Step 1: One Way Ticket to Europe
On April 20th at approximately 8:40 am, my family and I departed from Okaihau and embarked on a four-hour journey to Auckland. The reason for our trip was for my mother to take my younger sister out for an evening, so she had already reserved a hotel room in Britomart for the night. Along the way, we stopped to pick up Osgar's various purchases throughout the city before arriving at the hotel. After a quick shower, we took a leisurely stroll up Queen's Street in Auckland before heading to the Skytower bus station to catch a bus to the international terminal of Auckland Airport. We said our goodbyes. Unfortunately, the southbound route towards the branching west highway was congested, causing a delay of almost an hour before reaching our final destination.
Taken at 5:44pm Thursday the 20th of April. Auckland highway heading towards the Airport.
Once we arrived at the international terminal of Auckland Airport, we had to wait until 9 pm for the check-in counter to open for our Malaysia Airlines flight, which included two stopovers. Our first stop would be in Kuala Lumpur, and the flight was expected to last around 11 hours and 25 minutes. For the flight, we were seated near the back of the plane in the same row on the left side, with Enoch occupying the window seat and Osgar sitting between us.
We proceeded to board the plane at around 12:30 am and took off at 12:50 am. The flight to Kuala Lumpur lasted approximately 11 and a half hours, and we finally landed at 7:40 Malaysia time. During the flight, I struck up a conversation with a lady in her 70s who was seated across the row from me. She was of European descent but was a Kiwi citizen and was en route to Bangkok, where she led tours for women seeking affordable face-lifts and dental work. She mentioned that the cost of these procedures was nearly half as much in Asia as it was in New Zealand. Furthermore, she revealed that she was a government-contracted teacher for female abuse victims and those who had recently been released from prison, which was her second job.
After the plane landed, the three of us waited until everyone else had disembarked before leaving the aircraft. We promptly began searching for our gate for the next flight to Muscat, which was due to depart at 9:20 am Kuala Lumpur time, or 1:20 pm NZT.
We experienced a 20-minute delay during our departure from Kuala Lumpur because a passenger was missing and had to be located and escorted to the plane. As a result, when we arrived in Muscat, we discovered that the gate was already open, and the boarding process was about to begin.
During the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Muscat, I was seated in the middle row alongside a French couple who were returning to France after traveling 3000 kilometers across New Zealand. They appeared to be in their late 50s and had visited their daughter, who was dating an Australian. During their stay in New Zealand, they extensively traveled around the country. The man expressed feeling safe on the plane due to the fuselage being made in a part of France where he had grown up, which made him feel at home. However, he expressed some doubt regarding the engines, as they were manufactured in the UK, and he couldn't vouch for their build quality.
From Kuala Lumpur onwards, we continued our journey with Oman Air. I observed that their in-flight map did not display Israel, only the state of Palestine. Although I have no opinion on their decision, I value and respect the culture of the Middle Eastern people and their ability to preserve their traditions and customs in the face of modernization. Although I may not always agree with their morals and laws, I do not pass judgment unless my conscience requires me to do so. Ultimately, the outcome of my actions is subject to God's will and blessings, and I aim to act with good intentions.
As we passed through Muscat Airport, we noticed a familiar scent in the air, similar to what our grandparents had in their homes. We wondered if it was something our grandfather had come across during his deployment in the Middle East after World War II, and if he had brought it back with him. We speculated that it could be a natural resin from palm trees or some kind of incense made from a local plant.
On the flight to Paris, Osgar had the window seat for the first half, and I was to have it for the second. Despite the window tint being on full blast, I was surprised by the amount of heat that still radiated through the aircraft's fuselage. I wondered if it was due to the microwaves or if it was simply the natural heat from the sun. It reminded me of the unfortunate incident where a cat was put in a microwave in the South Island of New Zealand.
Looking out at Mt. Suphan Dagi
As we approached our final destination of Paris, exhaustion began to take its toll. Despite taking several naps during our 29-hour journey, I found them to be restless and shallow. I was concerned about how I would manage once we arrived in Paris, as one needs to be alert when navigating the city, especially with the risk of pickpockets and thieves.
Upon landing at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport at 7:30 pm local time, Enoch booked a ride with Bolt, a ride-hailing company similar to Uber, to our accommodation in Ivry-sur-Seine, which was 32 kilometers away from the airport and about 9 kilometers from the Eiffel Tower. We expected to find Rose waiting for us at the accommodation, but she was not there, and we became worried about her safety since we had not heard from her. It turned out that her train had been delayed, and she did not arrive until around 1 am in the morning.
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