27 August 2019

We are currently somewhere high in the sky over the Indian Ocean , just south of Jakarta winging our way to Dubai on the first leg of our voyage.

You will be relieved to learn that we finally got our bags packed with a few minutes to spare, before our last of many farewells. I’m pretty sure my packing style was the “forget something important” version. I’ve taken more stuff away on a weekend trip to Canberra. We both came in well under the weight limit, which means one or two things: we have badly underestimated our needs of the next two months , or we have lots of space for trinkets and collectables should we desire OR there’s plenty of room for duty free on the return trip. Hopefully it’s the last and not the first!!

Ross and Lornie were our very reliable chauffeurs ( who needs to travel 1st class!!!) ensuring we made the train station with plenty of time to have a champagne or two at the pub across the road. That’s what friends are for!!

Our farewell committee waved and then we were off!!! Officially!

Of course a farewell isn’t a farewell if you don’t drag it out for a couple more days. And we love farewells.

John and Jude watered and fed us and in return I made them try on our team “Black Prince” uniforms. Grahame’s is still slightly unfinished but I have 5 weeks or so to tie up the loose ends before we don them for real on the Cheshire Ring.

We watched the planes come and go from both our room at the Rydges and the rooftop bar. Now if that doesn’t spark excitement, nothing will.

So, now we are onboard and thanks to some good advice and some strategically planned seat selecting , (thanks Dave) , our plan worked brilliantly and I am now stretched out over two seats while I write this. The plane is full but seat 58E remains empty.

Murphy’s law????

I haven’t had a cold or even a sniffle for so long and I’ve been known to brag about my clever avoidance of any such symptoms. We even had friends not visit us for fear we might come down with something nasty!! You know where this is going right!!??

We check our bags, go through immigration and customs and all is well. We embark our Emirates flight for a 6 am takeoff. All is still well. We settle in, get to know the neighbours, check out the in flight movie guide, smile nicely to those who welcomed us aboard. Feeling fit as a fiddle.

Airborne!! Somewhere over Penrith my eyes started watering, crossing the Blue Mountains, my nose began leaking. By about Dubbo , I’m sneezing, sniffling and saying sorry to those who are currently my nearest and dearest.

Murphy’s Law!!