16 April (Thurs)

The day got off to a lovely start: woke early, nice shower, pleasant breakfast and a relaxing hour in our room, Due at airport 10am and courtesy shuttle is booked for 9.30am - these times become critical in the disaster that is about to unfold ........

I flick Tina small bunch of pamphlets that came with the tickets (remember I only sorted these yesterday). Tina sees a good idea (writing VISA card number somewhere separate from where the card is kept. I do this and decide to do the same for the rest of my cards.

Drum roll please!

I pull out my drivers licence and find that it will expire BEFORE we get our car in France and England! We have a problem, especially as for part of the time I have the car to myself ie Tina can't rescue me. Quick ring to Andrea who luckily works in same building as the firm which does the licences (the AA). Their advice is to go to nearest AA, say I have lost my licence, get an emergency one as well as a replacement. There is now less than an hour to shuttle. Order a taxi, long wait ... so I hijack one that arrives for someone else! Explain situation to lovely Samoan driver and way we go ... and I mean, away we go. The speeds he drove at were crazy and the cornering flung me around. I get him to wait and in I go. Long queue, I speak to them and, bless them, they let me go to the front of the queue. A nice young woman at the counter is very helpful - especially as I did not have all the required id eg I had nothing with my address on it. She started to write out an emergency licence and then discovered my licence was about to expire. I act surprised so she cuts more admin corners and the renewal will be sent to him. In the meanwhile Andrea has been finding out the quickest AND most secure way of getting the licence to Paris. It's all up to Kirsten (and $80)!

Back out to the waiting taxi who rushes me to airport ($90). Tina has caught shuttle with all the luggage. We arrive at the same time and Tina smiles at me.

But there is more ... at the check-in counter I don't get away with my small, carry-on case. If only I had sorted those maps!!! Procrastination is the thief of time. My suitcase is slightly under weight so I am about to do a transfer when the young woman behind the counter gives me a Singapore Airline's bag and says to put 5kgs in it to get the case down to 7kgs. OK.

Turbulent 10 hour flight to Singapore, ok food, I watched Frost/Nixon (good) and Marley And Me (rubbish). A Boeing 777 300 ER. Tina was bad: 1. she broke the little latch that holds the tray and 2. she sang Elton, ABBA and Bee Gees songs very loudly with her headphones on!

4 hour wait in Singapore Airpost and then off to Dubai.