Tonight...Benoit, Ivy, Fee and I started on a journey that we shall not forget anytime soon. We flew out to Melbourne at 1930hrs on Tiger Airways and were really excited about our trip. Since we would be arriving in the wee hours of the morning, the plan was to go straight to the serviced apartment we had rented and perhaps take a quick nap or just go full steam ahead and then crash heavily Sunday night. Alas! this was not to be. Upon arriving into the airspace at Melbourne, the Captain told us that due to the fog on the ground, we may have to head to Adelaide. At this first mention of Adelaide, I was chuckling because I thought it was a joke. The second time the Captain mentioned it, it was getting confusing.
Does the Captain think his joke is funny? Who wants to go to Adelaide!?
When the engines kicked into full power after yet another aborted attempt to land, the captain confirmed we would be flying to Adelaide.
Ok Captain! This isn't funny anymore! Are we seriously going to that hole of a town called Adelaide!?
Now, to make matters worse, I had been waiting to get off the flight so I could grab a cup of tea, a glass of wine, or a bowl of soup. Not necessarily in that order or only one of the three. As we had to fly for another hour, the Captain announced that the crew would be doing a quick inflight service for hot drinks. I asked one of the flight attendants if the tea and coffee was complimentary, but I must have not been the only one to ask. Several minutes later, the Captain was on the speakers to clarify that the airport in Adelaide had a curfew and as such, would be closed when we landed just after 2330hrs. Also, the tea and coffee was not complimentary.
Grrr!
Once at Adelaide, we had to wait for security clearance before disembarking the plane to wait in the terminal until 0500hrs for the airlines to make an announcement of our flight plans. Adelaide's airport does not reopen in the morning until 0600hrs so we were not allowed to leave the airport during this time. We were like those passengers on the news that are lefted stranded at airports due to cancelled flights. There was no choice but to find somewhere to rest and hopefully catch some shut-eye.
Fee and Benoit slept on the uncomfortable and badly designed chairs while Ivy and I found a corner to sleep on the floor, using our luggage as pillows. Unfortunately, we were right beside the glass windows of the terminal and it was about 4C and I could feel the cold floor beneath the thin layer of carpet. We eventually got up and walked around for a bit to stay warm. At times I believe we were delirious from the cold and sleep deprivation. How else can you explain how we believed we could actually get warm by standing next to this wall with an image of fire?
At about 0500hrs Benoit, Fee and I were discussing philosophy.
Benoit: "If you could eat anything right now, what would it be?"
Sarena: "Lobster"
Benoit rattles off a list of about twenty different delicious foods.
Fee: "A hashbrown"
Sarena & Benoit: "WTF? If you could eat anything in the world, you would want a single hashbrown?"
I could just imagine Benoit and myself gorging ourselves on our food and then peering over at Fee and his single hashbrown.
Sarena & Benoit: "Dude, are you gonna eat all of that?"
Just as we were starting to wither away from hunger, we saw a mirage up ahead. Instead of it being an oasis of water up ahead, we saw a fellow passenger with a styrofoam cup in one hand and a brown paper bag in the other. FOOD!
We packed our bags and headed in the direction from whence she came. One of the cafes had opened early and passengers were already starting to line up for breakfast.
Just as we had finished our hot drinks, there was an annoucement that the airline was giving us a $5 voucher each to make purchases at the cafe. Great timing! We went to get our vouchers because we knew we would be hungry before our flight left.
We walked around for a bit and then spent about an hour in the store that sold wine. With the staff's recommendation, Benoit and I bought a few wines that are locally produced in South Australia which we would not find in the liquor stores back home in Perth. Fee bought us each a bottle for our birthday.
Just as we suspected, we later went back to get some hot food. We combined our vouchers - $20 in total - and after some discussion, decided on two toasties and two bottles of water. The prices at airports are ludicrous.
a bacon & egg minus-the-MC-mcmuffin.
Our flight was scheduled for 0800hrs. We all managed to get nap on those uncomfortable chairs and woke up to the building sounds of other passengers arriving at the terminal and kids screaming. At 0730hrs they made an announcement that our flight would be postponed to 1000hrs. GRRR!
Not wanting to sleep anymore, I went to get us some Hungry Jacks since it had opened. Just as I was walking back, our plane announced that it was boarding. We all scoffed our burgers onboard before takeoff and managed to all get a power nap during the flight to Melbourne.
Time it took us to travel from Perth to Melbourne:
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