Stinky Stopover

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The Boxing Day flight might have caused an abridged Readers Digest Christmas, but the usual travel stress and queuing was non-existent. The Uber to the airport was traffic free, the bag drop and check-in was swift and airport security and immigration went smoothly. We avoided the body scanners, which they claim to be "random". But the two travellers selected while we were being processed were quite fit looking young ladies. Interestingly, the border patrol officer making the random selections wasn't a bloke though. She was a short haired burly broad with a keen eye. Might have been under instructions from her colleagues to gather some good sorts for the training database.

We breezed through with time to kill and I may have inadvertently shoplifted a headphone jack from the duty free shop. Stashing the passports away while I checked out M&Ms with Milla, it was in my backpack when we took our seats on the plane. I planned to settle the $8 when we wander back through arrivals in a couple of weeks, but I figure they robbed me with $20 for a ham and cheese croisant and a chicken ceasar wrap! And whose jurisdiction is it in the departure lounge on the international side of customs and immigration anyway? AFP?

I don't think I've been this relaxed about an overseas trip before. Maybe we're getting better at it? Maybe it's because Jules did most of the planning? I didn't even know who we were flying with until we got inside the departure terminal!

It was QANTAS, and it was a good flight. 8 hours went fast. Quality movies available. And if Deaks didn't have to go to the toilet 6 times in 8 hours from the window seat...it would have been perfect.

Crown Plaza Hotel at Changi Airport really IS in Changi Airport and was once again a superb bit of trip planning by Jules. Jumped on the free SkyTRain between terminals and we're in our room within half an hour of landing and in the pool withing another 15 minutes. Millsy got a bit excited and was having too much fun in the pool. The toilets were a few steps too far and she soiled her Christmas bikini on the first wear. No matter how many times you blast them in the hotel shower...that smell just won't disappear completely. Jules really enjoyed the cleaning and then the drying for our early flight tomorrow - what a great first night on the road. I tried to help, but someone had to order room service and figure out the hotel TV!

If only Milla hadn't been distracted by the toilet phone during her pre-swim toliet stop. Though, they are a curiosity when you first see one.

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