A Tale of Two – Meeting to begin the Odyssey.
Finally, our first travel story. It covers the lead up to our meeting at Melbourne Airport, the flight to Thailand and our arrival in Bangkok.........enjoy!
Coops & Lorenzo
13/6/13
Coops’ Beginnings
I woke up ready to pack my bags in preparation for the major part of the Odyssey to begin. I was reasonably relaxed in the morning and took my time packing my bags stopping for a coffee and chat with Vicki (my friend I was staying with at the time in Melbourne). Packing my bags I had stuff everywhere laid out all over the floor and on the bed – it looked like an absolute mess but I knew what was where so it was more like organised chaos.
Once the bags were packed it was time to do the final check of the important things like my passport and wallet and then get in the car to head to the airport. For those of you that have been to Melbourne you will know it is a rather large city and sometimes when you think you know where you’re going you still get confused… Getting to the airport was a bit like this for Vicki so we had to resort to google maps. We made it eventually though and I said my goodbyes to Vicki and this is when it started to kick in that I was really going on this world Odyssey rather than heading back home after a holiday in Melbourne!
After Vicki dropped me at the airport I made my way inside and found the JetStar check-in area where I expected to find Bevan waiting for me but there was no sign of him anywhere. Knowing that Bevan was meant to be at the airport before me as he was flying in earlier from Adelaide I did wonder why I couldn’t see him anywhere so I tried to phone him only to phone that I couldn’t get through to him. I wasn’t too stressed out but I did find myself thinking about what I would do if I couldn’t find him – would I just check in myself and get on the plane without him? Probably… Anyway I decided to sit down and wait for a while and after no more than 10 minutes Bevan came trotting round the corner ready to go with a big grin on his face!
Lorenzo’s Beginnings
After an Adelaide side trip it was time to head back to Melbourne to meet up with Coops and the Odyssey to really begin! With bags stuffed with a few treats of Tim Tams and the South Australian specialty Fruitchocs, the anticipation of what lay ahead over the next 12 months was soaring. Of course there was the underlying sadness, as there was when we left New Zealand, of saying goodbye to important people in your life knowing it will be some time until their faces grace your presence again.
Knowing there was about 40 minutes between my flight landing and needing to check in at Melbourne, I was feeling the pressure of making sure check in went smoothly. Murphy’s Law, the flight from Adelaide was unable to land due to a balloon on the runway! A further 20 anxious minutes passed before we were actually on the ground. I was not the only one charging off the plane to make another connection and once bags were collected it was a quick-step to the check-in counter to meet Coops. Only more roadblocks arose! The first escalator was closed, as was the elevator next to it! With strides lengthening and cadence speeding up (not easy with 20kg on your back), I charged up another set of stairs while constantly watching the clock. There was Coops, waiting patiently sitting near the check-in counter somewhat concerned about the delayed arrival of the other half of this adventure duo.
The Odyssey Begins
It was hard to believe that the time had finally come for us to depart to Bangkok for the real adventure to begin! Time has gone so fast since we first decided to go on this quest eight and a half months ago. The last few months have been absolutely hectic so we definitely looking forward to getting in holiday mode and to relax a bit more. Coops is not going to lie – relaxing on the beach in a hammock with a drink in the hand is going to be like heaven!
Once we had checked in, downed any water we couldn’t take through security and Coops had taken another one of many regular bathroom pit stops, it was time to join the first of many lines waiting to pass through immigration. After a few obligatory high fives of excitement the boredom of standing in slow moving lines kicked in. Looking at the faces around us, we were just two of many feeling this way.
Since we were flying Jetstar we had to take our own food. Neither of us are fast food fans but Hungry Jacks was the best of limited options to stock up for the nine and a half hour flight. The last notes were changed into Thai Baht and last Australian coins were scrounged together, as I’m sure all travelers do, to buy something useful. We found ourselves standing in a shop counting our coins and trying to figure out what we could buy to use all the remaining coins.
