Man Oh Man (Manila-Muscat-Rome)

Let's begin with today's title, Man Oh Man by Amma. We are trying to be contemporary. And no, dear reader, you are correct - I have no idea who Amma is. It's Jayne's sense of humour: we are flying to Oman, like in the title, O(h) Man. Like an ICAC witness in Operation Rosny, I have no further comment. Except there are a couple of random photos to break up the text.

It was a fitful night’s sleep. Who sleeps well when you know you have to wake to an alarm at a ridiculous time. Jayne often remarks that the best thing about retirement is not having an alarm to control our sleep. Not sure I agree but I was well awake before the 4am alarm. Mind you, at home that is the time I often get up to go for a ride. The world slumbers, the traffic is minimal and the early morning cyclists and joggers inhabit the streets.

Mark, our driver on Grab, arrived at 4:15am. Unlike Uber at home, they are not permitted to wait for you. Jayne headed to the car as I returned our door swipes and checked out. The roads were deserted by comparison with the previous evening and it had been raining again. The temperature was already in the high 20s with humidity at 91%, not a lot of difference from when we arrived.

Despite the early hour, we were at the terminal just after 4:30am, and it was very crowded. We were directed to the Oman Air counter. The queue snaked through the sheep-run from the desks to the very end of the barriers. My heart sank until I spotted one lane that was devoid of life: the Business Class line. I could feel the eyes of those in the endless queue as we walked straight to the desk to check in. Five minutes later we were negotiating the much calmer security clearance and immigration. Another bonus, an exit stamp to partner the arrival one. Still no request to see the QR code. Also, as expected, our Qantas issued boarding passes were taken and new Oman Air passes were provided for the next two legs of the journey.

A Seal Rocks, NSW, sunrise.

The Lounge was crowded initially but soon thinned and we organised some seats and food. There was no time for breakfast at the hotel for obvious reasons, although they do offer a ‘grab and go’ service for the crazies like us who fly at ludicrous hours. The airport is obviously 24/7 as I heard planes a number of times over night when I should have been sleeping.

Boarding was listed a full hour before departure. Interesting. As is the case with many airports in Asia, the gate is merely a doorway to another waiting room. Down the stairs we went into a very crowded waiting room. We were ushered into the Business Class waiting area. We looked here, we looked there, not many seats available and certainly not adjacent seats without having to climb over the ignorant who blocked access to seats not on the aisle. It’s the age old ‘gate lice’ story. Some have a need to be first in line to stand and wait. I watched as other people came in and looked desperately for a place to rest, those stopping their access and guarding their space, not interested in moving themselves or their bags.

It became obvious quite quickly that this area had to house more than Business passengers. Here we waited to see what would eventuate when they commenced calling the boarding zones. The 6:45am boarding time came and went. At 7:10 we got the call, Zone 1. This time I was rather smug as I walked toward the gates, watching those spread across the seats, unmoving in their occupied territory. Not seated in Business then? Enjoy the cramped confines of Economy. Karma.

There are two obvious differences between Oman Air and Qantas, the first being the lack of a champagne welcome. It’s tough, dear reader, but I had to be content with orange juice and given the hour, that was fine. Although it wouldn’t be have been the first time I’ve had bubbles for breakfast. Or before breakfast. The other distinction is the temperature of the plane. With Qantas, I had my jumper and blanket on me all the way to Manila. Indeed, the lounge here and in Sydney was also very cold, but the Oman cabin was warm. Jumpers off, no blanket required for this leg of the trip.

We pushed back about 20 minutes late. Breakfast orders were taken and we surveyed the entertainment system. Limited would be a good description. The music selection was curated by the BBC, not a lot of content beyond Britain, under the ‘western music’ rock or pop labels. A Bowie concert from 1996 was enjoyable. As I write this, I’ve just finished my second movie, The Bride. Curiously weird with lots of intertextuality. As is the norm, I can’t remember the preceding film.

Breakfast was passable although my preferred option of muesli was already exhausted. I assume the food was loaded in Oman and we have what is left from the flight over. Bravely I ordered a double shot espresso. I’ve had worse. Actually, I’ve had a lot worse.

One for the bird nerds. An Eastern Yellow Robin.

Given the price differential Oman Air is a most cost effective way to get to Europe in the pointy end of the plane. There are some trade-offs. On this flight alcohol is available but you need to request it. I didn’t bother. The headset plug is different to any other plane I’ve travelled on, so I was forced to use the supplied earphones. They worked well. And I’ve commented on the entertainment offerings. The service is fine, but again, if you want something you’ll need to ask.

