h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

My first long distance trip was in 1975 which I remember little about. It entailed flying with TWA from London Heathrow to Prestwick, Scotland, where more passengers were taken on board (bearing this was before cheap flights and the package holiday) There was then a long overnight flight to JFK, New York for refuelling and letting off some passengers, then on to Los Angeles. Total journey time? 27 hours. Reason? Tristar, not Boeing 707, which would have beendouble the cost but half the time...

The one I do remember was to Oz.

First off, how long did it take?
The journey was from Heathrow, via the great circle, and down the Asian coast to Narita, Japan (12 hours), where we had to have a 4 hour stop-over (this leg of the journey was non-smoking). After changing our seats to smoking (with more leg room being in the tail section, and also reputedly safer in the event of a crash) it was an 11 hour journey due south to Sydney Australia. The return journey was the same, except we had an enforced overnight stay at the Narita Hotel where friends from Japan's North Island had driven 4 hours to meet us and treat us to a traditional Japanese meal at the Hilton. Very civilised. Of course all flights are now non-smoking which, being a reformed smoker of three years, no longer bothers me. However I did partake of an each hour to combat the drying atmosphere. That's my excuse anyway!!!

Did you do the journey by choice, or was it forced upon you due to circumstances beyond your control?
The date was 21st October 1999. It was only my second long-distance trip. My Sister and ex BIL had emigrated to Oz around 8 years prior and, with Mum getting no younger and Me with a decent annual bonus, I decided to treat her to three weeks in Oz, just in case! My Sister has subsequently returned to Blighty!

Maybe the journey actually turned out to be very pleasant?
I thoroughly enjoyed my first cognisable (and only my second flight), except when flying towards Gaum, where the plane converted to a rollercoaster. Guam (as it was night) was lit up like a Christmas tree. A little different to 45 years prior. It's isolation and that thought were quite sharp in my mind. I also remember being fascinated by the cloud formations, clicking away with the camera, and Siberia just being a quagmire of tundra, pools and streams. On the return, just under three weeks later, it was all frozen, with St. Petersburgh almost iced in. How 19 days can create such a difference at that latitude. Oh! The film hadn't connected to the spool, so no photos . I've never made that mistake since!!!

Would you do it again?
I'm not sure. Probably, but as a general trek around Australia. I would to do The Ghan, North-South rail-link, and the Indian Pacific, East-West raillink, although I was not over-impressed with Sydney. Another major global City... Much like New York, London, Paris, Munich... Ev'ryone's talkin' 'bout Pop Music!!! Perhaps if I were selfish and did it by myself it may be different?

What did you learn from the experience?
People change on planes over time. A young couple who seemed perfectly became very abusive at the stewardesses after around 7 hours on the flight from Sydney to Tokyo and were moved... Maybe restrained? Another couple of young Australians in the two seats in front of Mum and I decided to join the mile-high club ... Luckily Mum was until around two minutes before their was spent, when she looked at me quizzically. I explained at the Hotel where she had a good chortle... She is broad minded!!! I also learnt that the Australians still find their past uncomfortable and had been destroying their Colonial past until someone became enlightened enough to realise it was important, both as it's history and also Tourism. The Rocks and Miss McQuarrie's house are the only real tangible bits left in Sydney. I can't talk about the rest. I also learnt that there is a lot of commercial tat sold as authentic, and it took a while before I was able to purchase authentic aboriginal musical instruments. I also learnt that, when in a nature reserve with a family member, who was bought up in that Country, they may not like the indigenous fauna. When I came across a 6' (about 2m) brown snake, one of Australia's deadliest snakes, sunning itself and fully stretched (that's how I am guessing it's size), my ex BIL completely freaked. I knew he was torpid and wouldn't attack but would just slither off if we made plenty of noise, which is what happened. From then on he was very twitchy and, on the third sighting (or the third snake?) He almost route-marched me out of the reserve. Me? I was just intrigued... He did explain it was the largest he'd ever seen!

Had the journey ever been done before?
No. And orobably won't be done again. My next long journey will be within Europe

Did something break down and you actually spent a large chunk of it stationary?
Only the overnighter. Because of the chance of it being a once-in-a-lifetime experience, limited to 19 days, I didn't want to waste time with an enforced one night stay in somewhere like Singapore, Thailand or Bali. If I'd wanted to go there, that's where I'd have bought tickets to. What can you see in a day? A bit like an stop-over in London... See the Houses of Parliament, Buck House then back to Heathrow? No thanks.

Was it your journey to work today?
No thank you. Anyone who does global flights for their occupation deserves their wage. Mum suffered jetlag for a week on arrival, while I suffered for three days on my return... Aren't people strange?

MMF

Narita to Heathrow on Air India 7 curries and 28 hours on the same plane and stopped just about everywhere, why because it was the cheapest , do it again no.