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So, here we are,finally in Australia! I kid you not when I say it seems like a lifetime ago that we were at the airport ......... We checked in at 6.30 Thursday morning. We had so much stuff it looked like we were leaving home. 2 huge cases and a hand luggage bag full of enough sweets and biscuits to feed a 3rd world country. There's crisps for Kirsty, bourbons for Billy, Jammie dodgers for kadie, Costa coffee for Fella . . . . Getting rid of the cases was quick and easy although the check in woman was a right miserable cow. She looked how I felt. Her faces was like thunder. The panic was really starting to set in So Nick thought a trip to Starbucks would be the answer. And normally it would. Not this time though. Even a medium skinny latte failed to bring a smile to my lips. The fact that Nick sat us in front of the window , overlooking the runway didn't really help. Who sits a person on the edge, on the edge of a runway? We hit the shops and despite my misery I forced myself to indulge in some retail therapy. I bought a couple of bottles of perfume, although not the one I wanted. Pray tell me how the hell duty free runs out??
After years, literally years of searching, Nick finally found some sun glasses. So pleased was I that our never ending search was over, I failed to look at the price tag before handing them over to the checkout girl! That'll teach me. We boarded the plane and I am pleased to say the seats lived up to their reputation. So far so good. There are 2 seats together which is nice as it means no one else has to put up with me. Nick had the window seat as per usual. There's nothing out there that I need to be seeing! Have no fear though cos they have a camera at the front of the plane and one underneath so you can watch in the seat back tele, as the ground falls away front under you on take off. Why? Who needs to see that, other than the pilot. Nick, that's who. I tried my best to avert my eyeballs but that's easier said than done when the screen is less than a foot from your face and there's a running commentary from your travelling companion. Once in the air it was time to suss out the films. There were so many. Nick got the Bloody Mary he had been so looking forward to and we settled down for a film. There were so many programes! Nick was in his glory. In fact, I think he actually spent more time flicking through the channels and messing about with the controls than he did actually watching anything. In no time at all I was glued to Frozen, which actually made me laugh out loud.
It was a fairly turbulence free flight but just to play it safe I was poking the rescue remedy pastilles down my neck like they were going out of fashion. We watched Last Vegas, had a drink and before we knew it, it was time for afternoon tea! Yep, you got it. Afternoon tea. On a plane! I thought they must have confused us with Kate and Wills. By the time we watched the film, stuffed our faces and had a wee (no chain flushing for me, I dont like the suction) it was time to get off.
It was 8pm local time in Dubai and we had 2 hours before our next flight. Now dont get me wrong, I'm all for a bit of security but christ almighty! We got off the plane and into the terminal for connecting flights. We joined the most enormous line to get our hand luggage xrayed again. Now considering I had just stepped off of a plane, what threat could I possibly pose? The bloke was yelling down the line that we should remover our belts and shoes. And there lies the problem. I had just wrestled my sandals back on! After 7 hours in the air my feet resembled John Merricks face and it was no mean feat getting my shoes back on. The same could not be said however, for Nick. He whipped his trainers off and stood in line. While the rest of us almost choked to death. Now, bearing in mind he didnt have his shoes on most of the time, how the hell did they end up smelling like parmesan? Its a wonder the bloke could see the xray images. His eyes must have been watering, mine certainly were.
When we finally made it through to the departure lounge, I found the shops were just as I imagined. There was all sorts of strange sweets, Nougat, figs, nuts etc, those bubbly pipe things they smoke and wooden carvings. It was while we were admiring these beautiful Arabic treasures that we realised we were holding hands! Anyone would have thought we were holding an unexploded bomb because we threw our hands apart and leapt away from each other. I travelled in my maiden name so on paper we werent even married. Arabs have weird laws about this type of thing and I wasnt about to risk being stoned to death so there was to be no more hand holding for us.
Before boarding the next plane I thought I'd have a freshen up. Armed with my little clear bag of smellies I was off in search of the loo. What do I find? A hole in the ground. A white ceramic hole, but a hole none the less. Now I'm not a stupid woman but try as I might, I couldnt wotk out how I was meant to get my feet in position, get my leggings down, hold my dress up, have a wee and clutch my bag all at the same time. Not wanting to risk getting my, or anyones else,s pee on my sandals, I decided to wait. We western woman are not made for peeing in holes in the floor! Wee break abandoned we headed off to board the second plane. It wasnt as modern as the first one and it didnt have quite so many films. I need not have worried. I popped a Valium and it was game over for me. I completely underestimated the tablets. I closed my eyes for a second and when I reopened them it was almost 5 hours later! The whole 10 and a half hour flight was a complete blur. Before I knew it they were serving breakfast, during which I nodded off, and we were just a couple of hours away from Billy and Rich. The realisation forced tears to spring to my eyes . I couldnt believe it. After 3 long years we were going to be reunited.
Getting off the plane took about an hour. We collected our bags and declared the swag that Nick had lugged 10,000 miles. It was a stange mixture of emotions. Tiredness from the journey, anxiety cos I'm such a stress head, excitement at seeing Billy and Rich and fear of the unknown cos its been so long. All muted by the Valium that still hadnt worn off. Everyone was expecting floods of tears on my arrival. Since they left I cry regulalry. I miss them so much. Surprisingly, I only managed a few tears. I barely had the strength to cry. I did however cling to Billy like a limpet for what seemed like forever.
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