06:37 Getting up any time before 7 is not easy, getting up at 5.30? Ouch. However I had woken an hour before the alarm went off, worried that I'd oversleep, the way you do when you know you have to get up.
I lay a little longer in bed, not wanting to get up and leave my beloved, but finally time dictated that I had to get up and dress into my warm weather clothes then brave the cold outside. The wind and rain had been crashing noisily against the windows all he evening before but fortunately it was neither raining or too windy when we emerged into the dark, damp morning air. Surprisingly it wasn't as cold as I'd thought either, just fresh enough to wake you up. I dragged my bag in one hand and clutched H's with the other as we walked the 10 min walk uphill to the bus stop. We waited and the bus came and when I thought we would have to say goodbye H wasn't ready to part company yet so we boarded the bus together down to finsbury park where I'd be getting the tube all the way to T4. Finally it was time to say goodbye, to be parted for the longest time since we met 4 months ago. With lots of hugs and a small dose of sadness I walked away down the ramp from my best friend. 13 days till we see each other again...in Bangkok.
The tube journey is at least direct and given London's mishmash of whether you get escalators at all or just stairs, I am at least grateful that for now I was able to let my bag fall down each step on its wheels before getting comfy in a seat for the hour trip. The tube is normally really warm, it feels very cold today and in my inadequately thin trousers are letting me down.
Ooh I have spotted a useful zipped pocket, no wait, it's a fake pocket! Not useful!
09:26 After getting myself through security and to departures I managed to find a book to read - Terry Pratchett's 'Snuff', stocked up on a few nibbles and then boarded the plane. It's not full so there is a seat between my neighbour and I, which is fortunate because he absolutely reeks, or at least someone nearby does, in that sort of eye stinging "I don't believe in deodorant" type way. I have managed to alleviate this by pointing my air blower at my face which is now just making me a bit cold, again. No, its definatly him, everytime he moves a great gust of odour comes my way, I hope he keeps very very still. I'm very impressed with the plane, it's an Ethihad B777-300, andrhe pilot is Irish! I have acres of leg room, and the gadgetry in my seat in front is better than I've ever seen! I have my own screen, remote control, a plug socket, USB cable (I've checked this does charge my phone!) a LAN cable!? (And a socket with 9 pins in it which I don't recognise). The food menu looks delicious, people can always make things sound good though I suppose, and I have access to wine, beer, whiskey, rum, gin and vodka (sadly no sherry or toffee apple cider!)
I had a final text with H, where I got very weepy (maybe I shouldn't confess this at all- I'm so soppy). In 6 hours 10 I'll be in Abu Dhabi.
09:40 Well at least you can see where London is...the shard gives it away!
10:13 Hmm, it's only 1013 and having been asked what drinks I wanted I asked for orange juice and tea, as clearly it's still breakfast hours. I can't have a hot drink until after lunch, which is coming straight after the drinks!
16:01 Landing in the dark at the local time of just after 8pm, I've travelled 3629miles or 5800km in smooth comfort. I suppose I was up so early this morning the fact that it's dark and 8pm is probably a good thing s I need to sleep. I need to readjust a little further however as currently Bangkok is at 2303. It certainly doesn't feel like the British 4pm, so I'm hoping I will actually sleep on the next flight which is due in 1 3/4 hours.
20:45 I have moved my clock on to be more representative of the time and having wandered a full mile it seems following the flight transfer gate from gate 30 where I got off, I now have to go back to basically where I started at gate 29!
Having passed through security again, I stopped and bought a bottle of sherry, something I know that both my parents and H will help me consume over the next month!
Time to board the plane again and I reach my window seat to discover I have no window at all! Just half a metre of wall! Well it's dark and theres nothing to see anyway I suppose. I am bordered by a couple of Germans who appear to speak no English bit not to worry, I will attempt sleep, if not there's loads more films to watch.
23:23 It's 623am...or is it 1123pm? I don't know anymore, I'm just tired and it feels like 3am probably, I am not awake I know that much and the sun has come up so it must be morning. I have 2 hours to wait until I get my final flight and I can move clock backwards again by (wait for it!...) half an hour!
It's been another 3600 mile journey. Incredible really to think I've travelled nearly 7000 miles in about 12 hours. It takes me 45 mins to jog 5km!
Oh the ramblings of a delirious person. Best shut up really.
Best thing today: amazing in flight technology and range of films
Worst thing: leaving H at home
Most beautiful: as I've been in the plane all day....erm...the disco lights for the ambient cabin lighting that go blue, green, pink, red, yellow??
The epic 3 flight 24 hours awake journey
Friday, November 23, 2012
Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar
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1The epic 3 flight 24 hours awake journey
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2Arrival in Myanmar and sleep at last!
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3Trains, Buses and the Shwe Dagon Pagoda
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4The Flight/ Boat...Road to Mandalay
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5Hill Stations and Mad Dashes up Temples
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6The Slow Boat to Bagan
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7Temples and Pools
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8Bagan to Kalaw...a day on the bus
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9Kalaw - the smallest dampest village so far
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10Bumbling along to Inle Lake
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11Messing About in Boats on Inle Lake
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12More messing about in Boats on Inle
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14Leaving Myanmar for Bangkok
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2025-02-12