Unclean, Unclean. We're heading into Quarantine.

 Unclean! Unclean! or so Jacinda assumes.  But I'm cool that to get to see her I have to be in quarantine for 2 weeks.  I certainly don't want to pass on any nasty little virus when I see her.

It was sad to say good bye to Ali's dear Mum, and sadder to wave a farewell.  To me it felt kinda selfish.  We were leaving her to fend for her self, at a time of her life when she maybe needs a bit of assistance.  But both Ali and her seem happy with the arrangement.  She tells us "that it is better for me to die knowing that we are where we are happy, than to die not knowing that, and that if we don't go now it could be 10 years before I die, and then it'll be too late for you".  To me that's pretty amazing.

The last time we were at Heathrow to go to Armenia planes flew over head every 2 minutes.  This time it was every 20 minutes.  We're hopeful one of the few will be for us in 15 hours time.  By the time we'd walked back from Hounslow to get our evening South Indian curry - it was cold, but some in-room catering devices that had been provided came in use, and worked well.

 

My scales must be rubbish, actually more likely that those of Cathay Pacific are.  Alledgedly we were £341 worth of excess baggage over weight.

STOP PRESS: My covid test from yesterday has just been posted under the door.  I'm pleased to say that I could live another day, and have a negative result.  If only I could have been as pleased with a negative result when I was at school, I'd have done rather well! Even top of the class.

But back to Joyce at check in.  I blinked my eye lashes at her, smiled under my mask and told her we only had 500grams of hand baggage when we were permitted 7kgs.  She ummmmmed and whilst she errrrrred I said "Joyce, I have a feeling that I could be falling in love all over again", to which she replied very quickly "ok, with no carry on it'll be fine".  I'm sure I didn't scare her, but I did assure her that she had just made an old man very happy.

Off we went, with a smile on my face!  After security Ali's smile soon disappeared, she'd lost her passport and a tizz was developing quickly.  Daniel the head x ray man had it.  It had fallen off the tray inside the scanner , and that brought back Ali's big smile.  If only it were as simple for me!  But Daniel, the older man knows how to bring a smile to the face of a younger woman!!

Off we went; a long flight is a long flight but the Italain wine was pretty good and conversation with the gorgeous aircrew is no longer allowed.  They must be a lot more delighted than me.

 (note sheep face mask)!

The 9 hour stop in Hong Kong was, well, as an old codger I am still doing what my Mum told me to do. She said "try to learn something new every da, every day is a school day".  To get into the lounge I would get 20% off if I had "the app".  WTF is an app?  Anyway, when Kindu noticed I didn't know the difference between an app and an apple or appendicitus, he, as a normal part of SE Asian culture came to the rescue of the elderly.  Such respect.  My 'app was downloaded' which to me sounds almost like an oxymoron.  Shouldn't we be unloading.  I was in the Premier lounge.  Having been fed well on the A300, we clearly needed more food.  No, you don't just go and get it, you have to scan a QR code.  WTF.  All I wanted was sushi tempura with egg noodles and bamboo shoots in a gado gado sauce with red wine.  Not a big ask.  It's great not knowing, I get to meet the nicest people.  Ann, who constantly smiles under her mask is only 4'6", but she's a whizz on QR codes.  She was their to help me.  I'm glad Dido Harding wasn't involved, I'd still be waiting for my scrambled egg. Kundi's app was world beating, and it worked.  In 10 minutes the qr codes were scanned 37 times, proportionately more than Handcocks will ever achieve, if QR means 'quick response' then I'd be interested to see how long Dido would take if she was slow.  In fact Ann was so quick, along came another miso, tofu soup without even knowing I'd asked for it.

On to the next leg, 11 hours on an Air NZ 'dreamliner'.  It was a dream for us, but a sad nightmare for some of the crew.  It was the last flight for 4 of them, yet more redundancies, AirNZ having gone from 2000 international aircrew, to 200, and on our flight - 40 passengers.  Technology is amazing: to black out your window you press a button, and it goes black.  Slidey things are so passe. 

    (the little kink over Manilla is to miss rubbish weather).

Forty of us zipped through the near empty airport.  In fact empty apart from us 40.  What used to be the most lucrative per square metre shopping area in NZ, is now totally closed.  First a health check, move onto passport control, then onto bio security, then a sniff by the drug addicted starved black labrador, then onto bio security (2) plus luggage x ray, then onto health check, just incase anything had changed.  

 (a packed international airport)!

Then onto the bus.  Then we were told that we were on our way to the Grand Millenium.

I sat on the bus looking at my suitcase.  A lock had unlocked, it had all gone so smoothly, except for the discovery of a pair of secateurs that need cleaning, and for there to be a mass spewing of my suitcase at the last lap would be like Mo Farrah's lace coming undone on the home straight.  But it didn't. Off the bus, 1 by 1, luggage collection, passport check, health check and we were off to room 936.  It's ok.  A bed almost as big as the football pitch at Wigan, 4 litres of milk in the fridge, enough towels to expect me to have a shower every 40 minutes to kill the virus, save lives and protect Jacinda. A stunning view, a table and 2 chairs.  It's home for 2 weeks.  It'll be fine.  

 

Plentiful supplies of yummy food are delivered 3 times a day.  A knock on the door, a Pavlovian dash, and there is a brown paper bag of a surprise.  I am thinking it would be so funny to run up the corridor and knock on other doors, just to prove that Pavlov was correct.  

 (NB popped lock anb escaping slipper)

Frittata, canneloni, salad, scrambled eggs, pancakes, Thai green vegetables, what's not to like.  We fly down to Welly and I have booked excess weight, just for myself.  I am pleased I bought the coffee maker and crockery.  It's important to maintain standards.

 

We are allowed out for 40 minutes to walk 90 paces around a terrace garden.  Man, it's a serious business.  No time to chat to others, it's a head down and go process.  BUT, oh my, but, this morning we were going anti clockwise; that was a first and it threw me off kilta!  I've reduced 90 paces to 56, 118 hops, 97 backwards, 103 sideways and indeterminate number circular.  Who suggested I was going 'stir crazy'?  

Actually, its ok.  I could get used to this life style.  It's quite nice feeling totally not guilty at sitting around for 23hrs and 20 minutes doing sod all.  But I must stop soon, it is time for the first of my 7 minute high intensity work outs, preceded by a brush of the carpet with a dustpan and brush.  Vacuums are forbidden as they can cause aerosal generated virii to fly around.  (so i am told), but anyway I prefer the exercise.

I liked the in flight vomit bag 'how ever you say it, however it goes in - it all comes out the same'!

That's it for the time being.  Next one ..... 'what's not to like'?  The selfie with Crusty is the hint!  I can hear you salivating with excited anticipation.