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It’s a tough life
We have had an unexpected change of plan, or at least we would have a change had we had a plan. Down to only six more sleeps before boarding the big new double-decker Airbus A380 en route to Asia, we were faced with the prospect of having to decide what to do after Seath and Nicole’s wedding in Phuket. There is a requirement on entry to Thailand to have onward travel documents - so that presented an unexpected challenge. We have become accustomed to not contemplating formalities, although we vaguely thought we might head to Vietnam or India, or possibly China, or just go into hiding. But not so now.
We were spontaneously spurred into action on Tuesday night while chatting online to our friend Martin in London, and we made a snap decision to head back to the United Kingdom. After all, we only had a fortnight there in January, so tickets are now booked. We leave Singapore on 10 May, landing at Heathrow’s dreaded new Terminal 5, via Frankfurt on the 11th.. As long as we get our luggage the rest of Asia will just have to wait a while.
There remains much to be seen in Europe. One of the benefits of not doing everything you intended on previous trips is that it provides a reason to return. For example, after about ten visits to the UK, we still have never been to Ireland. Perhaps this time, or maybe we will get to Gottingen in Germany where we previously didn’t get around to taking up the offer of a staying at a friend’s home. Also, hopefully, the chance to exploit the global recession and cash in on cheap travel packages to nearby places, and to catch up with a few Kiwi friends who will be travelling to Europe in June. Perhaps also it will also be an opportunity to get down to the Caribbean to see Fleur again as she settles into her new teaching job in Barbados.
We may even get to catch up with New Zealand band, the Bats, with our acquaintance Paul Kean on bass. If not, Leonard Cohen plays in Liverpool and Neil Young London in June, BB King is at Wembly with John Mayall in July, Bruce Springsteen and others are about too. The only downsides are that the only seats left to the Eric Clapton concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in May are $NZ600 a pop and, perhaps fortunately, Michael Jackson’s fifty concerts complete with snakes, performing monkey and an elephant are all sold out
This is a tough life this, but someone has to do it.