Singapore Layover

It is such a pity that my time in Singapore is so short, not even truly arriving; merely transiting. Singapore is an island state, with a remarkable span of wealth and poverty. 5 million people are squeezed into this tiny island off the Malay Peninusula.

The flight to Singapore was long, and I did not remember to bring an eye mask in carry on. This has proven to be a significant oversight, the cabin does not darken fully. 

I am on an AirNZ 787, and whilst it is new shiny, it boast features that seem at odds for their purpose. Instead of traditional window shades, they sport special glass that dims by the push of a button - this is all well and good, but the glass absorbs the heat, so the sun shining in, whilst hidden, still heats up the space.

That brings me to the other point, and one which sounds like they stole the idea from The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. There is no independent air control for each seat. The cabin is set "at a comfortable temperature". If you feel like you need a breeze, well, why would you? The cabin is a comfortable temperature after all. Any particular preference of having air blowing down on your face to counter the heat radiating from the window is merely a mistake on your part.

But enough whining, I am in Singapore, even if briefly, and if I can get Internet, this post will arrive.

Takeoff! (0m)

The journey begins... again.

This trip is to Mt Everest Base Camp. Yup, that Mt Everest. The target altitude is 17,000ft, about 5200m!

It's going to be a gruelling adventure, the altitude presents many challenges; but the first challenge, leaving NZ, and saying goodbye to those special to me, is achieved. 

I'm onboard AirNZ NZ282, heading to Nepal via Singapore. I arrive at Kathmandu midday local time, after too many hours in the air. You would think given that the previous entry in this journey is the fin to my flight to San Francisco, and the previous journey before that documented my around the world trip, a short 16 hour trip wouldn't to so bad!

Takeoff is shortly, and I have a lot of entertainment provided onboard, as well as a few audiobooks and videos on my iPhone (scary - no laptop this trip! Lugging a laptop up Everest, even one as light as mine, is not something I relish).

So begins another journey…