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12.10.10
It is 4.53 a.m and Zoe and I have been awake since 3 a.m with chronic jetlag syndrome. We left KL for the airport at 8.30 a.m yesterday. We treated ourselves to a cab directly to the airport as we had overbudgeted and had half our money remaining by the time we left.
We already noticed the difference, with the westerners lining up at check-in. KL LCCT was the worst airport setup ever with no order on the way into the country. We heard alot of Bri'ish accents while lining up which we thought was pretty exciting. The excitement turned to fear when an Arab dressed in an orange robe, headgear and Bin Laden beard made his way into the line!! I was relieved once he had realised that he was in the wrong queue. Zoe got quite confused at check-in because she wasn't quite sure which of her passports she should use. Some nosey aussie travellers told her not to present both passports. Zoe told them to keep quiet and mind thir own business. She had permission to hold both and ended up entering the U.K on her British passport.
The flight from KL LCCT to London's Standed airport was 13.5 hours. We thought it was 14.5 hours so we had already saved an hour! We could splash out on the flight with all our left over money. There was a pregnant 22 year old British girl that was returning home from living in Australia. She was crying because she had no cash and thought she could pay for food by card. Zoe was about to give her some money before I stopped her. I heard her badmouthing Australians to a fellow passenger! Just as well, because the guy that eventually assisted her was milked for every last cent he had. She ate Kit Kat's, Orange Juice, 2 meals, chips, donuts and anything else that came her way! My selfishness was a blessing in disguise. On a budget like ours, it is important to remember that we need to look after ourselves as a priority! After that, I am happy to help others when I can.
The flight wasn't too bad. We had three seats between the two of us. I had one of Zoe's sleeping tablets which accounted for an hour of the flight. Zo slept a little more than me with her feet on my lap. I had the BBQ Chicken, Veggies & Rice and Zoe had the Chicken Foccacia. We had budgeted two meals during the flight, but by the time they came around again, all the meals had already been taken so our dinner consisted of two donuts and some chips between us. Not a very healthy option but an option nonetheless.
We arrived at London's Stansted airport at 7.15 p.m. I walked straight through immigration with no questions asked about my visa and customs was suprisingly non existent. The tensions were running high after a long flight, carrying 90 KG's of luggage and deciding on what will be our next move. I had to explain to Zoe that Bus Bay 37 was unlikely to be inside the airport and that we should make our way outside:-)
She quickly redeemed herself by checking us into a marvellous inn called the Days Inn about 10 minutes from the airport. The room was clean and spacious, had TV, a comfortable bed and free Wifi (We got upgraded). Unfortunately the continental breakfast which included a freshly baked croissant, fresh orange juice, Kellogg's cereal, fresh milk, fruit and yoghurt did not meet our budget at 4.95 pounds. We are going to make our way to the nearby Shell Service Station to buy a SIM card and a breakfast bar each.
The taxi driver on the way to the hotel was very friendly. The bus cost 4 pounds and he teased that we will be spending many more pounds while we are here. We shared the bus with some Italians on the way to the hotel. They were ecstatic as they had just been shopping at Harrods. All they could say was Prada and Dolce & Gabbana (At least that's all we could understand anyway).
Today will be challenging, we will need to make our way to London by bus for approximately 9 pounds each from the airport. We will then need to find a place to store our bags until Keagan Giorgiou finishes work where he will be able to assist. We will then explore the town before settling into the Easy Hotel (South Kensington.)
I am going to call to enquire about the possibility of a job at Deutsche Bank. The thought of calling up in a weird accent to ask if any jobs available in one of the world's financial hubs during a European recession is very daunting! What doesn't kill you makes you stronger and I have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Zoe and I used our free WiFi to install Skype. We each called home and Billy for a chat. We also used the internet to research a few more steps. The planning is a little like a chess game (Full of strategy and patience). Hopefully we don't make any mistakes.
Off to Milan tomorrow for a night of backpacking at a cheap hostel before meeting George at a small neighbouring country town. Lets see where today takes us.
- comments
Joanne Daly Ryan, such lovely funny stories. Thanks !
Robba* Ahhh adventure!