Part I: Leaving Oz
On Monday, 1st of April, at 0730, I left my keys and a note on the table, and set off barefoot down the beach on a journey to circumnavigate the world. A journey I might never return from.
The note contained one paragraph noting that I'd left my remaining rent, bringing me up to date as of the very day, and three paragraphs about what Sam, my housemate, should do with the homebrewing equipment I'd left there. For a guy who goes through two sixpacks every night of the week, he really ought to make use of the $200 of brewing equipment he just inherited.
Walked down the beach about half a mile to the kiosk bus stop. I'd left all my luggage at the hostel in Bundaberg and then driven back to Moorepark to leave my work truck there, so my journey began with not an ounce of luggage other than a book.
Encountered the first hint of the wild shenanigans that were to come when the bus failed to arrive after forty minutes of waiting. Finally a friend happened by and mentioned that it was a public holiday. Easter Monday, turns out it's a thing (Good Monday?).
"Ah well, I can always go back and wake my roommate and/or drive the ute to somewhere I can get somewhere from" I say to myself. My phone is out of minutes; the previous week, not wanting to top up the prepaid more than I'd need for just a week I'd ended up topping it up with $15 three times. Apparently that doesn't go far, considering I probably only talked a few minutes each time!!
Arriving back at the house the first thing I notice is my ute is gone already. Along with my roommate's car. And the door is locked. Okay now this might be a pickle.
Fortunately the roommate had had some friends staying upstairs who were still there, just about to leave for Brisbane, so I was able to get a ride back into Bundaberg with them.
5pm flight out of Bundaberg. Had plenty of time to get ready for it, and with the taxi coming for me at 1430, I had a half hour in addition to the two hours recommended for a two hour flight. Still though, when the taxi is there waiting, you're suddenly in a mad hurry not to keep it waiting. I was all packed... except of course for my camera battery charger, which was plugged in charging my one good (point and shoot camera) battery. The up side to this having happened before is that I (had) two chargers and multiple batteries, though the two I'm left with I can get about three pictures out of each.
Hour flight to Brisbane, three hour layover, and a fourteen hour overnight flight to Dubai. Right over Indonesia, Kuala Lumpor, and at some point in the night I looked down and saw the massive glow of some cities in India below me.