Sep 28 - a long haul

Yes, definitely a long haul. Roughly 30 flying hours in three segments, 15 airport hours, including Montreal but not Perth, two overnight flights, 7 + 5 = 12 hour time differences, lost track of number of security checks ... I wonder how many times we've been photographed ? How many times discretely observed by Air Marshals and plain clothes security personnel ?

There was a slightly easier route, no doubt, but we would have had two shorter and one max length flight segments. We flew east then south. The alternate route to the other side of the world would have been west and then ultimately flying from Sydney to Perth.

The China Syndrome ? No, China is still in the northern hemisphere. The Perth Syndrome is more like it. I'd have to hold up a globe to see what might be directly below if we drilled down.

We land in 20 minutes or so. We've just started to descend. Our checked luggage, claimed and rechecked in Tel Aviv, is hopefully below us in the hold.

One of the security checks in Tel Aviv - has your luggage been with you at all times ? Well, no, airline personnel, baggage handlers etc have had it for the last 15 hours.

I opened the bike box for security in Tel Aviv - when did you purchase ? Huh ? I said 5 years because that came to mind but it probably was 4. I think that security was the point, not customs. The value didn't matter, they were just double checking that no one else packed it. That was definitely a first - usually you can't get close to your luggage at that point.

Downward !

Sent from my iwdt