Once at the gate we were told our flight was delayed due to engineering problems. This was not the most comforting piece of information for our first major flight (turned out it was just the entertainment system!). The first photos of our travel mascots Coco Bear and Bluey were carefully arranged as a way to entertain ourselves during the wait. Fortunately it was only about 20 minutes delay before we were able to board, the walk down the air bridge, grins on our faces, was punctuated by more crisp, excited high fives. Coops, being the silly kid that she is, took a photo walking down the ramp that failed to really show the excitement she was feeling.
Once we were settled on the plane it wasn’t long before we took off. Sitting in our seats like little kids hyped on sugar we exchanged a look of excitement as the first big step of our Odyssey had finally arrived. After watching some city guides about Bangkok and other cities in Southeast Asia, eating some fruitchocs and speaking of our plans the boredom started to kick in. For Coops it was not so bad as she was able to catch up on the latest Revenge episodes and finish the season. After this she was lacking things to do and tried to sleep, reasonably unsuccessfully. Bevan tried to keep himself entertained with his eReader but before long his head dropped and he sat there, mouth open, asleep and dreaming of the thrilling adventures ahead.
After the nine and a half hours of drifting in and out of boredom, sleep and excitement we were glad to be landing at Bangkok airport. On exiting the plane the first hint of the heat and humidity in Thailand tickled our faces. We made our way to immigration where we had to wait in another long line! Passing through immigration we both tried to smile and say hello to the immigration officer, getting nothing back but a stern stare and efficient stamping of the passport in return. We collected our bags with ease and to see that they had not been tampered with provided a sense of relief. We had the choice of walking through the “Something to declare” lane or the “Nothing to declare” lane. Coops couldn’t believe that after taking the green lane we were able to just walk straight out of the airport then without going through any sort of customs checks.
After getting some Thai Baht cash out of the ATM we were ready to disappear into the big city of Bangkok. As we walked outside the thick hot and humid air hit us like a body blow to our temperature receptor solar plexus! After a hasty striptease we jumped in a taxi, heading to our accommodation at Lamphu Treehouse Hotel, wide eyed looking out the windows on either side of the car as we were transported through this bustling city.
Coops & Lorenzo
13/6/13
Coops’ Beginnings
I woke up ready to pack my bags in preparation for the major part of the Odyssey to begin. I was reasonably relaxed in the morning and took my time packing my bags stopping for a coffee and chat with Vicki (my friend I was staying with at the time in Melbourne). Packing my bags I had stuff everywhere laid out all over the floor and on the bed – it looked like an absolute mess but I knew what was where so it was more like organised chaos.
Once the bags were packed it was time to do the final check of the important things like my passport and wallet and then get in the car to head to the airport. For those of you that have been to Melbourne you will know it is a rather large city and sometimes when you think you know where you’re going you still get confused… Getting to the airport was a bit like this for Vicki so we had to resort to google maps. We made it eventually though and I said my goodbyes to Vicki and this is when it started to kick in that I was really going on this world Odyssey rather than heading back home after a holiday in Melbourne!
After Vicki dropped me at the airport I made my way inside and found the JetStar check-in area where I expected to find Bevan waiting for me but there was no sign of him anywhere. Knowing that Bevan was meant to be at the airport before me as he was flying in earlier from Adelaide I did wonder why I couldn’t see him anywhere so I tried to phone him only to phone that I couldn’t get through to him. I wasn’t too stressed out but I did find myself thinking about what I would do if I couldn’t find him – would I just check in myself and get on the plane without him? Probably… Anyway I decided to sit down and wait for a while and after no more than 10 minutes Bevan came trotting round the corner ready to go with a big grin on his face!
Lorenzo’s Beginnings
After an Adelaide side trip it was time to head back to Melbourne to meet up with Coops and the Odyssey to really begin! With bags stuffed with a few treats of Tim Tams and the South Australian specialty Fruitchocs, the anticipation of what lay ahead over the next 12 months was soaring. Of course there was the underlying sadness, as there was when we left New Zealand, of saying goodbye to important people in your life knowing it will be some time until their faces grace your presence again.
