Eventual Arrival...

The incredibly long flight from Australia to London was survived, and two slightly weary travellers have now arrived in England! The flight itself was surprisingly comfortably, although i feel the limited and confined space was less appreciated by the taller of the two travellers! Having taken the necessary travel sickness pills and armed with water, a magazine and Pride and Prejudice i felt ready to tackle the huge 21 hours ahead of me. The first seven hours of the flight passed quite easily, both of us making good use of the free in-flight entertainment. The last seven hours or so, were not quite so great and I spent it sitting rigid in my seat, trying and failing to fall asleep and wishing with all my might that time would pass quickly!

A speedy change was made in Doha and within an hour or so we were boarding our connecting flight. The second shorter leg was fine, the time seeming to fly by incredibly quickly. I watched The Help (fantastic film) and Rebel without a Cause with i think passed the time.

The landing in London was smooth and we were greeted (much to the Captain's surprise!) by a comparatively warm 12 degrees. That said, coming straight off the plane from Australian summer, the coats were quickly put on and zipped up as we made our way across the runway. The transition through customs and baggage collection was also quick - everything going seemingly well!

Ironically enough, despite all the flights we had taken, and all the trains we were about to take, the thing we had the most trouble with was working the pay phone at Heathrow! It was not until the fifth attempt (much to J's frustration and my lack of technological skills!) that we finally got through.

We made our way to the Underground making our way to Euston to catch the train to Manchester. It was a good way to get a feel of London, spending most of the trip watching what was happening outside of the window. Soon the train was filling up, the carriage feeling a lot smaller than those in Australia. When it got to our stop, we found ourselves packed in next to the wrong door - a lot of ramming suitcases and polite excuse me's saw us on our way.

We arrived at Euston with around four hours to spare - incredible organisation some might say! However it gave us time to relax, find a seat and have some lunch (thank you Marks and Spencers!!) and also have a little walk around outside and take in London.

The train ride went by quickly and although running a little late, we arrived in the early evening greeted by family. After 40 hours or so with very little sleep - bed sounds like heaven on earth!