We leave the house at 0315 with Jacquelynn driving. The roads are eerily quiet, the only sign of life as we drive through Ashgrove is a lone street sweeper slowly brushing the curbs. As we top Ashgrove hill I get a view of the lights in the Central Business District for one last time. We skirt the city, cross the river and run down the M1 to reach the airport in record time, just less than 30 minutes from door to door.
It's time to say goodbye. A long hug. "Thanks for having me". "Safe journey. Let me know when you get home". "I will. Drive safely. Hug Chloe for me". I grab my bags and hat and walk quickly into the terminal, eyes misty with tears. It has been an incredible visit. Chloe is a joy to be around and Jacquelynn and Colin have gone out of their way to make me feel comfortable.
But now it is 0345 and I'm standing in the first of many lines that will be encountered in the next 30 or so hours. There are two flights leaving Brisbane around five am. The first is to Sydney and the second is my flight to Melbourne. All passengers making international connections in Sydney or Melbourne go through the same line to check passports and baggage. I have to check my baggage so the six bottles of Australian beer I carefully wrapped will make it through security. Unfortunately there are 30 or so people in front of me and only one clerk. For the first 15 minutes the line moves very slowly and more people join the line then leave it after checking baggage. But at 0405 six additional clerks appear - the shift obviously starts at 0400 - and by 0410 the line was moving rapidly and I was able to check in and obtain my boarding passes for the flights to Los Angeles.
Traversing security was only moderately time consuming. The lines weren't long but an elderly couple didn't understand the restrictions on the size of bottles for liquids and gels and their bags were returned to them and hand searched and a younger gentleman who seemed to speak little English didn't understand his computer had to go through the x-ray machine separately. There was no requirement to remove shoes, belt or watch and I passed through the personal scanner without incident.
Unfortunately by this time there was no opportunity to explore the Brisbane domestic terminal, it was time to board the Qantas flight to Melbourne. A nice touch was the free newspaper available at the gate for passengers to pick up as they board the plane and free headphones are available in bins at the entrance to the gangway leading to the plane.
The flight departed Brisbane on time at 5:05 am (1.05 pm Wednesday in Houston) and we were served breakfast of Special K, yogurt, fruit juice and a warm roll together with coffee or hot tea.
I ate, reclined the seat slightly, adjusted the flaps on the headrest and dozed for a while, waking up as we approached Melbourne, where we landed on time at 7:20 Brisbane time, 8:20 am Melbourne time.
Walked from the domestic terminal to the International terminal but had to go out of security and walk through the concourse to terminal 2 - the International terminal. At least it was inside, the concourse was light, airy and air conditioned with the occasional store or restaurant along the way. It took less than 10 minutes, then at the International terminal I filled out a departure card, went through passport control and back through security. Still didn't have to take off my shoes, belt or watch to pass through the personal scanner.
Immediately on exiting the security area all passengers are funnelled into the duty free shop. I picked up a bottle of Bundaberg and a bottle of Baileys. When I went to pay and presented my boarding card, the lady at the cash register asked me if Los Angeles was my final destination, then reminded me that I would have to put the bottles of booze in my checked luggage to get them from Los Angeles to Houston. There is absolutely no room in my checked luggage so I didn't buy the booze. Oh well.
After the duty free there are several other stores selling books, Australia wool garments, coffee (Starbucks), candy and an Australian outfitter selling clothes for outdoors on the way to the departure hall where there is another newsagent / bookstore and a snack bar as well as clean, well appointed toilets and places to take a private shower.
The Qantas 747 me and 300 plus other people were to fly on was parked at gate 9. The external paint work on the plane appeared to depict Aboriginal paintings, it was very colorful.
We started boarding at 11:50 am (6:50 pm Wednesday, Houston time) It looks like every seat is full. Fortunately I have an aisle seat. We left the gate at 12:30 pm. 8 3/4 hours gone on this long day.
The flight was long, but uneventful, except the video on demand was not working correctly and the light switch on the control box did not work. The food was OK for airline food, but at least the beer and the wine were free, though it was difficult to attract attention to get a second beer (which I didn't get) or a second glass of wine (which I eventually got by going to the galley). We arrived pretty much on time in Los Angeles at 7:30 am after 14 hours in the air. My body was sore even though I'd dozed two or three times and got up and walked around five or six times.
Passport control and customs were relatively painless. A short line for US passport holders, then a long wait to collect my bag, buy a short line to hand in my customs form and exit the International terminal. Once again I had to walk to the next terminal, but this time the walk was outside along a sidewalk where passengers were getting out of the cars and going into the terminal. Fortunately the Continental terminal, terminal 6, is only a ten minute walk from the International terminal and the weather was pleasant for walking. The lines were mercifully short to check in and then pass through security, though this time I did have to take off my shoes, and remove my belt and watch before getting into the Continental terminal for CO395 flight to Houston with scheduled departure of 11:35 am, 3 1/2 hours from now. But at least i got an upgrade to first class.
The flight to Houston was uneventful, the dinner was OK and the two glasses of wine enough to put me to sleep for an hour. We landed at 4:45 pm and I gathered my bags, found a taxi and headed home where I arrived at 6:30 pm on Thursday evening, 31 1/4 hours after leaving Jacquelynn's house on the other side of the world.
I was past tired, my internal clock said it was 10:30 in the morning, so I drove to the liquor store and bought a box of Black Box Cabernet, then stopped at Kroger and bought sausage and beans for dinner.
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