Knowing there was about 40 minutes between my flight landing and needing to check in at Melbourne, I was feeling the pressure of making sure check in went smoothly. Murphy’s Law, the flight from Adelaide was unable to land due to a balloon on the runway! A further 20 anxious minutes passed before we were actually on the ground. I was not the only one charging off the plane to make another connection and once bags were collected it was a quick-step to the check-in counter to meet Coops. Only more roadblocks arose! The first escalator was closed, as was the elevator next to it! With strides lengthening and cadence speeding up (not easy with 20kg on your back), I charged up another set of stairs while constantly watching the clock. There was Coops, waiting patiently sitting near the check-in counter somewhat concerned about the delayed arrival of the other half of this adventure duo.
The Odyssey Begins
It was hard to believe that the time had finally come for us to depart to Bangkok for the real adventure to begin! Time has gone so fast since we first decided to go on this quest eight and a half months ago. The last few months have been absolutely hectic so we definitely looking forward to getting in holiday mode and to relax a bit more. Coops is not going to lie – relaxing on the beach in a hammock with a drink in the hand is going to be like heaven!
Once we had checked in, downed any water we couldn’t take through security and Coops had taken another one of many regular bathroom pit stops, it was time to join the first of many lines waiting to pass through immigration. After a few obligatory high fives of excitement the boredom of standing in slow moving lines kicked in. Looking at the faces around us, we were just two of many feeling this way.
Since we were flying Jetstar we had to take our own food. Neither of us are fast food fans but Hungry Jacks was the best of limited options to stock up for the nine and a half hour flight. The last notes were changed into Thai Baht and last Australian coins were scrounged together, as I’m sure all travelers do, to buy something useful. We found ourselves standing in a shop counting our coins and trying to figure out what we could buy to use all the remaining coins.
Once at the gate we were told our flight was delayed due to engineering problems. This was not the most comforting piece of information for our first major flight (turned out it was just the entertainment system!). The first photos of our travel mascots Coco Bear and Bluey were carefully arranged as a way to entertain ourselves during the wait. Fortunately it was only about 20 minutes delay before we were able to board, the walk down the air bridge, grins on our faces, was punctuated by more crisp, excited high fives. Coops, being the silly kid that she is, took a photo walking down the ramp that failed to really show the excitement she was feeling.
Once we were settled on the plane it wasn’t long before we took off. Sitting in our seats like little kids hyped on sugar we exchanged a look of excitement as the first big step of our Odyssey had finally arrived. After watching some city guides about Bangkok and other cities in Southeast Asia, eating some fruitchocs and speaking of our plans the boredom started to kick in. For Coops it was not so bad as she was able to catch up on the latest Revenge episodes and finish the season. After this she was lacking things to do and tried to sleep, reasonably unsuccessfully. Bevan tried to keep himself entertained with his eReader but before long his head dropped and he sat there, mouth open, asleep and dreaming of the thrilling adventures ahead.
After the nine and a half hours of drifting in and out of boredom, sleep and excitement we were glad to be landing at Bangkok airport. On exiting the plane the first hint of the heat and humidity in Thailand tickled our faces. We made our way to immigration where we had to wait in another long line! Passing through immigration we both tried to smile and say hello to the immigration officer, getting nothing back but a stern stare and efficient stamping of the passport in return. We collected our bags with ease and to see that they had not been tampered with provided a sense of relief. We had the choice of walking through the “Something to declare” lane or the “Nothing to declare” lane. Coops couldn’t believe that after taking the green lane we were able to just walk straight out of the airport then without going through any sort of customs checks.
After getting some Thai Baht cash out of the ATM we were ready to disappear into the big city of Bangkok. As we walked outside the thick hot and humid air hit us like a body blow to our temperature receptor solar plexus! After a hasty striptease we jumped in a taxi, heading to our accommodation at Lamphu Treehouse Hotel, wide eyed looking out the windows on either side of the car as we were transported through this bustling city.