This is the same tree I photographed on the morning of 20th of April when I left Melbourne. 166 days later it's still there...
Schipol is a quite nice airport. Best thing was the really helpful guy at the BMI desk who managed to organise that I could check my stuff in even though it was still two hours until the BMI check-in desk would open. I said good-bye to my beloved Les Paul in her new flightcase which made up more than half of my baggage allowance...As I have stuffed the case with socks, undies and t-shirts until the guitar couldn't move at all it weighted 17kgs... I was a little nervous if I would see her again in one piece as we all know how luggage is treated by the airlines...
Schipol offers several smoking boxes so the addict can indulge in his addiction. Apart from that I liked the fact that you could buy cold beers in the duty free shop for a reasonable price so I could kill the waiting time smoking and drinking...All in all Schipol is nothing special but a decent airport, no complaints what-so-ever... 
London, Heathrow on the other hand is plain and pure shit. When I asked at the information desk where to find the designated smoking areas for transit passengers I was told that there aren't any. At first I thought they were kidding as last time (3 years ago) they had smoker's rooms but the guy at the desk told me that Heathrow is now a smoke free airport. If I wanted to smoke I would have to go outside. And in order to be able to go outside I had to get through immigration and customs. I was not sure if they'd let me in again once I checked out but the nice customs officer asured me that if I had a valid ticket nobody would prevent me from getting my flight. I believed him and went out into England for a smoko. The good thing was that I could indeed check in again but when I went to search for another duty free beer they didn't have any! I could have bought any sort of liquor but no beer...The fact that Heathrow provides a "multi-faith prayer room" didn't comfort me but confused me a little. I mean, how does multi-faith work exactly? Do you have to be a catholic jew or buddhistic moslem? Anyway, I wouldn't be qualified to enter as being an agnostic is not faith at all. Even atheists have a faith as they believe that there is no god but agnostics don't believe anything...Well in the end I was happy when I could board my plane and leave the shitty airport there. In my worst airports of all time Heathrow has earned a second place after JFK which is the worst airport I have ever had to spend a night in but that's a different story...
Once we were airborne and on our way to Singapore I found that I am addicted to the wrong substance. They even provide needle disposals on the toilet, so a heroine addict doesn't need to suffer withdrawal but a smoker does! The world isn't fair!
After the Heathrow experience I was a little anxious if Singapore would be as hostile to smokers and after 13 hours of non-smoking I was quite ready to risk smoking on an airport toilet but then I remembered that I was going to Singapore where they arrest you for spitting your chewing gum in the street and so I reconsidered the toilet smoking plan as I didn't want to end in a Singaporean jail... but the apprehension was without any reason. Singapore is smoker's paradise!!!
Best smoker's area ever...not a disgusting 2 square meter booth but an awesome outside area with a bar and lots of cactuses. Choice! Even the quite high beer prices couldn't spoil it...Singapore airport get's 10 out of 10 points!The last leg was not that long, only 9 hours and then I reached Melbourne. I went through immigration and reached the bagguage claim thingy and asked the guy there if my guitar which was "odd shaped" luggage will also arrive on that convayor belt and he said "No worries, sure mate" and so I waited and waited and waited until all bags, suitcases and stuff was claimed and I had my bag but no sign of my guitar. I started to get worried so I went back to that guy and told him that I miss my guitar and he looked at me and asked if I had already checked the "odd luggage" desk? I pointed out that I had asked exactly that half an hour ago and I would be delighted if he could point me into the right direction which he did and Lo and behold! There was my flightcase. And inside it, entirely unharmed was the first true love of my life.
With all my stuff I went through customs and was a little disappointed that nobody looked at me twice but on the other hand I had waited long enough to finally be back in Josara's arms and there she was! Then we went home and I reckon in terms of jetlag it's best just to stay awake during today and go to bed early tonight. Well that's all for today, I'm looking forward to have a walk with the dogs later today and I really look forard to have a nice cold Coopers Green tonight and some nice Aussie food...mjam...
Ok, have fun, take care and cya later!
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