Getting There

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Slept in. Again. Highly irksome habit of mine that. However, by dint of some super driving on Dad's part, I made it to the airport with the requisite 3hrs to spare. Hurrah! Shame then that KLM's staff hadn't been quite so diligent in their efforts to get there. One hour (and one stupidly expensive coffee) later and I was able to drop off my luggage.

Small problem arose when the machine took my ticket at face value and refused to print a label from Edinburgh to KL, seems even the machine thought my ticket was a farce. Fortunately there is a manual override and I am hopefull that despite all efforts to the contrary my luggage will be there to greet me at KL.

There have been some big changes at Edinburgh airport, not least of which would appear to be the ginormous queue for security. Fortunately I was able to while away the hours (well, blimmin felt like hours anyway) admiring the plethora of gentlemen in kilts, always a pleasure ladies I'm sure you'll agree. One of said gentlemen really raised the entertainment stakes when he lost control of his kilt and found it nicely puddled round his ankles (bet the guard regrets asking for that particular belt lol). Myself and around 500 others are now in the happy position ofbeing able to testify as to the legitemacy of his credentials as a true scotsman (sadly he wasn't - for those of a curious bent).

Hmmm, forget where I'm going with this, got a little distracted by the kilts you see... oh yes, and I bought a hat! The hat I'd taken on my previous trip was about two sizes too large and I'd not got around to purchasing a new one. So, you can imagine my joy when I spotted the perfect specimin in Accessorize, just begging to be bought. I dutifully obliged but it was a lot harder than it needed to be I can tell you. Some bright spark had deemed it a good idea to display the hats atop 8 foot poles meaning you either had to give up the idea of buying one or flail about like a dying fish trying to knock it off it's perch. I opted for the later option (after enquires into the possibility of a step ladder were met with a negative) and did eventually manage to procure my chosen headwear. I then went on to dislodge a further 5 hats (even though I knew I was buying the 1st one) just because sales girl would have to look just as stupid as I putting them all back. A misery shared and all that...

Anyway, my hat and I duly made it to Amsterdam where upon immediately stepping out of the plane my eyeballs promptly froze. At this piont I began to suspect that my cunning plan of wearing socks and sandals (classy, I know) may not be quite sufficient to prevent the onset of hypothermia after all (those sock purists among you will be pleased to note I'd even endeavoured to ensure a matching pair!).

So abandoning all plans to venture in to the city I hunkered down wher eI was. 8 hours in Schiphol airport. What can I say. It's a long time. A very long time indeed. I ate some food, bought a watch (left my own on the bathroom sink, had just paid 7 quid for a new battery too, what a plonker), drank a mojito or 4 (virgin variety but still lush), watched the planes, went to the library, ambled round the museum, sprawled on every comfy chair I passed (assuming it wasn't already occupied clearly), read a little, listened to some music, walked around (lots!), wrote this, and (I strongly suspect) slowly went quietly mad. Never, ever again.

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Comments

[Home and Away]

Waiting in Schiphol
I waited eight hours between flights, also. I was tempted to use the pod hotel behing McDonalds but didn't want to pay the 45 euros, and wasn't sure I would wake up on time to catch my flight. At least they had reclining seats in the terminal. But I can relate to your pllight. I will be following your journey to Cambodia. It sounds like you will be flying Air Asia between KL and Cambodia.