For a long time, I chose flights where I would have to change planes when traveling from Europe to the US or vice versa. There was something about breaking up the journey spiced with a bit of anxiety over connections to keep me alert and awake.Part of my logic was that spending less on the flight was always a good thing. And then I developed some common sense; an appreciation for less panic and a serious aversion to lost luggage. Simply put, fewer plane changes means a less opportunity for the airlines to have your arriving in a distant location with only those items in your backpack. Now, going home, I don’t see this as much of a worry. But headed out, potentially for a as long as 90 days? No, really, I would vastly prefer to have my luggage arrive in the same city on the same flight as moi.
And it was so that I spent essentially all of the 28th which magically disappeared into the 1st (GMT+8 = hours to GMT from PCT + another 8 for Singapore) which didn’t seem to be real at all until I disembarked in Singapore. I enjoyed the airline, the service, But if I as your average US/European/Aussie guy, I might well elect Air New Zealand when traveling from the US West Coast to Singapore. This was my choice for direct flights. I was able to stretch out and sleep, after a while becoming completely disoriented and groggy due to flight duration. The menu options are both Asian and Western. There are plenty of snacks. I might just have consumed more than one pack of caramel crunch with sea salt.
Arrival went smoothly. There is an excellent public transportation service but I was exhausted and chose to spend money on a taxi rather than take their Metro. The more than 40 minutes saved plus not having to walk with luggage was more than worth it. I’m at the Bay Hotel which is quite close to the Marina Harbor. It came recommended from others on the ship and turned out to be less expensive than some of the other options. Since the mini-bar contents, Wifi and use of the phone are included, I didn’t think I could go wrong. Actually, it is clean, modern lines and what Ibis could only aspire to be on a dream day. From looking around the lobby, the clientele seem to be split equally between Western Cruise Ship passengers and business personnel.
I’m thinking sleep is a really, really good idea.
