6:23 GMT+2
I'm relocating with Steemit!
You can read here how I've been influenced by Steemit:
How Steemit literally changed my life! My 10 000 km away relocation.
Here I am. Warsaw's Chopin Airport waiting to start my 24 hours journey to Manila. But first I'm gonna see the Alps in Zurich, then skyscrapers of Hong Kong and then finally after 24 hours Manila.
I'll be updating this post till I arrive to Manila. Sharing with you photos, tips and tricks I learnt about flying and also my reviews because I'm going to use two different airlines, Polish LOT, Cathay Pacific times two.
Don't get sick
Your nose is your first line of sight in the war against viruses and bacteria and the conditioned air on the plane is harmful to your mucosa which are protecting you from viruses, bacteria and germs. And the air inside a plane consist of gems breathen out by hundreds of passengers (in case of A380 more than 500). In order to prevent drying of mucosa ant therefore opening your immune system gates to all that bad stuff you have to moisture your nose. You can use just a sea water in spray or some stronger mixtures like I'm doing now. (pic related):
Some people also wear protective masks but this would be exaggeration for me and I can't imagine keeping it on my face for 15 hours... Moisturizing doesn't guarantee you 100% safety but it raises your survival chances dramatically
Second protection that you should always have in mind is cleanliness of your hands. Never ever touch any food with your bare hand. Not after being in close contact with thousands items that had been touched by millions of people before at the airport, shuttle busses, trains and at a plane itself. Some scientific researches shows that a good tray in a plane can be dirtier than the public bathroom floor.
Eating before a flight
I'm trying not to have a serious meal for 24 hours before the flight. Just some snacks, salads, carbohydrated liquids to keep me alive. I'd rather also skip eating heavy on the airplane at the first course and wait till the last meal (depending on the timezone I'm flying into, breakfast or dinner). This last meal is important because I need energy for remaining part of the journey, immigration, customs, queues, finding a ride and getting to my apartment. Having a perspective of 10+ hours flight with a full stomach justify the starvation day before. Plus my mind is sharper and more focused while I'm fasting. Skipping that lunch and dinner won't kill you believe me and you will feel fresh and lightweight.
Clothing
I prefer to wear clothes that are comfy and remind me of a bed and coziness. Soft jogger pants and light fitted t-shirt are my choices I usually keep some replacements in my hand luggage in case of temperature being too high and excessive sweating so I can jump into them n the bathroom right before landing.
Keeping yourself busy.
For me it's watching movies from the onboard entertainment system because they usually have some blockbusters that are now being played in the cinemas. Although even on that super hyper new planes the screen quality is below any modern standards...
Tell your bank you're leaving!
This one is really important. Banks (at least in my country) are obsessive when it comes to foreign transactions, which is good I can't deny but also can be very inconvenient for you. I heard the story of the guy who run out of Yuan's in China and tried to pay with a card for his dinner. Of course his Polish bank banned that transaction right away and blocked the card so they guy was in a really awkward position to the point in which he was about to clean the dishes so they won't call the police. Fortunately he was able to call his friend who came handy and delivered him a cash to that restaurant. I've also experienced that but my card was blocked even I was only doing some online transaction just being abroad!
That is why I recommend you to do what I'm doing now before every flight out. Call your banks and tell then so they will ad a special exception to your account which will include the date and destination of your travel. Although they still said it's not 100% guaranteed that they won't block my account but still it's worth a try. But in case of the blockade you should just call your bank ASAP and ask them to lift that ban. Just have prepared phone numbers and your passwords to deal with bank customer support.
Sleeping on the plane
This one is hard. At least for me. I'm not taking any pills so I'm mostly awake. If I manage to sleep 20% of the flight it's a big win. We are talking economy class here. Avoiding anything rich in caffeine before flight and maybe a slip of alcohol onboard are helpful but still being cramped in that questionably comfyairline seat is a deal breaker.
NEXT UPDATE FROM ZURICH
When leaving Warsaw:
LOT serves just a snack and soft drinks on short haul flights, but It's ok since I hate eating heavy on the plane:
Time to say hello to Zurich, no Alps unfortunately:
I really like banners here:
Even some investment related principles:
And really clever Patek Philippe ad, although discrimination for those who want to remain childless:
To change my terminal I needed to take an underground train:
The tunnel view:
Now waiting 3 hours for my Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong.
10:46 am Zurich time
NEXT UPDATE HONG KONG
flight memories
I'm writing this on my phone 12 000 meters above Tien Shan, under Karamay. The biggest turbulence usually starts after passing over Dushanbe and when approaching to Almaty. And they last for like an hour till the plane won't fly over the mountains. I haven't managed to sleep much. Maybe 2 hours in total.
Unfortunately the aircraft is Boeing - 777 and it's antique! I'm lucky and unlucky with my seat selection. Lucky because there are no seats in front of me so I can really stretch my legs and unlucky because my Ukrainian companion... Well guys were very optimistic and right after we gained the altitude they decided to open a big bottle of whisky. Of course the crew member warned them that consumption of duty-free in not allowed so they started ordering small Hineken's, one after another. Then they pulled out their macbook and started watching a movie without a headphones... Of course with an Ukrainian dubbing and they were laughing openly.
It's around 4.5 hours left and I feel really fucked. No sleepy vibes now and the time is passing so slow...
Quite a warm welcome in HK (Lantau):
8:14 HK time
FINAL UPDATE MANILA
So yeah I finally landed 5 hours ago. Now it's 4 pm here. Read my first impressions here: