I was all by myself. I don't know if I clicked the wrong one or they sent the wrong one or it was just the closest one, but they sent a whole large van for my Uber ride to the airport, for just me. It was a little crazy. But it took me where I needed to go and dropped me off at the airport that was quickly becoming as familiar as BWI to me.
I didn't bring my headphones because it's an international flight and I figured they would provide them along with the television screens that Air New Zealand even has for domestic flights. But I wasn't on Air New Zealand, I was on Virgin Australia. Not only did they not have any television sets or headphones, they didn't have any snacks, food, blankets, or pillows either.
Luckily there was a little girl next to me that thought it was totally awesome that I was an American so she talked to me for a little bit. I also tried to pass the time by playing games on my phone, but it almost overheated my phone and it killed my battery in like a half hour, which was not good because I still had Brisbane and another flight til Bali. So then I attempted to read the magazine in the seat pocket in front of me, and that helped a little as well. Somehow, I made it to Brisbane.
After my night on the town, I made it back to a completely empty airport. I was really hoping that this meant the flight would also be empty and I could possibly spread out and get some sleep.No such luck.
Once we started boarding, the gate/plane/airport suddenly filled up and the flight was practically full. It was too full for me to even get 1 empty seat between me and a stranger, let alone have a row to myself. Times like these I really miss my dear Southwest.
Again, there was no television, no blankets or pillows, no headphones. We did however get a breakfast meal, but I wasn't feeling very well so I didn't take it. I don't know what it is about planes these days but I can't seem to be on one without getting sick. It's really not okay.
Because I had been awake for the past 24 hours or longer, I tried to get some sleep, but the most sleep I could muster came in 20 minute intervals. Add that to the plane sickness and it was quite a miserable flight. & there was no little girl next to me to entertain me this time.
Thankfully, we had a tail wind and made it to Bali 30 minutes early (which we then spent being taxied to the gate, but at least we were back on the ground).
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Coming back from Bali, there was like a million different securities I had to go through to make it to check in and then again to make it to the gate. It was ridiculous!
Once at check in, the lady stared at my New Zealand Visa for like a solid 15-20 minutes and she kept questioning me about it. Like I don't think she understood English, so I don't understand why she was working for Virgin AUSTRALIA, an English speaking company. Like go to Indonesian Air or something if you don't speak English, but my Visa is good now let me through.
Finally I convinced her that it was fine and she let me go. I wasn't sure if they were going to feed me or not on this flight, and I thought I might sleep on this plane, so I looked for food on my way to the gate. (Plus I still had 70,000 IDR in Cash to spend.) I saw a Hard Rock and just had to stop. We had passed 2 Hard Rocks on the way to the airport and I was thinking about them ever since, so it was like destiny to see one in the airport as well. Hard Rock is my soul restaurant. It's where I go when I'm not feeling well. It's so healing to me. When I'm physically sick (and we're traveling), I always get chocolate milk and a breakfast meal (that I usually only take like 2 bites of because sick) and it always makes me feel better (shout out to my mother for taking me there). Tuns out when you're homesick it has the same healing affect but on your soul. There's just somethin bout rock n roll man. I swear it is magic. Most people don't understand, but for those that do, I appreciate you (shoutout to Ted).So anyways. I got pulled pork and sweet tea because TEA IS LIFE and I miss sweet tea dearly.
Hard Rock is amazing to me and I thank it for being literally everywhere in the world when I need it most. (I believe that whole sickness chocolate milk thing happened in Denmark or Sweden, as well as Myrtle Beach [good ole USA].) Anyways, I thank God for Hard Rock.
At the gate, there was MORE security to go through. Eventually I made it through and we were shuttled out to the plane via bus because there was no actual gate walkway. So then I boarded my plane, where I was then asked "Did you fall off a motorbike?" as soon as I sat down. No ma'am. I attempted to surf. 'Twas not a good time.That was as much conversation I had the rest of the way to Auckland.
Thankfully, each flight was significantly shorter on the return. I have no idea why, but going to Bali from Brisbane was 7 hours, while coming back it was only 5. Then, Auckland to Brisbane was 4 hours and coming back it was only 2.5. I was glad for the shortage tho. The sooner I got back the sooner I could go to bed.
I didn't get sick at all on the return flights. I would like to thank the Hard Rock. Maybe things are starting to look up. There still was no television, blankets, pillows, or headphones, but on the Bali to Brisbane we did get a meal, though we did not on Brisbane to Auckland.
I didn't sleep at all, but I did try a little. I mostly just sat there. I wrote some of the earlier Bali blog posts while on the plane, but either I'm a slow writer or I get tired and put it down because I didn't really get very far, I don't think. But because of the flight times, I had 4 hours less time on the return flights than I did on the outgoing flights so it was all good by me, and soon I was back in Auckland.
I took the SkyBus back to Auckland and it was my first successful SkyBus ride! I'm really proud of the SkyBus company and myself for successfully getting me back to my flat incident free so I could type this up for you.
Until next time,
xoxo,
Tasha
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