Day 116: Flying Melbourne to Guangzhou to Los Angeles

Wednesday 30th March- A 39 hour day

Flying on Southern China Airlines

Melbourne, Australia

Ghaungzhou, China

Los Angelese, USA

Distance:

Total Distance:

I hate long flights. I got dehydrated, don't sleep, am left cramped up, and generally feel smelly.

I also didn't realise how long it'd be flying for- beneficial ignorance. The times for flight 1 were 11:30am-6:10pm. But those are Victorian time and Hong Kong time respectively. So rather than around 6 hours it was an 8 hour flight. 

Thankfully I'm getting more experienced at these flights. The main problem for me is dehydration- I'll sleep later. Thus I need water and potassium. There are now a few good potassium rich fluids one can buy at airports to take occasionally on the plane. However one can also use tomato juice- 1 glass is about 400mg, the same as a banana or a portion of sweet potato. (They're great for most hang overs). 

I bought a bottle of the "super flight drink" (not real name) to try out. I was amazed to find, though, that SCA serve free drinks and tomato juice is on offer. In the end I had one of my best long haul flights and I put it down to guzzling their tomato juice. Thanks SCA!

I'd been warned before hand that SCA is cheap and not good. Hating long haul there's not much that can decrease my enjoyment. I actually really enjoyed SCA!

Check in was... Interesting. Everyone else had a suitcase, large cardboard box, plus two pieces of carry on luggage. What are you all carrying?!? Well at least one guy was packing medication- he was over weight, opened up, and showed off half a suitcase of various "PHARMACIST ONLY" medication. Must be stuff you can't get in China.

On the plane I had plenty of leg room, not a vast number of films but enough, regular drinks and meals, and a wide range of peoe from the population of Southern China.

Once in China I had a 3 hour stop over. I walked around the stores looking at all of the knock offs and items that would be illegal anywhere else, as well as items I'll never be able to afford. The airport has a small art museum of traditional Chinese art works. The was a not-Starbucks, and a pizza place, yet it was the noodle bar down by my gate that I decided to have dinner at. I just about managed to have my order understood, then felt quite smug when they brought my noodles with chopsticks and I didn't have to ask for a fork. I'm not well practiced, but I can manage with chopsticks. And I did it in China! Whilst drinking Coke-kind of ruins the image.

My next flight was from 9:30pm-7:40pm. Time travel! Around 2 hours back in time! If only.

Several hours later I made it to US immigration. This took some time. As a British citizen we have a visa-less treaty with the US. ESTA is an online form I signed that will let me in without a face-to-face chat next time. However first time I had to line up with the rest of the world (China) to talk to an officer. Long wait in a queue (well over an hour) before a 2 minute chat.

Finally I was in the USA!

A transfer shuttle bus took me around LA to West Hollywood. It was 11pm when I finally got into my new dorm room. Whilst sleeping would have been smart, I wanted tea.

On the way to the kitchen I met two Australians and a Brazilian. Over tea and random chat we decided to play pool. The Australians had been here a few days and would soon by leaving to go to San Fransisco.

FOMO vs FOSU: Fear of Missing Out versus Fear of Screwing Up

The scariest thing I've ever done is move to New Zealand. A place I'd never been to, had no family nor friends here, to a job I'd never properly done before, on the other side of the world, by myself. Looking back, being scared was a logical reaction.

And yet I still did it. I packed up my gear and travelled all this way.

The first few weeks I could get by on the phrase "You are in New Zealand!". It was a simple phrase filled with novelty and hope. I was on a beautiful island on the other side of the world where the sun was shining, how could I not be excited?

And then came Christmas. No family, no cold nor snow, just endless sunshine. I have never felt so far from home before. Thankfully, though, Emma, a friend from University, had been working on the South Island and came to visit. Later I moved into a new flat in Bulls with two lads, Ben and Nick. And finally, on Christmas Day I was invited round to Ben's family home, with Emma, to enjoy a true Kiwi Christmas.

After that it got steadily easier. The flat was a lot of fun, I could socialise with local farmers at The Rat Hole pub on a Friday night, I got out and about exploring the North Island, and met a new group of friends in Wellington.

The whole experience has been great, no regrets, would tell anyone else to give it ago. It was all made much easier by knowing that I had a base and community when I got here. Not to mention that the Kiwis are all lovely people and if I needed help it was never far away.

Now, however, I'm letting go of all that stability and going off to see the rest of NZ, as well as Australia and some of the USA.

Back to being afraid. But also excited. 

"I'm a backpacker"

"I'm travelling the Pacific"

"I'm as close to a professional blogger as I'll ever get"

"I'm lost... Well that's not good"

I'm back to being on my own again, fending for myself.

Granted, I know NZ now, have friends here, and spend time travelling with others,but I'm still off on my own.

Australia and the USA are similar- I'm with other travellers, have friends in the country, but I don't really know the places, not like I know Yorkshire, or even New Zealand.

Being terrified that something, anything, could go wrong and screw it all up seems very reasonable.

What's the solution?

Knowledge.

I already know most Kiwis, backpackers, tour guides, Australians and American hosts will be kind and honest.

I know what I want- to see more of the world, meet interesting people, have great experiences- then I don't have to worry too much about the day-to-day, just go with the flow.

