Thursday, 15 January
We arrived at the Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport around 7:00 pm and departed at 3:30 am. About eight hours in a hotel room, most of it spent hovering somewhere between light sleep and full wakefulness. We both knew the alarm was coming early. Neither of us slept deeply. That kind of sleep where your mind keeps one eye open.
At around 3:30 am we boarded the shuttle bus from the Holiday Inn to Melbourne Airport. A four-minute trip. Easy. Calm. Far better than dragging suitcases across multiple intersections and roadworks in the dark. Credit where it’s due, Melbourne Airport accommodation makes early departures much easier.
By 4:00 am we were inside the terminal, heading upstairs to international departures. One thing I do like about Melbourne Airport is that everything is together. Domestic and international under one roof, no buses, no long treks. Mardi quickly located the Emirates check-in area and we dropped our bags.
This was our first time flying Emirates. And we were flying First Class.
Mardi used Qantas points and booked through Qantas on Emirates, and she very generously shouted my airfare as part of my 60th birthday. It’s not something we’ve done before, so a real treat, this trip felt like the right time. We’ve been travelling together for over 20 years and we’ve accumulated a serious stash of points. Over the past year Mardi patiently hunted, searched, and stitched together the flights. Her entire return journey Melbourne–Cairo–Melbourne is on points. I wasn’t quite so lucky, but we still managed First Class return at about half price.
The lounge experience
After check-in we headed to the Emirates First Class Lounge. You’d think a lounge at 4:00 am, designed for quiet and calm, would be exactly that. It wasn’t.
Somewhere nearby, someone had their phone on loudspeaker, carrying on a full conversation at 4:00 in the morning. No headphones. No awareness. Just broadcasting their life into the room. We’d already come through the stress of security, which at that hour was, frankly, a dog’s breakfast. People everywhere. Confusion. No one knowing which queue to join, what to remove, belts on, belts off, bags open, bags closed. Pushing, shoving, frayed nerves. We usually travel later in the morning, and this was a completely different beast.
By the time we reached the lounge, Mardi’s tolerance was already low. She asked the woman to use headphones. The response was rude and dismissive. Usually, people are apologetic. Not this time.
I’ve written a full blog about this issue before, and I’ll link to it here: “People Interrupting the Silence of Others.” It’s becoming more common as devices dominate public spaces and social awareness erodes. Trains. Buses. Cafés. Restaurants. And now, apparently, first-class lounges at 4:00 am. Everyone seems to think their space is only their space.
Anyway, we found a quieter corner and waited to board around 5:15 am.
First Class: the experience
This journey was taking us from Melbourne to Dubai, then on to Cairo. It’s part of celebrating my 60th birthday, and I know some people will think flying First Class is extravagant. For me, it’s about the experience.
I’ve written about this before. I’m not someone who travels just to tick places off a list. I travel to feel a place. To absorb it. Whether it’s sitting on the steps in Times Square feeling the hum and chaos of New York, or standing on a cruise ship balcony in the middle of a vast ocean, it’s the experience that matters.
My eyesight isn’t great, and that’s shaped how I travel. I experience places through sound, smell, movement, texture, atmosphere. First Class is another one of those experiences. The Emirates staff were exceptional. Attentive, calm, and very aware of my vision. Nothing was too much trouble.
The amenities are second to none. Sorry, Qantas.
With Emirates’ “anytime dining” philosophy, you can eat, sleep, watch, read, or do absolutely nothing whenever you choose. After boarding around 5:30 am, having been awake since 3:00, the first thing I wanted was sleep. I slept solidly for four hours.
When I woke, I had a simple but excellent breakfast. Bircher muesli, yoghurt, juice, and tea. Then some quiet time. Reading. Watching a bit of TV. Reflecting. Making notes for this blog.
One of the unique Emirates First Class features is the onboard shower. Yes, a proper shower. Hot running water. A full-size bathroom. It freshens you up enormously before landing. It’s not something you see every day on an aeroplane.
A very good whisky
Later, I enjoyed some chicken sliders and a whisky I don’t often get to drink:
The Dalmore King Alexander III
A single malt Scotch whisky created in 2009 to honour the Mackenzie clan, who saved King Alexander III from a charging stag in 1265. Each bottle bears the Mackenzie family crest, a stag.
The Dalmore distillery, founded in 1839, is known for its rich, layered whiskies. This one is matured in six different casks, including American oak, Oloroso sherry, Madeira, Marsala, and Cabernet Sauvignon barrels. It’s complex, smooth, and quietly powerful. Exactly the right drink at 35,000 feet.
With the whisky came fine chocolates and a movie. Nobody 2, starring Bob Odenkirk (of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul). Off-centre, violent, and oddly entertaining. It kept me amused for a couple of hours.
Before landing, I showered. After a 15-hour flight, it makes an enormous difference. Clean. Refreshed. Human again.
Dubai transit
We landed in Dubai right on time at around 1:00 pm. Emirates provided an escort from our arrival gate across to our departure gate. A long walk, but smooth and well managed. This is where we met up with David and Kerrie, my brother and his wife, who are travelling with us.
We had a quick stop in the Emirates First Class Lounge. A drink. A catch-up. Then boarding for Cairo. Unfortunately, the flight was delayed by about an hour due to congestion and a closed runway.
Dubai to Cairo
The final leg to Cairo was otherwise uneventful. Dinner included a trio of seafood to start, followed by tandoori lobster. An interesting mix of seafood and Indian flavours that worked better than I expected.
I watched The Fountain of Youth. Somewhat fitting, given where we’re heading. The film ends at the Giza Plateau. Tomorrow morning, we’ll be having breakfast there.
We landed in Cairo at 6:12 pm local time, which is 3:12 am Canberra time. Exactly 24 hours and 12 minutes after we woke in Melbourne.
From Canberra to Melbourne, Melbourne to Dubai, and Dubai to Cairo, we travelled approximately 16,700 kilometres in one long, slightly surreal arc halfway around the globe.
Arrival in Cairo
We had pre-arranged a meet-and-greet service at Cairo Airport, along with several private tours before our cruise begins. We found our guide easily. Immigration was quick. Bags appeared. And suddenly we were outside, in a car, heading into Cairo traffic.
The next hour was the most intense part of the entire journey so far.
The road seemed to expand from four lanes to eight, but with 10 lanes of cars, trucks and bikes all swerving to meld into however many lanes they chose. Horns everywhere. Trucks, cars, motorcycles, all ignoring lane markings, signals, and any concept of order I’m familiar with. At one point our taxi even bumped another car leaving the airport. And yet, somehow, it all worked.
David summed it up perfectly. It looks chaotic, but it functions.
We arrived safely at the Marriott Mena House in Giza, right beside the Giza Plateau and the Great Pyramids, exhausted but exhilarated.
Tomorrow, the real adventure begins.
