paris gets extra points for letting me exit the metro without the 50 Euro fine I should have been dealt for not getting the right metro ticket; the machine started beeping at me but the guy felt sorry for me and let me through anyway. But it gets minus points for allowing smoking in its cafes. Newark gets extra points, too, for the beautiful sunrise visible from the train stop there. San Diego too, was memorable, for the airline representative who felt sorry for me after a cancelled flight and gave me a shuttle voucher, even though the delay hadn't been long enough for me to technically merit one.

And Auckland airport rates pretty highly too - I've never known any other airport to have a chapel, and a quiet and peaceful one it is too.

There you go, you didn't even have to buy the book - free advice on some of the world's major (and not so major) airports. That's it for now - I had better go and do my homework to make up for the classes I'll miss - am off to see my darling l'il sister in Europe and can't wait!!