Jayne was fascinated by the view of Muscat as we came into land. There was blue sky but it was kept at bay by the wall of dust. Looking down, the city resembled a cemetery. The buildings were all white, like tomb stones bleached in the sun and separated by strips of sand. There were a couple of green patches and the odd swimming pool. It looked anything other than welcoming or hospitable.

There was little sign of movement. There were a few cars on the elaborate highways, but not enough to justify the grandeur of the road system itself. And the round-a-bouts. They were bigger than principalities in Europe. If they appeared large from up in the air, imagine reality at ground level.

I am unsure how close we were to being on time in Muscat because time zones confuse me. The point is, we arrived. Safely. Once disembarked, we went in search of the Lounge. It was found easily enough and most of the people in our cabin turned up there at some point as well.

In contrast to Manila, Oman airport was almost deserted. The expansive runways told a story of future expansion, but today was quiet.

The lounge area was deceptively large and it had a bar area. This we discovered only after eating. We  had decided to move to allow others to have our table and the place filled up. Our reward was finding the area where alcohol was served. A couple of champagnes helped us relax into the afternoon.

The flight to Rome was, unhappily, scheduled in a 737. I know we are in Business and it was superior to any other 737 Business Class, but 7 hours not being able to lie flat. I'm too old for that - hence one of the main reasons why we fly Business. Otherwise the food was great and there was a wine service, the staff were efficient, but again, after the initial service if you wanted something, you had to request it. 

Who'd have thought it?

We actually opted for the set Omani dinner menu which had a selection of small traditional dishes as entrees and two options for mains. It seemed like a lot of food but we were assured the components were all little - they weren't and we couldn't eat it all.  We really liked some of the dishes; a couple of others weren't to our taste but we are happy to experiment because we don't see any point in going overseas and wanting it to be like Australia.

The flight map showed that the Mango Mussolini (thank you Rosie O'Donnell) has not yet renamed the Sea of Oman. It also had our flight heading up the Strait of Hormuz. It's OK, we survived and landed in Rome on time.

Trouble with the new immigration system that is supposed to cause major issues getting into Europe? No idea. We have electronic passports already and were directed into a different line that had us exiting through electronic gates like at home. We were at the baggage carousel in 5 minutes. Believe it or not our bags were there before us. Seriously, it has taken us longer to get back into Australia! Now we have been inside the Schengen Area, hopefully we are set for the next 3 years.

Then into more unknown territory to get the train to Roma Termini. As usual, signage was a little patchy but we followed the signs we could, purchased tickets and boarded the Leonardo Express train for the 30 minute journey to Rome. We were at the hotel check-in by 9:30pm. Another long day, but we have arrived.

Sunset as we arrive.

We're here for two nights to break up the travel and get into the time zone. But first, a shower and sleep.

Towards Republica.

The party people across the road. Love double glazed windows.

Alla prosssima.

Reflections of My Life (Sydney-Manila)

Hello, dear reader. Let's deal with the title of the today's post. While not the original, Reflections of My Life was a single released by Australian band Flake in 1967. I woke up after a very restless night last week with it in my head. I have no idea why. Jayne does have it on a compilation album but we haven't played it in years. Today's text breaks are courtesy of my last bushwalk, Starlight's Trail. Enjoy.

And so the journey commences. Transit day as we say. The Uber was on time. The queue at the check-in desk was interesting. Gate C. We didn't know it existed - it was behind the bag drop for Gates B and D (no jokes please - oh, OK, flying with Qantas is sometimes like S and M) and was tagged for flights to the USA and Norfolk Island. Neither is our destination. There were none of the usual lines: online check-in, Business, Economy. Just two lines, one for crew and the other for the unwashed masses. We arrived at just the right time and the line grew long behind us as we waited for our turn.

Raphael, from Qantas ground staff asked if we wanted our bags checked through to Rome. Given we are overnighting in Manila I questioned if this was possible. He assured me it was and then had second thoughts, (after Jayne said she would hold him personally responsible if the bags disappeared) and checked again. No deal, as they say in TV land. Unsurprising. Although he did provide boarding passes for the entire trip. It will be interesting to see if Oman Air re-issue these tomorrow morning in Manila.

Bushfire impact still evident.

Security and passport check went efficiently and we were soon on the happy side of the barrier searching for the Qantas Business Lounge. It has moved due to the fact that they are refurbing the 1st class Lounge which has taken over the former Business space. The 'new' lounge is near gate 24 and was previously the staff lounge. Not sure where they've been moved to. It is a small space and it was crowded, but we secured a table and some morning tea and waited patiently for boarding.

