London-Guatemala

Mon 20:26 Air side at Heathrow, just got through security. Bag was pushed into the 'manual inspection' channel, though so was just about everyone else's. All they did was use a sniffer machine on my bag of liquids. 

Filled up my empty water bottle at the drinking fountain; cheers MSE! Couldn't fill it completely as it wasn't a 'tap' but a squirty up thing, but still. Fingers crossed it doesn't leak. Squeezed as much air out of bottle as I could to reduce chances of air expanding and bursting it when cabin pressure lowers.

No real problems getting over here. Piccadilly train destination got changed from T4 to T1/2/3/5 so had to change at Hounslow West but wasn't pushed for time so no big deal. A few halts en route on Piccadilly were a touch worrying but again I wasn't too short on time. About an hour and a half to get to Heathrow, and I got here with a whisker under 3 hours til departure. So it's taken about an hour to get airside. I went over to the bag drop first to see if they wanted to do anything with my cabin bag but they didn't; a MoS was working the queue and although he took my passport off to scan it he didn't want to do anything else, so at least I didn't have to queue just to get to the counter to ask. TBH I could probably have not bothered and just gone through security but I had loads of time and thought it would set my mind at ease.

Apart from modest jitters at security am feeling pretty chilled out, almost surprisingly so.

Slightly disturbed to find GMail app is picking up new e-mails in the background even though I have background data restricted. In a way it's useful but I do wonder how much data this will burn; I'm on a tight-ish 1GB allowance on my Three PAYG SIM for the next 20-25 days. I don't plan on using it for anything other than e-mail but don't want to burn it all in case I find another need for it. Have set a hard 200MB usage limit so I shouldn't really worry unless/until that triggers early.

Very slightly tempted to go have a pint but (I haven't actually checked) I'm sure the price would be exhorbitant and I don't want to burn through my 14-unit-a-week alcohol budget unnecessarily even ignoring the money; I can probably have a beer on the plane for free, and I can have one with an enormous lunch tomorrow in Antigua if I feel like it.

Lingering doubts I've forgotten something but I probably haven't, and I have my passport and a credit card so it's not critical. I didn't re-pack today, I perhaps should have done but I felt I was more likely to accidentally leave something out than to discover anything missing.

2057 At gate 22. Managed to find a seat away from the burblings of BBC News 24. Not looking overly busy so far. Gate is a substantial hike from the main departure area, but perhaps because of that I did get a chance to snap a photo or two of our plane on the walk over.

While I could obviously have lingered over a pint, given the gate was called pretty soon after I wrote the previous bit and I'd have been unable to relax for wanting to neck it and get to the gate, I think it was a smart move not to have one.

Topping up phone with powerbank while I wait. There are limited mains charging facilities at the gate, which is nice, but I'm not going to fight for access to them. I could probably top up on the plane but I figure if I do it now I can probably avoid needing to do so in case it turns out to be prohibited for some reason. Only down to 80% but might as well top up while I can.

2156 Got battery up to 96%. On board. Looks like middle seat is free, into the lining! Flight seems reasonably full in general. Feeling OK actually. Was a bit worried my bag wouldn't physically fit into overhead locker but of course it did. This is a 787-8 FWIW, I just read the safety card because I'm conscientious and haven't flown for 4.5 years. Will switch to Mexico City time now, I don't want to go to Guatemala time lest it cause me to miss my connecting flight somehow.

Actually I won't. Phone in theory will adjust automatically so let's see if that works. I'll put my watch forward in a bit as a compromise.

0105 Just watched Three billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri. Not entirely sure if I liked it or not, but sort of interesting. The airline had dubbed all the swear words out which grated a bit; it wasn't quite at the "melon farmer" level but perhaps approaching it.

Had a Corona and a small but tolerable portion of chicken in red thai sauce with mashed potatoes, oh, and a small chunk of bread and some chocolate.

Miscellaneous bodily pains but presumably just from sitting. Feeling OK, is a bit weird to look at the online map and think that I'm 30000 ft above the middle of the north Atlantic, but it"s not like I'm freaking out about it. Greenland is practically a solid lump of white on the onscreen map, I assume this is an artefact of the map rather than any kind of reflection on its actual terrain. But I should check when I have internet access again. Flight has wifi but AFAIK it's not free and I'm not that bothered.

Feeling a tiny bit tired, which I guess is not too surprising given the time back in the UK. Jet lag advice I read is to try to switch to destination time as soon as you leave, but since we land at 4am destination time I doubt I'll get much sleep following that plan to the letter.

Not sure if I want to try to sleep or not. I think I'll try another - lighter - film and accept I may fall asleep during it. Ultimately it's OK, I can sleep as much as I want once I get to Antigua.

0754 It's freezing. I exaggerate, a bit, but did manage to sleep/doze - hard to say how much - although I had to crack out the supplied blanket despite having my fleece on and zipping it up. Had blanket over head and not tucked inside the seatbelt. A few fasten seatbelt warnings but no one made a fuss and I didn't notice anything scary in the turbulence line. Just had breakfast (bit of fruit salad, scrambled eggs, mini muffin and some unrecognisable thing - a sausage?? in sauce which I left), we have 1h 50 to go ish and I hope to snooze some more [pause for refreshment] after coffee and orange juice. Maybe it's the food/drink but I feel a bit livelier now, though will probably still try to snooze.

Fitful thoughts - I am not sure they were dreams, they were more in the 'sitting back in seat with blanket over head and eyes closed waiting to go to sleep' - of spiders and having to go through immigration in GC and maybe having my fruit and nuts confiscated in transit in MC and having to guzzle some before security in MC and the eternal conundrum of 'keep passport in my security belt and risk mugging vs leave it in hostel and risk theft' for the wbole trip - but nothing too actively agonising. TBH the most vivid thoughts were of finally (FFS, it's only been one day) having a proper bed and a proper sleep.

