On Air Canada flight 33

The bulkhead dividing cattle class from the first class section

I am smack in the front of the cattle class section with a window seat which I paid for. Worth the price on flight like this. Thanks to the sleeping pill Mummy gave me I was asleep for most of the first half, getting up a few times to take a leak. Incidentally, bandanas make excellent, if possibly inelegant eye blinds.

Me, wearing a bandanna as a blindfold

Though I have flown on 777s before, this is the first time I have been far enough forwards to see the huge engine pods close up. I have heard they are about as wide as a 737's fuselage! A little after dawn, I could see the reflection of the fuselage on the engine pod. A little more than two hours to go.

The fuselage reflected on the engine pod

 Funny how airlines have images. Fundamentally, they all offer much the same experience, but I have cheerier impression of Air New Zealand staff, than Air Canada on this flight. Dumb thing to say given the status of labour relations. But there was a solicitousness about the Kiwis that was nice as they went up and down the aisles offering water to stave off dehydration in the passengers. I'm hungry.

While the outside air temperature is -57F (-49C), the window blinds are hot to the touch.

As the plane left near midnight and I had set my watch to Vancouver time, I have not reset it to Sydney time as it is easier to keep track of where we are in the flight that way! About an hour to go.

I have been wearing my glasses with a strap so I don't have to worry about where I put them. I have taken a bunch of "panda" pictures of myself with the iPhone that will get posted at some point.

Sorry Margo if this isn't about biking but I'm bored and need to write.

When breakfast came around, I asked for coffee and orange juice. Being me, I apologized for being "greedy". The flight attendant said I wasn't as I had been asleep most of the way. Implicitly, she was saying I hadn't had the supper offered after take-off or the sandwich offered around 6 AM Vancouver time! ;-) Mummy has oft times questioned the wisdom of the timing of airline feeding times.

My game plan for Sydney airport is to get through customs and quarantine, change terminals, check into Jetstar and have lunch.

I filled out the Aussie landing card twice. The first time was around 6 AM Vancouver time. Looking at it at 1:30 PM, I had trouble reading my own handwriting in places, so I figured I should fill out another one! The bio control questions want to know about animal products. Does that include wool? I have wool socks, a woolen Mactaggart tartan scarf and a merino wool jersey. If memory serves, the merino wool comes from New Zealand!

We are stopped at the terminal, waiting to be sprayed with insecticide. At least those noisy engines are stopped.