I rocked up at 12.30am on Saturday morning, in desperate need of many things, not the least of which was horizontal sleep. Almost no-one was at at the terminal after the passengers went home, I had my suitcase with a change of clothes and I had four thinly padded metal armchairs to relax on - BLISS!
At 3am I checked in for the 6am direct to Dubai, and told to wait until 5am to see if there would be space for me on the flight.
There wasn't.
I cried... well almost. How could this stupid story drag out any longer? I was doing my level best to not scream at somebody. I just wanted to go home. After some consideration I decided $200 was too much to spend on accommodation for the day and that I would remain at the airport to try my luck on the 10.30pm, yes PM, flight.
In surprisingly good spirits at 6am, and even more surprising at 9.30pm!Think of a time where you have been bored beyond all belief and multiply that by alot. Look at your watch every 3 minutes for 22 hours. Read half a big novel, read 35 magazines, eat 6 meals, watch 18 planes take off.... look at your watch again. That was my day. It was a serious mental marathon that required all of my inner sensibility to not go crazy. If I didn't get on that night flight I was going to have myself committed.
As the day drew on with no sleep, my body started to shut down. My muscles ached, my hands were twitching, and the airport was slowly filling with people ready to go to Dubai. I HAD to be one of them!
It was a lady named Jen who told me the good news around 7.30.... even if everyone shows up for the flight, there will be one spare seat for me! I was so happy I went to the bar and downed a few pints in the true spirit of said happiness hoping it wasn't all a bt premature.
Well in the end, I discovered that some days it pays to be gay. The airport manager Tod, got me on to the flight with the one and only extra spare seat right next to me. When you're 6 foot 6, words can't describe the true value of an extra seat next to you when you're stuck in economy!
Finally, after 5 nights and 4 days traversing two countries, Daniel was going home to Dubai.
Then we landed.
Emirates lost my bag.....
(to be continued...)
1 comment:
They really need to make a mini series about your trip:)
Ok...so I am loading my laptop with every game, language program, etc. that I can find, thanks to your ordeal!
Post a Comment