Start With: Getting to the Right Airport
UNITED KINGDOM | Friday, 16 July 2010 | Views [772] | Comments [5]
16 July, 11pm
I never sleep particularly well when I know I have to be up early for something important. This morning was that same situation with the last three hours of sleep spent checking on the cat in his latest spot above my head and dreams of particular relations with Robert Downey Jr. Where that came from I have no idea, but I'm sure Andrew wouldn't mind - even he'd jump the fence for that hottie. Anyway, enough of that business, I got my fix of that beautiful man watching Sherlock Holmes on the plane and now we can move on the the more interesting events!
The Dubai-London flight in itself was largely uneventful once we had finally arrived at the correct terminal following my awful nervous misdirections. My gut was wrenching as I walked into the airport panicked about running late and desperately aware of the fact I had not travelled internationally on my own before. My eyes welled up with tears on leaving Andrew and I feared, after watching far too much "Banged Up Abroad" on National Geographic, that my nervousness would get me into strife. I checked in my backpack (only 11.1kg!!), cleared security and customs, all while barely looking at anyone and trying to remain acutely aware of where my belongings were. I lose a lot of stuff while travelling, and I had no Andrew to save me this time.
Duty free was a blur, as was boarding the plane, and I soon found myself sandwiched between three solo male travellers. Thanks for that aisle bulkhead seat I booked guys, nice to know everything I requested magically disappeared. The guy next to me (little younger than me) got very excited when the hostess checked which passport I was carrying, as he too was less excited about going to London than he should have been, on account of having worked his way around Australia for the last year. The poor blighter had just suffered the horrendous Melbourne-Dubai flight and was connecting straight through. We sat and reminisced about how wonderful Melbourne is and he assured me London would hold plenty of exciting adventures. Don't get me wrong, I'm not continuing with the Brit-bashing cynic saga thing that has somehow lasted this long, I just haven't been away from Andrew for over a year now and it'll take some warming up to the idea of travelling without him. It's nice so far, and I appreciate the cooler temperature.
So, I survived the airport, got myself some UK-sim card love and boarded the Gatwick Express to meet Andrew's cousin Amelia, whose wedding we are attending at the end of August. Thank goodness for Facebook photos because we've never actually met before! She expertly wove through the hordes of people to the tube on our way to Ealing Broadway. It's such a neat little suburb with the greenery and cafes we've come not to expect in Dubai. It's pretty here, as I write from Buckingham Palace Gardens. I've wandered along the shops of Regent Street, through Picadilly Circus and have taken some time out to watch the birds and listen to Andrew's TravelPotato compilation on my iPod. So far, it's a bit like Melbourne, just bigger, older, more elaborate and with just fancier buildings in general. Oh, and there's decent coffee Mr Biggs - you're only 3.5 weeks away from a great cappucino! Tomorrow, I shall keep wandering, largely aimlessly :D
k.
