Author archive
15 October 2005
As we had crossed the International Dateline getting to Rarotonga and then Papeete, we landed on Saturday 15 October, a day before we had departed. But just barely, as our arrival was at around 2340. Kim organised for us to get on the crew transport to the crew hotel, the Intercontinental Hotel, where we had […]
30 September 2005
I arrived back into Auckland mid-morning after a month-long absence, which combined family time in Borneo plus an adventure in Iran. To top it off, I land in Auckland now on a Friday. And I received an email while in Singapore that I’m expected to return to my previous work on Monday. And they will […]
29 September 2005
The flight to Singapore was on a new A330. It had some nice features like mood lighting in blue for our sleeping time. I sat next to a German man going to Cebu for a 3 day holiday! That’s 3 flights totalling 17h (plus connection/ground time) each way, for just 3 days. No, that’s not […]
28 September 2005
I slept in till 0930 today. With a 1730 departure, I pottered around with packing before going downstairs for breakfast. They had doughnuts filled either with cream, or savoury with chicken ham or beef ham. I chose the chicken one and it was quite nice. The Turkish coffee was awfully bitter as it was meant […]
27 September 2005
Above: Price of petrol is IRR800 (USD0.09) per litre, up 25% from our visit two and a half years ago. Lazy wanderings Today is my extra day in Tehran having arrived here a day earlier than planned. I took it easy with a breakfast of muffin and fresh honeydew shake in my room. I took […]
26 September 2005
Above: View of Tehran from Park-e Jamshidiye. Bazaar I had to conserve water when I woke, since I couldn’t get any last night. I walked out of the hotel to get a fruit shake for breakfast but it wasn’t open despite being 0850 already. The bakeries had queues. I settled for a super-cheap Caprisonne-style pomegranate […]
25 September 2005
Above: Back at the Naderi Hotel in Tehran; the lobby area. Leaving early After breakfast, I asked the hotel man about making an external phone call. I didn’t think he understood me but shortly after he had patched me through correctly to Iran Air. The airline said it wasn’t a problem to have me fly […]
24 September 2005
Masouleh Having slept early last night, I woke about 0400 but lay in bed till 0730. At breakfast, I met the Japanese girls I had seen in Yazd. They flew here and are headed to Ardabil. I have a very empty sad feeling today, from having left the wonderful people I had met in Yazd. […]
23 September 2005
Above: At Mehrabad Airport. I had breakfast with Ada; we drank lots of tea and chatted for a while. It’s funny that I’ve taken an instant liking to her, Jan and the others. We’re so like-minded. Like I said, the more “strange” the destination, the more you’re gonna find in common with the travellers you […]
22 September 2005
Travel admin The clocks went back one hour last night with daylight saving finishing, so I woke “early”. I chatted with an Australian man who had a zinc mining business near here, and his Iranian wife. I needed some more Iranian rials. Banks here open at 0730 but it was still early. I went to […]