Leaving home at 7am and catching the train from Caboolture to Eagle Junction,the connecting train to the airport was cancelled. A half hour later and the next one running late, I’m thinking, I should have caught an uber. Half the price and I would be there now. Lucky I left early. Arrived at the airport, and 90 minutes later cleared through passport, security, etc, on my way to the airport gate. A forty minute delay and at 11.40 am, finally on my way to Shanghai. As the plane was only 70 percent full, I had plenty of elbow space. Really good flight. Only problem,most of the entertainment was in Chinese. Not much English options.Also,I can’t listen to Michael Buble type of music for 12 hours.The food was good, maybe just good. Arrived in Shanghai, starting to feel tired, and now I have a 6 hour wait, with delay 6 and a half. The next leg is fully booked ,and the pork and rice looks like what those poor blokes were getting fed on the Burmese railway back in 1943. Never mind, I can handle anything if it’s over a 1000 dollars less and it’s over in 32 hours. Made it to London, security, pass port control,etc,took all of 5 minutes. Bought a pommy sim,and let the adventure begin. Our daughter Emily texted which trains and bus to catch, so now 7.30 am again, feeling knackered by 8.30,I’m hugging one of my beautiful girls on Harrow Rd Maida Hill in London. Only problem now, I need to entertain myself without falling asleep for another 12 hours, to get my body into the new time zone. And guess what?I brought blue skies with me. London has had a miserable winter and start to Spring. Not today, 9am and it’s already 10 degrees. If the sun stays out, it could hit 12. What’s that you’re saying?I’m excited?Ken oath I am. Last week was like 4 and rain. Emily and I walked all through the suburbs of Bayswater, Paddington, Hyde Park for hours. But by 3pm and I’d been awake for what felt like 3 weeks, I succumbed to an hours very deep nap. After that, Emily had to catch up with a friend, so I went to Angie’s house, The local Irish pub. I enjoyed it that much, I’ve been back more than once. The last couple of days we have walked a lot, caught tubes and red buses, tube is underground rail for the not so travelled reader. Found brilliant street food at Notting Hill markets and just chilling out,literally. Today, Sunday, much the same. Next week we will hire a car and head to Stratford Upon Avon, where Shakespeare was born. We’ll visit friends and take the country byways back to London town before I make my way south for my trek known as the south West coast path.
HANKS TRAVEL BLOG 