Melbourne Diary I

Day 1: March 15, 2015

So I finally packed my bags, screwed up my courage and flew solo.  Actually, it was not too bad. It’s funny how people expect you to know things like where to go and what to do next.  And the people ahead of me certainly did know!  They just marched forward from one point to the next.  Me, I asked!!  One bad experience of going round and round at Frankfurt airport is enough to last me a lifetime.  Flying Business certainly helped.  No long queues and fewer questions.  The time spent in the lounge watching aircraft taxiing and taking off in the night was breathtaking and the service was superb. And then came the boarding for the flight. I trotted off with my strolley following along – all 10 kg of it – to meet a smiling hostess and my worst enemy – the escalator.  No stairs. No lift. I froze. My guardian angel must have been having a good chuckle.  A young man came forward, ‘Do you have a problem?’ ‘YES!’ He picked up my bag, caught my hand and took me onward. Whew! After that it was plain flying.

Up to Hong Kong, life was uneventful: watched a movie on Paddington Bear (delightful), listened to some really lovely music, ate, slept a little. Transit at Hong Kong was miles of dreary corridor, and the occasional encounter with staff who directed you to go stlaight, then reft and then light and a few more words which I did not understand.  Security checked baggage twice and quite rudely too. They treated my hand sanitizer like a time bomb!

Onward to Melbourne and I slept most of the flight.  A lot of mild turbulence but the views from the window at sunrise and sunset were fabulous.  At sunset, the horizon was on fire and the serrated red glow separating earth and sky was amazing to behold. Lots of fluffy white clouds and serenity for the most part allowed for suspended reality, an experience worth the repetition.

Despite all the warnings, customs and immigration at Australia was a snap. They asked if I had anything to declare and I said, ‘Indian curry powder!’ And they said, ‘Oh, Indian Curry Powder. No problem! Welcome to Australia. Have a pleasant stay!!’ Well!!