( You can check if you like.)

Is this the final log?

100 was such a round number.
But I had more to say....
So Log 101.
( Had a room with that number once.)

Sunday 21st October, 2013
Got up at 6.15 am London time.
Had already taken my case down the stairs... ( all 32 of them ) the previous night so not to wake everyone with my banging and clattering in the morning.

Just the few final things to add to the case.
Out the door at 7.30am for the taxi due at 8am....
( Early....bit of a trend.)
Overcast day in Balham.
Taxi arrived right on the dot of 8am.
Headed off to Heathrow.
Very stormy, dark, wet drive to the airport.
Arrived 8.45am.

Bit worried about the weight of both cases.
Lovely taxi driver... He got my cases organised on a trolley and pointed me in the right direction for Terminal 4.
Once I figured out that pressing down on the lever of the trolley released the brakes, I made much better progress towards the terminal.

Straight up to Check In for Malaysian Airlines Flight MH004.... Leaving at 12 noon.
(After, I hauled all the weighty items out of my hand luggage, jammed those AND my handbag into a larger bag ... And pretended that was my handbag....
Checked in.
Suitcase allowance .... 30 kg.
My suitcase.....30.4 kg.
She let it slide.
Hand luggage?
'Oh, that's fine'

And away I went.
Round the corner, shoved all the heavy stuff back in the hand luggage... Including the fake handbag...and I was on my way again.
Breathing much easier and with a decided spring in my step... not to mention the grin on my face.

Did the x-ray and passport thing and in amongst the shops.
Had bacon and eggs at a lovely little restaurant and checked for Wifi.
I'm on.
Emailed all family of my progress.... Got replies instantly.
I was ready.

Onto the plane.
Great aisle seat.... (Thanks, Amanda!)
Read half of Lee Child's new Reacher novel.
Watched movies.
Didn't sleep.
But comfortable.
Much better getting the long part of the journey over first!
I liked that a lot better.

Landed at Kuala Lumpur.
Quite muggy, 25 degrees, 7.30 am, their time.
My flight leaving at 10.05am.
Checked gate number...in main terminal again so no train catching.
Changed clothes and sat on the cool tiles waiting for boarding.

On the plane, love aisle seats.
Sitting next to a young, 18 year old German backpacker on his first trip to Australia..
He was lovely.
He plugged my earphones in for me because I couldn't see ( or find ) the spot.
And I helped him fill in his customs declaration.
We were a good team.
Slept for about 4 hours on this flight.
Watched some more TV.
Paced around a bit.
Landed 9pm on the dot.
Nothing to declare.
Straight through the E-Passport system.
Down to Carousel #2 for my 30.4kg case.
Waited 45 minutes for the case.
That was frustrating...so near and yet so far.
Got it.
Actually, I missed it.
After waiting that long, and watching every single case come down that shute, a young guy grabbed it for me while I watched a man struggle to get his case off the carousel.
( Looked like it weighed a lot more than 30.4 kg,)
The young guy and I had struck up quite a conversation in 45 minutes. He knew a lot more about me than just what my suitcase looked like.

Off again.
Queued up.
Nothing to declare.
Straight out the door and there was Emily, directly in front of me!
Yah.
Big hugs
BIG hugs.
Lots of talk.
Into the car
We both had to lift the case into the boot.
It was heavy.
( Luckily, no fudging the hand luggage... Straight in.)
Rang Mum... 'I'm back!

Berwick.
The driveway a mass of cherry blossom.
Looked spectacular.
Phyll waiting at the door with both Dash and Mo.
Very exciting.
Hugs all round.
Dogs doubly excited because they were seeing Emily as well.
It was a wonderful welcome.
Phyll had made a great 'Welcome Home' sign and hung it in the kitchen.
Lovely!
We posed underneath it.

Cases open.... Lounge room floor covered as various things emerged one after another.
Great fun.
Emily stayed the night.
Phyll and Emily off to bed about midnight.
I followed not long after and asleep about 2am.


Up at 6.30am.
Bit exciting.
Things to unpack.

Headed to Greg and Leanne's at 10.15am.
Great get together with Mum, Dad, Greg, Leanne, Daryl and Betty.
Much laughter and story telling.
Mum loved her broach from Buckingham Palace...and the other nick knacks... all presented in Buckingham Palace plastic bags.
Then, trumping, the Harrods Carry Bag that Greg and Leanne had given Mum after they got back from their trip....a genuine Buckingham Palace Carry Bag was presented!
Hahaha.

Lovely day.
Back home.
Clearing up and putting away.
All done.

So that's it, I think.... Final Entry.
Till the next trip.

Thank you to everyone for following my travels.
Thank you for all your wonderful comments and good wishes.

Will start planning next trip now.
Many thanks....bye.

Oh....
Except.....

I had a card waiting for me from Amanda, the lovely lady from
Travelscene Berwick who organised my trip....

And she said that she thought coloured sheep along Eastlink was a BRILLIANT idea.
And that I was definitely needed in the UK to investigate the idea further.

Now, that's a totally unbiased view from the general public.
Totally.

This idea is spreading like wildfire.

I have a passport.
Cases are ready.
I can leave tomorrow.
Just say the word, Katrina.
Don't like to point out that it may have been cheaper in the long run if you'd gotten back to me sooner ...
But doesn't matter. I hear travel is good for the soul!

It certainly has been for mine.


Xxx