At 2am this morning (Thursday - that's 10pm Wed in Dubai, 4am Thurs in Australia) the lovely Ming Hu Wa informs Craig that he has the last seat on the last Emirates flight out of Singas. Daniel hyperventilates. Daniel is getting rather deliriously tired and frustrated and is wearing very old, smelly clothes. Where are Daniel's fresh-ish clothes? In his suitcase in the arrivals hall since Tuesday. So off Daniel goes to change his clothes after being informed that he will be able to return to the transit area immediately.
WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!
(Returning to first person, this is too tricky)
I quickly enquired on a hotel room while I was outside the confines of the transit desk only to be told that your average room goes for around $400 a night. Nice. I was not that desperate.... YET! After attempting to blackmail every last official in Changi I soon discovered that I was about to spend at least TWENTY hours waiting at the check-in counter. No bed, no edible food, no peace, no sanity. In comparison the transit area had beds, internet, X-Box 360 and shopping! I was praying for strength and holding back the tears trying to remember everyone in prisons around the world and how they were slightly worse off than I was.
When I knew sane people in Australia would be awake, I texted Mum my story of stupidity and frustration and she was right on to Wotif.com to score me the cheapest hotel room in town. Mum, you did good - as Helen Mirren said in Battlestar Galactica.
I am writing this from an internet cafe in Bugis Junction surrounded by about 200 Singaporean teenagers playing World of Warcraft against each other in deafening surround sound, but it sure beats shacking up with my fellow poverty stricken travellers on plastic seats at the airport! Will of course be back at the airport tonight trying to get on a flight home and we will see where we go from there!
Until next time!
2 comments:
Wow! I have often wondered how free company travel benefits REALLYYYYYY turn out! Thank you so much for painting the real deal picture so clear it's like looking through glass.
I hope you are able to catch a plane asap! Safe travels.
I'm gald your mum managed to sort you out a room but did you forget that you have a friend in Dubai with access to an 'airline staff rate' hotel reservations system!?
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