The Journey Home

Singapore > Delhi > London > Home!

Well, that was an eventful 9 months. And not because of the reason usually associated with that particular timeframe.

After all of the emotions, we were both feeling pretty drained, and this had got to be the worst part of the entire trip... the journey home. Not only were we saying goodbye to a lifestyle that we are unlikely to be able to replicate again anytime soon (not going to work, doing what we want, when we want, no-one at all to answer to... ever) we've also had the dreaded homeward-bound travel to endure.

When you get to the last day of a 2 week holiday, all you want to do is be instantly transported back into your own home by clicking your fingers, without the hassle of airports, planes and driving. After 9 months, the tantilisation that you will be in your own bed, near your own fridge and know that you're definately not getting on any dangerous 28 hour bus journeys soon makes that feeling all the more poignant. Our experience travelling home was no different...

We started our journey back from Singapore, having spent a few days taking it in, and enjoying a bit more of an upmarket hotel experience. Given recent events, we just wanted to chill out a bit and not worry before the arduos journey. Singapore airport is fantastic; a clean, relaxing sanctuary before the storm. Our flight from Singapore to Delhi was thankfully fine and uneventful, but that 3.5 hour flight is barely the opening page in the novel of our trip from Singapore to London.

We arrived at Delhi airport in the middle of the night, dazed and confused. We were using two different airlines to get home and the flights had been muddled together fairly quickly a few weeks previously, so we crossed our fingers that our rucksacks would find it onto the next plane as we disembarked.

Walking down the stairs into the airport we were met by a man who knew little enough english to ask us to follow him. Considering he had a name badge and a clipboard with our names on we did as we were told. Eventually we made it through to the waiting lounge for the next flight... airside, as we didn't have a visa for the stopover, with no Rupees, no cashpoints and only £5 in sterling. The metal benches that would be our beds, table, and seats for the next 10 hours rather inconveniently had arms seperating each seat, so there was to be no stretching out across them... what joy.