In circa 1972 I intended to participate in a program to study Australian wildlife. Sadly that plan didn’t pan out, but my desire to travel to the Antipodes lingered quietly in the recesses of my dreams for the next 45 years. Until now.

For our great, stupendous and phenomenal trip of 2017, my husband coordinated a series of five consecutive home exchanges. Three in Australia for seven weeks in total, followed by two weeks in Hong Kong and concluding with a hosted exchange in Shanghai, the People’s Republic of China. This mega exchange chain took considerable time and effort to realize but after years of juggling dates and building anticipation, we’re finally on the road!There’s a considerable distance between Europe and Oceania. The proverbial crow clocks about 16 800 Km or 10 500 miles flying from Paris straight to Melbourne. Planes usually take a more circuitous route, and since we also had to travel to Paris CDG airport from the SW of France it took us about 38 hours house to house, many hours of which were spent waiting around for the next connection! Along the way, we jumped not only from the northern into the southern hemisphere but also crossed the dateline, losing poor old Friday sometime during the dark hours of the night. Thus we left our home at 08:10 in the morning of Thursday, February 2nd and entered our exchange home around about 08:30 on Saturday, February 4th.

There’s a considerable distance between Europe and Oceania. The proverbial crow clocks about 16 800 Km or 10 500 miles flying from Paris straight to Melbourne. Planes usually take a more circuitous route, and since we also had to travel to Paris CDG airport from the SW of France it took us about 38 hours house to house, many hours of which were spent waiting around for the next connection! Along the way, we jumped not only from the northern into the southern hemisphere but also crossed the dateline, losing poor old Friday sometime during the dark hours of the night. Thus we left our home at 08:10 in the morning of Thursday, February 2nd and entered our exchange home around about 08:30 on Saturday, February 4th.

Since it is such a long journey and since we are elderly and creaky, we opted for the business class approach. Aside from the spacious seats that convert to completely flat beds, definitely a plus on an eleven-hour flight, this upgrade secures access to the airline’s lounges during layovers where one might take a shower, enjoy a snack and relax in a quiet area without having to be paranoid about keeping an eye on one’s luggage. Other perks are early boarding and since these seats are forward the plane, you’re also first in line for immigration. Cathay Pacific also provided an ‘invitation’ for the express lane through customs.

The in-flight menu choices in business class are quite nice as well. The food is served from a tea cart on real plates. After the appetizer and salad, the guests are offered a choice between four different main dishes, including vegetarian, fish or meat,

Fig infused foie gras

Five spice beef & choy sum with jasmine rice

followed by a cheese course and dessert, concluding with café & chocolates, naturally.

But before you can eat, you must shake, rattle and roll – otherwise know as the takeoff. Viewing the runway action in dark and rainy Paris on our seat’s TV screens was pretty amazing. Another highlight of the flight was a brief glance across Mongolia. I have long been a dedicated admirer of the Tuvan poet and shaman Galsan Tschinag or Irgit Shynykbai-oglu Dshurukuwaa in his native tongue. He went to university in Leipzig, Germany during the 60ies and uses German as his literary voice. To catch a (possible) glimpse of the High Altai, his ancestral homeland, is precious to me.

   Eleven hours plus after leaving France, it was time again to

deploy the landing gear,

and roar toward the runway in Hong Kong.

Upon our arrival at Hong Kong International Airport, we were greeted with good wishes for the Year of the Fire Rooster by costumed performers. An auspicious beginning for our epic journey.