The Witches European Broomstick Tour – 26th November 2016 – Day 2 (Part 1)

Current Country/City: Australia / Melbourne

Morning Temperature:  12^oC

Travel Method/Rating: Qantas Flight - A380 Economy Class / discomfort due to flight duration

Travelling to: United Arab Emirates / Dubai

Accommodation: Emirates Terminal 2 Business Class Lounge

Day Time Temperature: 29^oC

Approximate Travelling Time: 12.5 Hours

Currency: N/A

Steps (as calculated by phone software): 2500 – (to and from the buffet and bars)

Activity/Observation: ‘Hell’ is maybe too strong a word to describe this boring, uncomfortable and never-ending flight. I just can’t sleep sitting upright even though we had pretty good seats that backed onto an emergency exit. We could recline without pissing anyone off. We were also on the upper deck so only about 30 people were using my toilet. Yes, 30 people visiting one toilet for 12.5 hours. I dread to think what the ratio was downstairs in the real economy section with 400 people.

As the lights were dimmed and every other bastard seemed to effortlessly fall asleep I struggled through, watching movies, one after another. At home I never manage to watch even one whole movie without getting up to do some gardening or go to bed at the ¾ mark. But there’s no bed and no garden at 11,000 metres. There’s nothing else to do at 11,000 metres. So I milled around like a caged tiger having an occasional chat with the bored stewardess.

We landed at Dubai anticlimactically. Of course the contaminated fuel delay meant we missed our connecting flight so we were resigned to a long wait. Luckily a sympathetic Emirates Host allowed us to use the Terminal 2 business class lounge. (We were supposed to use the very busy Terminal 3 lounge).

Our lounge was eerily deserted. Only 1 or 2 other passengers were floating about, but even these people seemed to get the willies after a few hours and they disappeared. Since we had 3 bars, 3 buffet spreads, plenty of empty beds, a hundred comfy lounges, along with 30 staff at our singular disposal, we can’t pretend we suffered during our 6 hours delay. And, during that 6 hours, the staff must have wondered where all the champagne was going. I think around 6 bottles evaporated in our vicinity. Using these time-passing tools, plus beer, (and some of us even showered), the wait was tolerably pleasant.

BTW - roll on deodorant that pretends to be active for 48 hour is a bullshit claim. Since my clothes were in limbo I never showered, so I stank.

Broomstick Tour - Day 2 (part 2)