Chicago to Abu Dhabi and then on to Kathmandu

As I write this I can see on the map that we are just popping past Moscow.  We flew over the arctic circle, Norway, Belgrade, Tehran and then on to Abu Dhabi.

The scenery over the arctic circle was stunning, the clouds cleared and the sun lit the huge ice flows below, reflecting silver in the bright blue ocean.

Now, this is a little different to being at home in the studio and working on my projects… not quite your average sort of day.

The flight has been  about as fine as an almost 14 hour flight can be. The European faces are in the minority and we the Aussie and the Americans stand out….

The cast and most of the crew are on board and in my role as Guide I have kept an eye out for them with occasional walks up and down the aisle to say hello.

I’ve had lots of space to move around without having to climb over people and finally the children in the audience have all gone to sleep. They should be, its just after 11.00 pm  in Chicago.

We have an hour and a half in Abu Dhabi and I need a walk and a good strong coffee, then back on board for another 5 hours to Nepal.  Then I will sleep.

I have been thankful for the Japanese down filled rug I carry. Its been cold on board and the down is much warmer that the plane quilts. Its a neat little rug, tweed one side and silk on the underside. It folds up into a small package and lives in my hand luggage. I seen 4 hours doing a drawing and suddenly it disappeared….

Oh well, it was good practice.

On landing in Abu Dhabi, I see that it’s 12.15 pm, noon, and our boarding time for the next flight is 12.15, so it was a fast walk to  the gate, through security and I do admit, that it was just a little heart stopping.

At this stage after sitting on a plane for almost 16 hours and having very little sleep, the body goes into melt down, but you have to thing positively.

The final flight to Kathmandu was pleasant. I ate and then finally slept. I honestly had no idea of time and locations of the hours in the day as we arrived at our final destination. The baggage collection was a friendly chaotic movement of people with bags a little less celebrity’s than hours eventually rolling off the luggage belt. I saw quilts tied with thick rope in a wide fishing net configuration, cases the same and some wrapped in plastic that has sucked the air out of the cases.