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And so the journey began...
Perth - Sydney
After being in a total state of denial for so long I think it finally sunk in on take-off from home that I don't know when I will be looking back down on little Perth again. I didn't want to become a blubbering wreck on the plane though so pulled it together with only a few quiet tears gently consoled by the two leopard-skin clad women I was sitting between (don't ask) So even though I dont know when I will get back to the Island - this is just one big holiday and I am taking the long way home.
L.A Airport
I dont know what it is about me but I was swabbed for bomb residue, scanned, shoes removed and inspected (at which point i was glad my travel shopping involved buying new socks) Every airport gave me a going over...
L.A airport was a less stressful experience than I had expected. I had my fingerprints scanned and photo taken (but so did everyone this time) The real clue I was in LA was the fact everything smelt faintly like pee! It was so cool looking down over LA and thinking that was America down there and that I was sooo far from home.
At first I was too scared my mp3 player would cause electrical interference and cause the plane to plummet out of the sky. By the time I got to L.A i was quiet happy to turn it on after listening to never-ending loops of Quantas programmed entertainment - taking the risk seemed like a better option. Its all part of becomming a savvy world traveller with no fear of electrical fields. Although I still have a few about in-flight programming!
L.A - Vancouver
My flight from LA to Vancouver was on Alaskan Airlines and you have to love when an airline separates the first six seats with native tapestry screen dividers so you know where first class ends and economy begins - oh to be on the other side of that tapestry! It was a short flight (3 hours) to Van and the view was awesome. Could see down over the beaches of LA, the suburbs, farms then over the mountains. The coast line from Seattle up to Vancouver is awesome too.
And so I arrived dazed and confused in Vancouver after 20 hours flying, more airline food than I or my digestive system would like to think about and badly wanting to find a bed.
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Aussie Rod
non-member comment
Travel Security
Hi Aussie-Jo, you rock! Your thoughts on airport security (swabbing etc) reminded me of an incident that happened to me on Tuesday leaving the city of Beira, Mozambique, bound for Jo'burg (your birthplace?). As one does, I put my carry-on luggage on the X-ray machine. Then, before stepping through the body scanner, the attendant passed me back my bag so I could take it with me through the scanner (which obviously pinged - as it did for everyone on the flight). I wasn't able to convince the fellow that his procedure was a little flawed i.e. the bag goes AROUND the body scannner so that they can see if I'm carrying somethng naughty on my person. I gave up and just hoped that if the fellow walking behind me - with the long beard and funny hat - had a firearm, it would be in his bag (where it might be detected) rather than in his shoulder holster where it obviously wouldn't. Mind you, 20 min later aboard the flight I sat in the exit ailse (small plane - one seat per row). Kind Mozambican hostess came over and explained to me how to open the emergency exit but forgot to ask if I understood English. Fortunately, I didn't need to pull the red handle! Love, Aussie-Rod