Monday 13 May 2013

Our holiday began when we boarded a Malaysian Airlines flight bound for Amsterdam via Kuala Lumpur. We chased the night across the globe for 30 hours, and killed time by trying to plumb the mysteries of the tiny multimedia screen on the back of the seat in front of us. It was as user-friendly as a psychotic fondue set, but against the odds we managed to watch a couple of second-rate movies. The noise-cancelling headphones were the saviour of the Endless Night. Susan enjoyed some Radio National podcasts while I slept fitfully after a forgettable stopover in Kuala Lumpur, which was just like every other airport you have ever seen: full of expensive stuff you don’t want to buy. Susan grabbed some sleep on a bench in a transit lounge that looked more like an airplane hangar while I tried to walk off two swollen feet, a stiff neck and an arse that ached from sitting down too long. On the next leg of the flight, we settled in for another 13 hours of grumpy air hostesses and long queues for the loo. The shrimp sambal for breakfast offset the horror for a short while.