Transit Tales

I feel like I've spent a lot of time in transit over the last few months...  in fact, I'm writing this post from a transit lounge in the Makassar airport.

Perhaps this feeling of extended transit also relates to the fact that I feel like I'm at the point in my life where I'm waiting for my flight to be called in the departure lounge as well....

Anyway, my last two trips between Indonesia and Canada, with imperfect connections, were longer than usual… and conducive to jet lag, and arriving not knowing which end was up!

Singapore Changi Airport

The massage chairs are gone!?!  Imagine my dismay, when, after walking from the far end of Terminal 3, ALL THE WAY through terminals 2 and 1 to my favourite spot in Singeapore’s Changi International Airport, the Oasis lounge, only to find out that its major draw for me (ie. the free full-body massage chairs) are no longer there!  Now, those of you who know Changi know that it’s no small feat to walk all that way… but I figured I’d get some exercise after my 6 hour flight from Tokyo to Singapore, then have a delectable rest at Oasis… unfortunately it was not to be!

But I found Sanctuary, which was the next best thing… super-comfy reclined chairs, surrounded by live plants, and dimmed lighting.  I have since been given some insider information that I must look near the out-of-the-way window seating in T 2 next time…

Personal Entertainment System

The advent of the personal entertainment system on long-haul flights is something I praised until my last flight... Someone forgot to tell the dude sitting behind me that it’s TOUCH screen, not punch screen… so for 14 hours from Toronto to Tokyo, I had to put up with my head bobbing about at the whim of Mr.IronMan and his entertainment selections… not fun.  Oh, but this guy couldn’t just pick a movie and go with it… no, he was listening to music the entire time, and choosing it SONG by SONG!

The flight connections didn’t work out so smoothly on my last trip, so I actually had an overnight in Japan.  Ok, well, I got the cheapest airport hotel available and figured at least I’d arrive well rested!  Lucky me, the Hotel Nikko Narita has a free shuttle service not only from the airport to the hotel, but also into the city of Narita.  (Yes, another case where the Tokyo international airport isn’t actually IN Tokyo… the nearest city is Narita).  But anyway, the shuttle meant I actually got into town, had some fabulous Japanese food, and visited an absolutely gorgeous temple and park compound.  I had the entire place to myself.

... there happened to be a few geocaches hidden in around there, so that is what i had for a tour-guide!

On my more recent transit through Frankfurt airport, I got a LOT of exercise!  I decided to try a geocache which was IN the airport… well, it turned out that I had to walk the entire length of the airport to get to it (then RUN BACK to my departure gate so I wasn't late for the flight!) – I approximate it was at least 3 kilometers each way!