Home » Malaysia » Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

To kick start this entry, I doubt this applies to many, but your patience has paid off waiting for some photos, as I've gone a little crazy and added over 30 of the little blighers to my previous blog. If you thus fancy seeing even more mountains, or a car-destroying parrot, just click that 'previous entry' buttom above. I figured, as this will be the last set of photos I can upload until I next put some on CD, I thought I'd treat you lucky lucky people.

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

Simon Wadsworth
2006-09-04 17:28:55

Displayed times (last time: )

sneeze. My trainer was about my age, just to rub it in my face at being a beginner, but was really patient and supportive. He showed me how to steer on the ground using my feet (which was a surprise to me, though makes sense if you think about it), and then let me take off, fly the plane for a nice long 45minutes, and land it again - though I admit, a little help was needed with the latter. :) The controls were a lot more sensitive than I imagined, though required patience also for the steering to take effect, something I don't have much of, resulting in a somewhat rocky journey to begin with; I kept thinking the plane was going to spin over either sideways or upside down - quite an unnerving experience. But I proudly admit to picking it up, which was when I opened my eyes (it helps, I feel) and saw the view of Christchurch and the mountains all around me. Besides as a shy kid begging to see the cockpit of a plane, this was the first time I've ever had to not turn my head sideways to be able to see out, and it was worth waiting for. The whole experience has definitely whetted my appetite to want to get a PPL (Private Pilot's License), where you 'only' need 45hours flying time, though at US$8000 a pop, I think I'll wait until I'm manager of Waitrose or a lottery winner first.

And then with parting sadness, I felt out on a slightly bigger plane to Sydney, leaving NZ behind, though not for long I hope, and wishing I could store her in my pocket. With 3 months already gone, as Will mentioned, this trip is moving on at an impressive pace, but lots more to see just yet. Unlike New Zealand, where to some extent, the travelling experience was within the comfort zone and despite the odd "let's-kill-myself" stunt, most experiences centred around the phrase "ooh what a lovely mountain", the rest of the trip is now going to be a lot rougher...more real, if that makes any sense. The main language now is not English, showers are not hot, and tap water cannot be trusted - but at the same time, people are friendlier, the cultures are richer and I hope I will come away learning so much more about the world, one doesn't generally experience back in Devon.

Anyways, I stopped in Sydney for what was meant to be a couple of hours. I would've liked to have stayed a couple of days, but my Round the World ticket wouldn't allow it. However, it would seem that fate was on my side, as the plane was delayed 15 hours, and I got put up in a posh hotel in the centre of Sydney for the night. And by posh, I mean an escalator from the street to reception posh! I may have arrived at the hotel at 1am, and I may have been utterly shattered, but damned if I was going to miss this opportunity. So I found a trusty map, and until 3am walked (or rather stumbled), to the two attractions every tourist falls into a trap of wanting to see - the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. The majestic bridge was looming in darkness, but the Opera House was fully lit up, and despite seeing it countless times on TV etc, was far more impressive and stunning in reality. What no guide book seems to tell you is the dozens of small bat-like UFOs that constantly circle around it in an anti-clockwise direction, giving the building a magical presence.

Then finally, after a full buffet breakfast on the house thanks to Malaysian Airlines, over 1000 channels of entertainment on the plane, and a long wait, I arrived in Kota Kinabalu, for another two weeks of picking and choosing. It may be a bit before I write again, but I will try as soon as I can - but in the meantime, there's a fairly big mountain to climb (yes, I'm obsessed with them), the Warehouse tent to test one final time, and spicy food to get used to.

Sorry for a slightly factual-based blog - I hope I didn't bore too many of you. All the best,
Simon