Ralph here, in Sydney airport and still awake. For those of you who care, I thought I'd ipdate you on my personal progress home in spite of Sydney Airport's less-than-accommodating internet speeds.
it's about 9:40 am local, 11:40 my time (christchurch time) and I've got about 5 and 1/2 hours to kill before boarding the A380 Skywhale (I made that up, but it's apt). While taxi-ing in from the runway got to see several other big A380s and saw one land too. I used to be impressed by 747's and C-17's, what a primitive I was.
Breezed through security even with the chemical sniffer exam (I must have looked like I wouldn't fight). Also got right to the desk at the Qantas counter, but couldn't get the upgrade I wanted. They told me it must be requested 8 days in advance. They didn't care that 8 days ago I was on the East Antarctic Icesheet. Sigh. I'll ask one more time at the desk for the flight. Can't hurt, and I have time, even if I hate standing in lines.
As of right now, no changes expected in my itinerary- and I'm very glad to be travelling home. But what a journey it is to travel straight through! Here's the breakdown from leaving Davis Ward to getting back to Cleveland……
Davis Ward to Mcmurdo, 5 hrs; then 12 hrs wait for….
Mcmurdo to Christchurch, 8 hrs; then 12 hrs wait for….
Christchurch to Sydney, 3 hrs; then 6 hr wait for…..
Sydney to Dallas Ft. Worth (coming up next), 16 hrs; then 5 hr wait for
DFW to cleveland, 2.5 hrs…. and I'm home!
that's 32 hours on aircraft, 35 hours on the ground in between (not counting trips to and from airport, getting there early, etc). From polar plateau to home in 67 hrs.
I am going to be SOOO jetlagged. Do I look like I've been flying for two days already?
caption: my Tired Sydneyface.
— posted by Ralph from Sydney International Airport