Watched 2017 Murder on Orient Express before trying to sleep - was feeling tired towards end but did watch whole thing. I found it a bit melodramatic, especially at the start, and the Poirot a bit action hero/superstar-ish (the scene at what I assume was the Wailing Wall at the start seemed massively OTT; I have read the book - so knew the twist - but it was ages ago and I find it hard to believe that was in the book) but it did grow on me somewhat; certainly OK overall. (I still prefer David Suchet's Poirot; call me a pleb if you will.)

During pre-dreams did find myself thinking a) I can't afford to waste a whole day 'recovering' from the flight, I need to crack on and not get 'stuck' in Antigua b) that is exactly the kind of thing I need to fight against in the name of relaxing and not running round like a blue-arsed fly (a phrase I really must look up the origin on  BTW), I have 10 weeks and fun/interesting stuff can pop up anywhere, I don't need to push myself to save a day right at the start.

It will be about 4am in MC when we land. I hope it's not too grim. Haven"t used phone much on plane but battery is at 86% which isn't too shabby.

-56C outside. Must be at least 10C in here. :-) I do still feel cold but not as much as earlier. We're over the Gulf of Mexico, south-east-ish of Houston. No transit at George Bush International for me today anyway. :-)

0451 (Mexico) Phone has auto adjusted timezone, Three don't offer Go Roam here so have disabled mobile data and I hope I can't accidentally incur charges as I have no credit balance, just an add-on which I think will only work in UK and Go Roam countries.

Got through immigration and security OK. Bit stressful as always, security woman rather unsmiling but no quibbles with my bag here. I asked at the food products desk about my fruit and nuts, guy said they were fine (though I had nothing in writing). Had to chug my water before security so nothing to drink with them but hey, not too bad.

Thought it was pissing it down when we were on the plane waiting to disembark but it didn't look like it when we actually did disembark, no idea if I imagined it or it stopped and I didn't see any dampness on tarmac as it was dark. Was air bridge not bus anyway so not a big deal.

FWIW my hidden belt pouch thing seems to go through security scanners fine while I'm wearing it, although if it matters it never had my passport in.

Am in the bit with shops and signs for gates. A sign says free wifi but it doesn't tell you the name of the network or any password. My phone shows a billion wifi networks but of the passwordless ones I've tried I either get no internet or it just seems to not even bother to connect and shows them as 'Saved', which makes no sense. Wifi selector on phone pretty much unusable as it keeps refreshing the list (either reordering it or blanking it for a complete rescan) as I'm trying to use it. I don't *need* wifi but it's annoying to have this tantalising hint of connectivity then be thwarted.

Not overly hungry now and am thinking will crack the nuts open later; they're not salted but that way if they make me thirsty I will be closer to getting a drink on the next flight.

Feeling OK, a little bit tired but not too bad. Didn't enjoy the immigration/customs/security experience but to be fair except for some slightly unsmiling personnel and the fact I'm doing it in a foreign language it wasn't worse than usual.

Minor confusion as guy checking boarding passes at the entrance to the transit stairway evidently - in hindsight - interpreted airport code GUA as Guadalajara and asked me if I was going there. I dithered a bit and he repeated himself then I twigged and told him I was going to Guatemala and it was fine. My flight isn't on the screens yet but not too surprising. There is a flight to Miami which gives me confidence this isn't a domestic-only section or something.

0528 Been topping up phone (very slowly) at a free charging point here, but it's making me jittery I'm going to walk off without it or someone will steal it from under my nose, so am copying the idea of someone next to me and topping up my power bank instead - this is one reason I bought it (though thinking hostels more than airports) - it's less valuable, a less tempting target for theft and I can probably replace it easily if it does disappear, whereas I won't be able to buy a keyboard if I lose the Priv.

I think when we were at Heathrow the captain said (in the Spanish version of his spiel only) that the plane had been made in Mexico. I was/am a bit disconcerted at not being able to understand all the various announcements (eg at the gate) but to be fair I just need to practice and some of the announcements weren't so clear even in English.

0643 At gate 64; can't see a screen from my seat but I think this is my gate. Boarding not til 0725 anyway. Think powerbank got charged fully so left the charging area to come find my gate, taking advantage to visit bog en route. Had load of fruit/nuts while charging phone; could have shovelled more in but I was probably overdoing it, I certainly don't feel hungry and if I do have to discard the rest of the packet on landing I've at least had value from it.

Feeling a bit meh. Not really deeply worried, though until I came to the gate I was a bit edgy about having got confused and missing the flight. It is very mildly exotic to be here at MC airport, but only very mildly. I don't seriously doubt my ability to navigate immigration, customs and getting a shuttle bus to Antigua, but they feel a bit like unpleasant chores instead of excitingly adventurous. To be fair I think what's playing on my mind is really the concern that I will lose something or have it stolen. This always exists abroad but a) I haven't had time to get used to this feeling yet b) I am extra on edge because the consequences of losing something while flying seem worse c) once I have accommodation, I can at least subdivide my posessions to reduce the risk of losing everything.

Will see if I can top phone up from powerbank while I sit here.

0752 On plane. Some chance of no one in middle seat. 737-800. Been yawning a bit in the terminal, further proof I guess I didn't get a huge amount of sleep.

Need to ask someone about 'buen dia' vs 'buenos dias' - is there a difference? is one wrong? See, already I am learning things. :-)

Felt a bit cold coming on to plane. It's daylight now and I think outside temp is about 16C so bit surprising. Feel OK now, probably just tiredness.

1021 Through immigration and customs. Will try to send this now...