Sydney-Manila

As we headed for our gate, Jayne saw Pat Rafter. This doesn’t count as meeting someone we know. It’s a competition. Walking around the one of the eateries, a woman pops up with “Hello, hello”. It was Julia, a former colleague of Jayne’s. She gets the points and the mythology of ‘always’ seeing someone we know at the airport lives on.

Boarding was efficient and a much-improved experience, now that Qantas has adopted boarding zones. We pushed back about 5 minutes late but landed 10 minutes early. No complaints there. The welcome champagne was, well, always welcome and uncharacteristically, I declined a second glass.

The Nattai River early morning.

Our steward, Steven, was charming and cheerful and topped up glasses without being prompted. The food was excellent. Satay skewers, ginger chicken and noodles, prawn dumplings and a delightful Mencía from McLaren Vale. A red grape from Spain, finding a place in Australia.

The movie selection on Qantas is always expansive and this flight was no different. It can only set us up for disappointment on the other legs. I watched The Hail Mary Project which was quite amusing and endearing. Ryan Gosling at his best. The second movie was a commentary on race relations in the 1920s with David Gulpilil and Gary Sweet. Finally, I endured The Thing with Feathers with Benedict Cumberbatch. We saw the stage version at Belvoir last year with the excellent Toby Schmidt. The film was not far removed from the play and given its harrowing, dark, depressing subject matter, I wonder why I put myself through it again. What’s that, dear reader? I was a captive in a metal tube in the sky and needed to kill time. Yes, of course.

Manila airport, Ninoy Aquino, was manic, as expected. We were among the first off the plane, Immigration was a breeze and the mandated, essential QR code was not requested. But we had our passports stamped! Exciting. Unhappily, digital passports and electronic processing are making stamps redundant.

Our bags appeared promptly on the carousel. We were overnighting here only, so no time for sight-seeing and the hotel, Holiday Inn was about 10 a minute walk from the terminal. If you could survive the taxi touts. And there were many. “Cheapest taxi. We take card. This way sir”. When I declined, it was assumed I was heading for currency exchange and remained shadowed, until I explained I was walking to the hotel. The incredulous look said it all. Walk? He questioned, but it will take 20 minutes.

It was closer to 15 minutes than 10 because, in what is becoming a recurring problem, one of my bags was damaged. Specifically a wheel. The rubber tyre has been torn off, revealing the hard plastic wheel beneath, destroying any ability to move smoothly across the tiled floor. The other issue was construction work which reduced the footpath to narrow patches of damaged concrete with the occasional puddle into which a small child could fall and drown. It was also 26° and around 90% humidity. No, seriously, and the rain had just stopped.

A reflective moment. Title link.

We arrived safely, although, in an Oscar Piastri moment, I had blown another tyre. It now makes a really cool sound when being wheeled across the tiles and doesn’t lurch like a three-legged dog. As the sweat slowly trickled down my back, a shower and bed were in sight. Not so fast. To access a hotel in the Philippines, well certainly in Manila, your bags must be security x-rayed. In all my travels, I have never seen this before. Backpack and suit case into the machine, I walked through the metal detector to be asked if I had a knife in my bag. In my backpack? I questioned, pointing to it. No, he gestured to my case. No, I replied again. Then it dawned on me. We carry a set of cheese knives. You never know when you might be assailed by a soft brie or we need to attack a tough pecorino. A proper cheese knife is the only defence. We also travel with our own wine glasses. If you ever doubted that we are snobbish wankers, these revelations should assail any qualms. Bag opened, knife set inspected, conference among security staff, knives returned and we were zipping to reception.

Check-in was fast and the hotel is gratis because I used points we accrued in Spain last year. Bargain. We discussed getting to the airport tomorrow morning. Terminal 1, not Terminal 3 where we arrived. It is the furthest from the hotel and requires transport. The hotel shuttle doesn’t commence until 6am. We need to be at the airport around 4:45am. Taxi is the answer and they only accept cash. Around 1,000 pesos should do it, about $22AUD. We needed to find an ATM or head to the currency exchange across the plaza, but first it was time to rehydrate, aqua only and drop the bags in our room.

The room aircon was set to Arctic. Unsurprisingly. It’s the same in Singapore and KL. We then headed down and spoke to some other security staff about the way forward. I didn’t really want to get the local currency. Do you have Grab? She enquired. Grab is the Malaysian and Philippine version of Uber. And yes, I do, courtesy of my working days with UNSW Global. A credit card update and we ordered a ride for 4:15am. No cash required.