And if I have a decent idea of what I'm doing then I don't have to worry able it the big picture.

All of this will remind me not to be afraid. To be excited. To enjoy everyday of it.

Spending the whole trip scared of what might happen would be as useful as spending the 157 days in a box.

Thus I will be spending the next couple of weeks writing posts about what my plans are, potentially with some detail. Of course things will happen to change some minor aspects, but the basic idea is there.

Hopefully it will help me fell confident in the face of so much time on the road.

Wish me luck!

Where's Wingham? Episode 1 Where's Wingham Going to Be?

                                      

Good morning and welcome to this edition of “Where’s Wingham?”, brought to you by me, Mini Wingham!

For nearly 14 months now we have been following this young man’s adventures, having moved from Yorkshire in England to the other side the world, living in Bulls New Zealand.  Now, however, he has decided is the time for him to move on.  And yet the adventure does not finish here.  For like any good Yorkshireman Wingham has saved his pennies and chosen to invest them in the best way he can think of.  He will invest in himself!

He will therefore be sadly leaving his job as a vet on the 4^th of December, once more leaving behind all of his friends and colleagues, and introducing much more of the world to that which is Wingham.

Out before us stretches over 5 months of travel!  From the forests and mountains of volcanic New Zealand, to the bright lights and sandy beaches of Eastern Australia, then out into the depths of the outback, before venturing onto to the natural wonders of both Tasmania and Kangaroo Island, and finally across the southern states of America and the eastern seaboard before returning to the UK and the 11^th of May 2016.

By which point he will be in debt, jobless, and incredibly interesting!  Present calculations cannot estimate whether he will be a well rounded person by this point. (Although, after the USA he'll be a well round person, no doubt)

Further updates will be brought to you over the coming weeks giving details about each tour that is being undertaken in the various countries.  Today’s edition will primarily focused upon the outlined plan to give you some idea of what to expect and where he will be.

Acknowledgment: this series has been enabled with significant help from STA Travel, and was only possible through the kind help of my travel expert, an Australian working in Wellington, Ivory Hattenfels. 

As you are well aware Wingham has been lucky enough to travel around much of the north island of New Zealand.  However there’s much still to be seen.  Much much still to be seen.  With this in mind, and with recommendations from Foxy and Fran, friends who have tried it before, the first part of this not a gap year will be cruising for nearly six weeks with the tour operator Kiwi Experience.

Kiwi Experience offers the chance for one to buy a bus pass that will take you around much of New Zealand, providing you with activities, tours, sites, and experiences along the way.  And if one ever wishes to spend an extra day in a place one can simply leave this bus and join the next one that follows.  In this manner we will see Wingham travel across and around the south island, attempting to see as much as possible before returning to the north island to see all that he has missed including Auckland and Northland.

NEW ZEALAND!!!

His time in New Zealand will end on the 4^th of February when he departs from Wellington Airport.  He will arrive on the same day at Sydney Airport and hopes (despite not having asked kept) to stay with Christian Byrne and his benevolent flat mates during that weekend and the following week.  The banter in the flat was so good he just has to return!

On Valentine’s Day Wingham will begin his next trip through Australia. This trip will take him from Sydney, up the east coast, through Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and onto Cairns, but many adventures along the way including learning to surf and spending two days sailing.

Once at Cairns the group will be flown in land and thus travel into the outback.  Out here he will visit Alice Springs, see the great site that is Uluru, commonly known as Ayers Rock, onwards into South Australia down to Adelaide, and then on to Melbourne, his final stop of the tour.

AUSTRALIA!

If the final day of the tour is on the 9^th of March, and you’ll fly out again on the 13^th of March.  This will give him a few days to rest and recuperate as well as explore the city.

Having taken a deep breath, the next part of the not a gap year will be eight days on Tasmania exploring the forests and beaches and meeting Taz!

TASMANIA!

Having been to one scenic islands off the Australian Coast the jenny then carries on to another scenic natural paradise.  In a place where he will hopefully be able to affect his David Attenborough, 

Wingham will be spending two days seeing the sights and hearing the sounds of Kangaroo Island.

KANGAROO ISLAND TOUR

The final stop in Australia will be a few more days in Melbourne before flying out.

Flying with China Southern Airlines he will transit through Guangzhou in China before landing on the 30^th of March at Los Angeles International Airport.

The plan then is to stay for a day in LA before traveling to San Francisco to spend a weekend with relatives of relatives.

 Wingham will be travelling through New Zealand and Australia during their summer months.  Meanwhile in the northern hemisphere it has been winter.  This means that wants in America spring should have sprung, and whilst the northern states will remain cool for a little longer the southern states will be coming warm.

This should result in pleasant temperatures for our noble adventurer as he passes through the deep south (visiting such places as Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon) before seeing the vibrancy of New Orleans, Obama’s Crib, and finally the Big Apple!

32 nights road tripping across the USA finishs with 4 nights in New York City! Apparently there’s some stuff here.

This is nearly the final stop. Nearly.

On the 10^th of May Wingham departs from JFK to go to Rayjavik Keflavik Airport, Iceland.

This is merely a stopover though, before carrying on to the last, final, absolutely the last stop, Manchester! Exciting.

Then back home for a slap up meal and a decent sleep.

Probably going to need a bath too.