10th June - Towards Home

Last night was interesting.

We look out the window at the now quiet and peaceful Little Tokyo with its Japanese- Americans and its Japanese expats - it looks a delight - it would be nice to return in less turbulent times.

We contemplate our last day in LA - our plan was to store our bags at our hotel and to explore the Getty Center and Santa Monica Pier. We were then going to collect our bags late in the afternoon and head to the lounge at Lax.

Based on the road closures of yesterday afternoon we become afraid that our bags might be left languishing at the hotel - we revise our plans - The Getty Center will have to be the subject of a virtual visitation when we arrive home - we will stay at the hotel until checkout at 12:00 and make our way directly to LAX.

We wander out to a pharmacy - that was a car! 

Past the Japanese mall and back to the hotel. 

Our Russian Uber driver gets us to LAX -  we hope to check in, drop our bags and retreat to the lounge.

Straight to the check-in terminals - submit our passports - the machine tells us there is a problem and to see a Qantas staff member - of course there is no Qantas staff member on duty! - we try and try on terminal after terminal to the same effect. 

We adjourn to a little pizza place and sit - chatgtp tells us Qantas will open a counter at 14:30 -  only a two hour wait! 

As we wait in the pizza place we smile - the selfishness of people! - one couple arrange their bags so they effectively have domain over two adjacent tables - others leave tables filthy - others use their cases to completely block aisles - worse still others send their children out to opposition stores to acquire food which they then proceed to eat in the little pizza place.

14:30 comes and goes - we decide to try the terminals again - low and behold there is now no problem at all and we are issued with luggage tags and instructed to go to the bag drop area. We look for a bag drop area to no avail - we ask - "oh there is no bag drop area - you have to wait for qantas check-in to open" - just another 90 minutes - again Qantas excels - it sets new standards in incompetence!

We think of our time away - we think of the languages we have had to adjust to - I would have thought that the USA would clearly be the easiest to navigate but I am now not so sure - we had Russian Uber drivers - we had Arabic taxi drivers - Latino security people - their English competence limited - we had New Yorkers whose native accents made them almost intelligible and we had Los Angels who were not completely sure what language they were using to communicate - one instant - English! - next instant - Spanish! - next instant Japanese!

Finally Qantas is ready for us - we approach security - Bernie is tired - she limps - we are directed into a special line - we are through customs and security rapidly! - we are slow learners! 

The lounge is nice - very nice - a scotch in memory of Molly - a Sav Blanc in memory of noone in particular!

Oh Brisbane you cannot come fast enough!

As we sit in the lounge we get another Whatsapp from Dione - there has been more trouble around Little Tokyo and a curfew had been applied - just as well we spent the day at LAX otherwise our bags may still be languishing at Hotel Miyako!

Gate 225 - a mile away from the lounge! - of course an exaggeration but a long walk for old veterans like us -  we pass a shuttle driver - "would you like a lift" says  he - Bernie is on the trolley faster than he can get down to help her!

The flight home? - as pleasant as a long haul flight could be - the Qantas personnel pleasant and efficient - the lie-flat seats conducive to sleep - we watch a movie - Snow White! - then 8 hours of sleep for me! 

We arrive in Brisbane on time and approach customs with trepedation - no need for concern - passenger numbers low - the e-passport gates work flawlessly - the customs staff even smile! - at last Australian Border Force doors not disappoint me!

Ah Brisbane - it is good to see you!