Round The World and other travels
A frequent flyer's collection of trip diaries
This is: Vietnam 2010
Beginning of the end
Bruce
got his wake-up call at 0630 and all too soon it was time for me to
jump out of bed and say goodbye until next time. Having returned to
dozing mode, I got up on a more permanent basis shortly after 8,
went through my usual routine and went upstairs for my usual
breakfast (usual, that is, except for now being alone!) in a fairly quiet
Executive Lounge. When I returned to the room to pack, time seemed to
pass remarkably quickly. I checked out at 1030 and a shiny BMW was
waiting by the door: it made for a stylish transfer back to the
airport. Passage through the formalities was easy and I quickly
found the spacious designated lounge. I left for the gate with just
under an hour to go. It was a little on the early side, but I felt
like a change of scene.
(Link to flight log in side panel)
After a quick walk around Changi Airport's impressive Terminal 2, I located the transit hotel that Bruce had recommended as an aid to surviving the layover. Their standard (as opposed to budget) rooms were fully booked, but they arranged for one to be held in my name at Terminal 3. One skytrain ride and a brisk walk later and I was checking in at the T3 facility. It was a concept that I had never used before: the room was basic but functional and it was my own private space for the next five hours or so. I started off by ditching my hand luggage and going out for a stroll around the terminal, during which I was able to take a few photos.
I then went to bed and spent a couple of hours dozing, after which I got dressed, made a cup of tea and watched the local 10pm news. I checked out, retraced my previous short journey back to Terminal 2 and found the Singapore Airlines lounge, which I immediately recognised from an early-morning visit in 2008, when I had been on my way to Penang. Unfortunately my Singapore-Frankfurt flight was showing a 1hr delay, but I thought that at least it would make for an easier time at Frankfurt Airport, where I had another long layover. To keep the hunger pangs at bay, I chose to have a strange combination of a bowl of cornflakes followed by a bowl of delicious courgette-based cream soup.
As I sat in the lounge, the clocks were soon showing midnight local time.