The email is checked....slowly...slowly...the email downloads...is it the hotel or is it just the petulant attitude of Google and the Republic of China....Google mail is not smiled upon...the Google search engine is practically unusable...fire up a Bing search...the speed is impeccable....Microsoft and the Republic must have reached an understanding... No use posting to the blog...it has a google address.
Rise..check,check again...taxi...pouring rain...arrive at the Maglev station....join a queue waiting at the grills for the station to open...watch the staff to through their preliminaries...the cleaners dust...the security guards walk to position...the service staff gather..the supervisor lines them up...they stand tall....she gives them their morning warm up talk....they listen attentively....she retreats..they hasten to position.
A slow trip...the Maglev is having a quiet day....she refuses to exceed 300kph...smooth...fast...impressive...
Set out to dispose of the remnants of the Yuan populated wallet...one more experience of Shanghai dumplings for breakfast...enjoy... We look at the signage.... Apparently the Hope Cafe serves coffee and CATE... Clearly quality control is not a strong point of Chinese signage specialists..
Transit the Swiss air checkin procedures...smooth....transit Chinese immigration..particularly smooth for pacemaker endowed flyers....through here sir..past the queue....a quick pat down and I am through.
Loading commenced on time..in a flash we are onboard...the doors are closed..we push back..we stop..the Captain announces a two hour air traffic delay...we sit...we sit..we sit...eventually we move....slowly.... Stop .start..stop ...start... We follow a long lines of departing air traffic....we eventually reach the head of the queue...oh no... I don't believe it...Even for the Chinese that is remarkable....a Chinese plane is called forward in the queue and departs before us....
Away… Daylight… Food… Wine… Food… Wine… Sleep… Movies…. Movies?.... Big Eyes …Cake…both good…. The flight drags on… The penguins pleased it is not a night flight… it drags on some more…very pleased it is not a night flight…
Zurich at last..airport is quite…the people nice… Swiss efficiency on display… our connecting flight has left on time… We have been booked on a later flight to London… Accost some young travellers… Please text my daughter that we are on a later flight… a cheerful positive response.
Arrive in London… The 13 hours of penance served …. The penguins have paid their dues… The grandchildren await…
Heathrow terminal 2… Vastly superior to its other terminals… New .. Efficient… Yes…. Efficient!.... The customs official polite… Smiling …. Not the Heathrow I remember.
Where is the meeter and greeter?... no where in sight …. Where is a phone…try to ring… Try to ring.. Try again…contact at last..
We are treated to a treatise on the similarities between Australia and Somalia by the 20 year Expat Somalian…. In a short 35 minutes the transit ordeal is over… Greeted with cuddles and smiles.
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