Kathmandu here I come

We won a trip to Kathmandu! Not the outdoor gear store on Lambton Quay but the one in Nepal. It was short notice though. And it was quite a surprise that Vera only started packing the morning we were about to leave. Which is not like her at all. So I am hoping that we have everything we need.

It was quite a horrible day in Wellington (weather wise) before we left. When we arrived in Auckland it was only slightly better as the rain cleared but the wind was still pretty strong. I could feel the wind going through the jumper as we walked from the domestic terminal to the international terminal. I was already dressed for Kathmandu weather so you can imagine what it must have been like walking through the Auckland wind, but I am a Wellingtonian… so bring it on.

When we arrived at the international terminal, all the counters were open except the Asian airlines which included MAS. Since we decided not to take a rental car to the city, we decided to chill out at the food court. Were keen to have the Chinese food but did not realise that it would close at 8pm. Try to put dinner on hold since our flight was only to depart after midnight. So dinner was salad from McDonald’s. How sad!

We were supposed to meet the other couple on the trip and didn’t realise that they were actually sitting just next to us all along. When we were queuing to check in, I called David and when saw him pick up the phone is when I knew who they were.

The flight was uneventful but the MAS aircrafts and the service have lost its lustre. Which is sad because they were not too bad, not too long ago. The aircraft looked tired and old. The crew just not as lively, despite the new uniform. Perhaps I have been too used to Air New Zealand. My seat tray was broken, one of the toilets were closed even before the aircraft took off! The screen on the seat in front was way too small and the quality of movies were deplorable. This used to be ‘airline of the year’ once a upon a time.

It is 4.10am local time. Another 3 hours to go before we arrive in Kuala Lumpur. A short wait before we head off again to Nepal.