Fasten Your Seatbelts, We are About to Land in a New Adventure...

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

If  I get the choice I like the window seat when we fly: I especially like  it camera in hand,  taking off or coming into land somewhere (in daylight) as these are the exciting bits of  flying that mean you are stepping into the next phase of your adventure.

Ok, truth be known I could do without all the hanging around at airports, the queues at check in,  the lines at passport control,  the opening bags and removing laptops and nebulizers for the security checks, getting to the gate, waiting at the gate and actual boarding…these are the boring bits, but necessary too.

Then I remember that my Father emigrated to New Zealand by ship and his one-way journey took six weeks via the “quick route” of the Panama Canal, so  it just goes to show how impatient people have become (well, maybe not you, but I’m guilty)  and how we take the speed of travel today so very much for granted.

On this trip we get to come into land in Singapore very early in the morning and although there is some hazy cloud at first whilst we are still about 40 minutes out from the airport, it quickly clears over Indonesia as we descend and I can start looking at the aerial views of Indonesia by the window.

I can’t move too much because Little Mr. has fallen asleep and whilst still in a semi upright position is leaving heavily on me.

Since he sometimes gets bad ear pain during aeroplane descents I’m trying not to wake him. Also a wheelchair will be waiting for me at the gate,  the system is  that we get to be  first on when boarding the plane but will be last off… so we aren’t going to be in any rush after we land anyway.

I know better than to try and fight Little Mr’s biological clock that, still on New Zealand time is telling him that it’s one or two in the morning, so the longer he sleeps now the better.

The plane gets gradually descends and just a few of the many islands of Indonesia that are closest to Singapore come into view… we see coastlines, islands,  inlets and bays with everything from fishing vessels, industrial areas, farms and what might be appartments, to jungle. Do I see mining?  Who knows.

Suddenly a familiar ribbon of ships appears,  more ships than I can count and you can easily see that far away on the horizon the number of them only increases… that’s the direction of Singapore harbour, one of the busiest ports in the world.

Then the tip of Singapore itself comes into view,  a less busy corner of the island with manicured golf courses and lots of green spaces… and then all at once the end of the runway appears… Trays have been returned to the upright position, (kid almost too), seatbelts are on and we are coming in to land…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)