We lost 2 hours in the time change from Sydney to Manila, so it was definitely time for a shower and bed.

Alla prossima.

Sunsets (Sydney - Manila - Muscat - Rome)

It's that time of the year again, my dear reader. Time to pack our bags and head overseas. So, this post is mostly text with a few local Redfern photos added for colour. The destination of choice this year? Well, it's a little bit of this and a little bit of that. First to Italy via an overnight stop in Manila and then onto Egypt to check out the tetrahedrons and cruise the Nile.

In order to fly Business Class and not spend a fortune, there are some tricks. By comparison, current flights from Sydney to Rome return, with the national carrier, cost around $19k each. However, by flying with a tier 2 airline that is a part of One World, you can still score Qantas points and in some case status credits. We are flying with Qantas to Manila and staying overnight, using accrued points at hotel in walking distance of the airport terminal. From there, we fly with Oman Air to Rome via Muscat. These flights are listed as First Class, but according to a seat tracker I use, they are actually Business Class. Cheers to the US where Business Class is not understood.

The complicating factor is the return flight because of the side trip to Egypt. Again with Oman Air, we fly from Cairo to Muscat and then Kuala Lumpur, connecting with a Malaysian Airlines flight to Sydney. The cost, you enquire? Just over $6.5k. The cost of both our fares is less than our 'beloved national carrier' charges for one. Booking flights from a hub in South East Asia significantly reduces flight costs and allows you to fly in comfort at the pointy end of the plane. Don't say you weren't told. And while I organise much of our travel, I leave the flights to my wonderful agent, Luvena at Enperso Leisure Travel (luvena@enperso.com).

A random Redfern sunset across the train station.

As is our custom, most of the trip is self-organised and built around some group tours. We have about 7 weeks in Italy, including a food and wine tour of Tuscany with the marvellous Matt Dillow of the Deck Café and Gartelmann Wines in the Hunter. He operates Matt's Food and Produce Tours. We had such an excellent time with Matt on the Catalonia tour last year, we are backing up for a week in Tuscany (and next year, we will be joining him in Malta).

Aside from that, we are visiting Rome (obviously), Florence (just because), and places we have not previously been: the Lakes District, Milan, Bologna, Bari, Lecce, Matera and finally the Amalfi coast, basing ourselves in Sorrento. It is a slower journey than usual except for airport transit stops like Rome, with a minimum of 4 nights anywhere and a maximum of 9 in Sorrento.

Another Redfern sunset. Eat your heart out Santorini.

The visit to Egypt and the pyramids is not something I thought possible for us until TravelMarvel decided to offer a Nile River cruise with time in Cairo. We thought the pricing was reasonable so we added it as a side trip on the way home from Italy.

I write this a week before we fly out and already we are experiencing some challenges. We have pre-booked a number of tours and visits to places that require tickets well in advance, while still leaving time to immerse ourselves in the locales where we have chosen to stay.

An early morning from the hill top, Moore Park.

Airline ticketing has proven to be the biggest hurdle. Re-scheduling meant changing our original journey home from flying through Jakarta to KL instead. Then Malaysian decided to swap us onto another flight home, forcing us to stay in KL for the night. Finally that flight disappeared altogether and our trip was going to finish in Kuala Lumpur. Thankfully Luvena was onto it and all has been rectified. The benefit of using a travel agent for complex flights is obvious. I am now checking the Qantas website daily.

As we prepare to depart our homeland (4 big sleeps to go) I often reflect on how, in Australia, we consider ourselves to be international players, or wish to be. Then I watch the news and despair. Today, aside from real estate prices, the big story was the official opposition in Australia wants to make burning the national flag a crime. Seriously! In a time when there is a cost of living crisis, rampant homelessness and devastation related to climate change is out of control, those who aspire to lead the country wish to start yet another culture war. FML. 

Check out the vibrancy.

And then there is the new addition to Moore Park. The Lord Mayor of Sydney and the populist State Government decided it would be an excellent idea to rip off 6 holes from the public golf course and make it public parkland. Apparently it's a new "vibrant addition" to the precinct. I'm pretty sure there would have been more golfers using it than the average punter. I had it all to myself this morning. More serenity than vibrancy.

Anyway, we're leaving the back country politics and mindless culture wars behind very soon. My next post will probably be from Italy.

Today's title is linked to my sunset photos. Hyperlinking the song is experimental. I had issues last trip with "community standards" which I assume was to do with copyright. Therefore, if the Sunsets by Powderfinger isn't hyperlinked you know that is what the problem was.

Alla prossima.