Day 91 - Singapore → London, and the realities of landing

We re-boarded in Singapore for the final leg of our journey to London. Dinner was served soon after take-off and then the cabin settled into that familiar long-haul hush. Joe slept for most of the flight, while I drifted in and out of rest, read a little, and did some gentle learning as sleep didn’t quite come for me. At one point there was epic snoring going on—I did a quick check to confirm it wasn’t Mr C, only to discover it was the gentleman opposite me. Small mercies 😄


The flight itself was uneventful, calm, and surprisingly peaceful—one of those journeys where time seems to move quietly rather than drag. Breakfast was served before landing, and everything felt straightforward… until we touched down.

That’s when the real adventure began.

The airbridge wouldn’t work, so we sat on the plane for over an hour while stairs and buses were organised to take us to the terminal. Once finally inside, ground staff told us they couldn’t help with the luggage transfer and that we needed to speak to Flight Connections. The gentleman there was very helpful, but by then—thanks to the delay—our luggage had already been delivered to Terminal 3.

So off we went again: transfer bus to T3, passport control, and finally reclaiming our bags. Our taxi driver was an absolute star—he calmly met us at T3 instead of T5 and took the long delay in good humour. Of course, this also meant we then hit rush-hour traffic, so by the time we reached the hotel it was much later than planned.

Arriving at the hotel, it was genuinely lovely to see Edward, the Head Concierge, who immediately secured our luggage as our room wasn’t ready yet. From there, we headed out to see Sam and Daniel, resting at theirs until we got the call that the room was available.

Once back at the hotel, I unpacked while Joe popped out to pick up a few essentials. After he returned and rested, I went out briefly to walk and stretch my legs, trying to shake off the stiffness of travel.

Unfortunately, the stress of the journey combined with the cold weather caught up with Joe, and he began to feel unwell. He made the sensible decision to head to bed early and sleep it off.

So Sam and I went out to meet Ros, Sam, Dan, and Josh for dinner to celebrate Ros and Sam’s birthdays. We ate at a Lebanese restaurant, which was really lovely—warm food, good conversation, and a much-needed sense of normality after such a long travel day. Sam then walked me back to the hotel as exhaustion finally caught up with me too.

It was so special to have that time with Sam, especially knowing he’ll soon be heading back to Gibraltar. A gentle, grounding end to a very long day—and a clear reminder that, after all the logistics and delays, it’s the people that make everything worth it.

Daily Reflection 

A day of transition and tiredness, gently easing back into reality after an extraordinary journey. Grateful for resilience, patience, and the grounding comfort of familiar faces.

Highlight of the Day

Celebrating birthdays and spending time with Sam — a reminder that connection and shared moments matter most.

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