Mon 0735 Just got on bus 8 from Congreso. Only just got here in time, tho wasn't critical if I had missed it. Got up 0645 after semi-snoozing in bed from 0630 alarm. Felt a bit depressed/worried but usual pre-flight stuff. Cleaned teeth, had couple of bananas, packed last few bits and pieces. Fingers crossed all OK.
Teensy bit of trouble getting reader on bus to accept my card but driver was OK about it, I was prob just being a nervy idiot and putting it on reader and taking it off at wrong moments.
0953 At gate. All pretty smooth, bus got to airport about 0840, loitered landside to drink my bottle of water and have some biscuits then dropped bag off - bit worried as I didn't get any kind of receipt for it, but probably be OK. Guy spoke to me in English so not a language issue. Bag is checked through to London, don't need to collect it in Zurich.
Security unproblematic tho noticed a sign saying up to 5 litres of liquid allowed!? This might have been a different "channel" , it wasn't right over where I went through, no idea. Managed to avoid setting off metal detector by forgetting to remove anything.
No problem with passport control either, tho guy was slouching back in his chair and couldn't see him when booth 14 showed up as my booth and thought was no one there. But all OK.
Of course a) it would be too late to print boarding pass and b) you couldn't rely on it, but a sign nearby (where I can see the Norwegian flight to Gatwick waiting - half wish I was on it but it was expensive and annoying plus at least I will land at LCY which ought to be super convenient) offers 10 pages of printing for free if you e-mail files to some address. Though don't know if is any free wifi to e-mail with.
Feel a bit edgy at being separated from my bag but it's fine. On the homeward bound leg it is much less critical if it goes astray - I can live without all the stuff in it and it's just an insurance claim (assuming not shafted by lack of a receipt, but I didn't get one, I didn't lose it) and might even be a net win if I get new stuff to replace old stuff (tho really rather it didn't happen).
Guy at baggage drop/checkin desk offered me a couple of boarding passes on ground they're smaller than the A4 prints I had. I took him up since he seemed to think it was best, and this at least means I have duplicate paper boarding passes even without relying on phone electronic ones.
1120 Yes, free wifi too. And some electric sockets (and apparently broken USB ports on the one I tried) so squashed a bit more power into phone. Not really nec as have power bank fully charged but still.
Jeez, the boarding queue is enormous. I noticed when checked in online the front half of plane seemed to be *solidly* booked, no gaps at all. I can't believe this is true - why would no one have picked the aisle or window seats free towards back? - and maybe this was business class seats just being clumsily made unavailable to me.
Since I only have my tiny daypack which I want to keep under seat in front of me so no worries about running out of overhead locker space and whatever seat I have is reserved, I don't really need to worry about rushing on board.
1142 On plane, seating as advertised, seats pretty narrow (more than usual? hard to be sure) but got my aisle seat so don't really care too much. Do have a seatmate but can't always be lucky and didn't expect otherwise given business.
Phone did some weird quiet beepy? vibratey thing as in queue, but can't see any sign of it playing up now or any messages, and this wasn't a regular kind of signal.
This is an A340-300; let's entertain myself briefly with the safety card.
Announcement in German/English/Spanish touting 50 free seats in economy max - I think the Spanish announcement said it costs CHF90 but wasn't really listening, I don't think the English announcement said price!
Given this 50 seats free (I saw those seats; not worth the money to me as long as have my aisle seat) and fact we seemed to board "behind" some cabin windows I suspect there may also be a business/first section up front and the two combined explained that solidly booked section at front of aircraft as was choosing my seat, but who knows?
1150 225+1 passengers on board according to cabin crew announcement in English, which seems a tiny bit odd on this flight where I'd have expected German or Spanish.
1646 (BA time) Watched The Old Man & The Gun (OK) and Catch Me If You Can (fairly enjoyable). We had lunch roughly in between those two, no choice but some actually very acceptable pork+vegetable dish and some rice and bread and a small dessert, with orange juice and coffee. Been given a bottle of water which is nice. No free booze on this flight in economy but not a big deal.
Cabin is blacked out and lots of people with blankets on; it is of course bright sunlight outside when someone cracks a window blind but I think we're trying to create a night effect to help people sleep/counter jet lag. I do feel a little tired but not that much so. See how it goes, no point trying to force myself to sleep.
Usual (?) plane thing where I seem to have gas escaping from my arse, although I think it's not too odorous and is probably somehow related to the pressure.
Tue 0019 (BA time) Didn't sleep too badly, for a flight. Think I missed out on a small snack earlier due to having eyes shut or actually being asleep. Breakfast OK, bit of fruit salad and some sliced meat and cheese with bread and orange juice and coffee. We land in maybe an hour.
Watched Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit as falling asleep last night; not bad but was getting a bit bored towards end.
0654 (Zurich) Airside after security waiting for gate. Woman (whose passport was green) who evidently spoke little English just came and showed me her boarding pass (for a flight to Manchester), I think she was unclear on her gate so went to screen to check it for her. Nice to be able to help for once. :-)
0656 OK, at gate D41.
Phone batt 68% without needing to charge it since that little top up at BA airport, so should get me home OK even with bit of reading here.
Oh, noticed as boarding plane at BA that I *did* have a luggage receipt on back of the Zurich-London boarding pass after all.
0832 On plane (Embraer 190), got my aisle seat so all good. Flight seems reasonably full and do have seatmate but not a problem.
1003 Fifteenish mins from landing. Topped phone up bit from powerbank while reading on it during flight anyway. Given a croissant, which was noticeably less sticky and sweet than the ones I'd had in Argentina.
1047 (presumably Zurich time) On DLR just leaving City airport. Only got off plane about 0930 so pretty sweet really. Automated passport gate worked once I took my glasses off; you'd think there'd be a reminder. Bag turned up fairly sharpish and brief look as put daypack in suggests duty free is intact but not checked properly. Went through "nothing to declare" lane but it was unmanned so no one said anything to me. Quick flick through a leaflet suggested my alfajores don't upset anyone, I don't think they count as fruit/veg/plant/animal produce though arguably jut about all food ultimately comes from one of those, but don't think that is the intent otherwise it would just say "no food" after all.
1024 Got home maybe 1010, perhaps a smidge earlier. Been faffing with post and boiler and beeping smoke detector since got in. But things seem mostly OK.
2035 Prob send this soon. FWIW I had to learn a returnable empty litre bottle of Iguana beer in flat; due to minor rush on Sun evening didn't have chance to try returning it. But I only got charged about ARS11 for the deposit and I did get two bottles of Iguana while in BA so that only adds about ARS6 to each bottle, so still cheap.
Feeling a bit yawny and eyes sort of wanting to close/go kind of swimmy earlier but not too bad. Having some coffee (not specifically to address this) and will go to bed if I really want to any time from now, but may well be gone midnight anyway as really don't feel that bad.
2314 It was slightly disconcerting when I got home to find just how messy the flat was - with being away so much and having travel stuff lying around as well as the usual clutter it's a bit of a state. But I'm not getting too worked up about it, just saying I had - perhaps a good thing - completely forgotten about eg leaving bits of documentation and unwanted travel gear unpacked after Guatemala trip lying around to be sorted "later" .
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