24 hours on a plane. Well technically 22 with two 55 minute stops to get off the plane, go to the counter, check in, get through security, and get on the new plane. Thankfully the second plane was late (LA to Sydney) so I rushed on to sit :)
There is no way to upload pictures here at the Pioneer Lodge in Ayer's Rock - not that I have many yet - so you'll just have to imagine the rock, my tiny cell, and the rhinosarous pigeons until I can find a place to put pictures up. However since people like - I like them at least - the little notes I make to myself in my travel log, I present some of them now in chronological order:
- Free tickets, they always offer free tickets and lots of bous miles on flights I have absolutely no chance of delaying. Utah/vegas, a leg of italy and now seattle to LA. Oh well.
- First taste of Australian hospitality. They gave me the wrong seat since I couldn't check in until so late - I'm way in the back on the middle isle. I talke to the stewardess explaining my general distaste for flyig. The man who got the seat I had requested is happy to switch. I tell him I'll buy him all the beer he wants. "you don't owe me anything, have a good flight" he says. Pure soul - I wish I'd gotten a picture with him.
- I love Qantas. They give you gift bags on long flights. This one includes:
- A Lanyard - why?
- Socks - it's awfully nice to be able to change socks 12 hours into a flight.
- A sleep mask - at least I think it's a sleep mask, mine's sewn shut in half for some reason.
- Black Vial - Mouthwash? Toothpaste? The Plague? who knows, no one seems to be opening them though, don't think I will either.
- Wow, I can buy "Authentic" aboriginal art, boomerags ad bush hats right here in the airport. Somehow I think I'll wait and try elsewhere. I don't think aboriginals used quite that much glaze.
- Uluru - and for all I know the rest of the northern territory - exist in a half time zone. Flying in I have to change my watch 1:30. As far as I know there are only three such half time zones in the world - no real strong pull to go visit the other two (Siberia and somewhere near Turkey if I remember).
- I don't like Kangaroo. Not that I really hoped I would. It's just a little... kind of gamey like moose, only not quite. I guess they'll just have to stay cute fuzzy pests to me.
