So, where was I? We left Dubai on Saturday. The 8am flight meant we had to be checked in by 6am, which meant our driver had to pick us up at the hotel by 5.10am, which meant we had to be ready by 4.30am which meant I had to be awake by 3.30am to shower, dress and check the hotel room no less than three times to make sure I hadn't left anything behind. Which meant it wasn't surprising that I arrived bleary-eyed and exhausted in Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire at 4.30pm...

Dubai made for an interesting comparison with Sydney. We only passed through Sydney briefly - we had to get off the plane, go through customs and security (and some very surly Australian border guards), and then wait in a departs lounge for an hour while they spritzed the plane up - but the level of scrutiny and inspection made you think we were moving in for good. Dubai, however, was a breeze. Immigration barely glanced at us, and walking through the "somethin...

Before the trip, one of the things I was looking forward to was the flights. I've never flown long-haul before, so to me the prospect of 21 hours flying seemed great. "I can read, watch movies, listen to music, it's a great opportunity to catch up on things I never have enoug time for!". Actually, those 21 hours are more for being uncomfortable, hot, tired, uncomfortable, sleepy, restless and uncomfortable. I have no real frame of reference, but I'm lead to belie...

It's been six days already since we left NZ and it seems like I haven't stopped moving! Certainly I haven't had the chance to look over the photos I've taken, ponder the places I've been, or write anything witty or interesting on this blog (until now). A lot seems to have happened, too much for one post, so I think I'm going to write a series of mini posts for each of the places I've been to so far - sort of a "previously on..." thing like they do on TV to remind...