2nd Jan 2006

HEATHROW > LOS ANGELES (2nd January)

Today was meant to be the day ! Eleven hours on board the plane with nothing to do except muck-about with the inflight entertainment system. But the bloody thing doesn't work. Instead we've been playing travel chess. The one with tiny pieces and a magnetic board. I make the killer move. QUEEN1 takes ROOK C6 ... Check Mate !!

LATER:

ROOK C6 is missing! It's slipped into the groove between our seats. I can feel it with my finger tips but I can't reach it. The only way to get him back would be to ask the captain to do a steep turn to the right - but the captain has got other things on his mind. The plane is leaking !


LOS ANGELES > AUCKLAND (2nd January local LA time)

"Houston we have a problem." We're at 25,000 feet but the plane is sinking. That leak has turned serious. Two men with gold stipes on their lapels (1st and 2nd officers who're normally meant to help fly the plane) are bailing water out of the galley. At least we think it's water. We hope it's just water rather than fuel. It's coming down from the ceiling. In these circumstances the doctor on board sitting next to me is no use. Is there a plumber ? Unfortunately not. We're already two and a half hours over the pacific ocean when the captain says it's time to turn back. Los Angeles here we come .... again.



LOS ANGELES (3rd January - very early morning)


So after 5 hours flying around the Pacific, we're back where we started (well nearly). In an airport hotel by 03.30 am LA time. The only bonus so far is the view from our bedroom window (see photo). After 5 hours sleep we're up for breakfast and the 1st of several "announcements" telling us when or IF we're ever going to leave the ground. Luckily we manage to get ourselves booked onto a direct flight to Christchurch. So we know that we're definately leaving and we don't have to get back onto the sinking plane!

Several hours spent queuing at LA aiport - having to watch our own bags be xrayed!! We're finally on our way - 24 hours late and looking forward to 13hours flying.


LOS ANGELES > CHRISTCHURCH (3rd January - evening)


Finally we're having some luck. It's a half empty plane, so we've got a row of 4 seats EACH!!!! Fantastic. 2 films (both rubbish), some ok food + few glasses of NZ wine to get us in the mood, lots of sleep. We're feeling vaguely human and nearly there now.






CHRISTCHURCH (Wednesday or is it Thursday ? 4th or 5th ?)

So we've just about been through every time zone there is and we're knackered. I'm sure crossing one time zone over the Pacific and then turning back to LA just amplifies the sensation.

There's another queue waiting for us at Christchurch. If we're "undesirable" they won't let us in. But the woman at the immigration desk stamps our passports and we're through .. or nearly through. There's an official looking woman checking whether we've got dirty shoes. Uh oh! We have. Dried mud on the heel of my walking boots. Caity's are filthy. We're told take them off and I think we're in trouble. Another man at another customs desk takes our shoes away for "analysis" or so we think. We're told to go to a collection desk in ten minutes. A small hatch door opens and a wee man pops his head out with our boots. He's only gone and cleaned them! Welcome to New Zealand. I hear Emelda Marcos is a frequent visitor.