Aladdin's adventure on board Singapore Airlines flight SQ 021

Tuesday 9^th of May 2023 and I was out of bed at 4 o'clock and I made my last tea in USA. I packed my bag and I was ready to leave just after 7 o'clock. My flight is leaving at 10:30 so I have plenty times.

And time can be a very good to have if I run in to any problems. I booked a Lyft from the reception and the car arrived after a couple of minutes and we were soon on our way to Newark International leaving Candlewood Suites NYC -Times Square behind.

And I will not come back to stay at Candlewood Suites NYC -Times Square again. We left the hotel 20 minutes before 8 and I got out at Newark International Terminal 2 a couple of minutes after 8. So about 30 minutes to get to the airport and that is not bad.

Candlewood Suites NYC -Times Square

New York City and a good location at Time Square so this was the hotel with the highest nightly price during my 6 weeks of bird watching in USA / Canada. But the price was OK for this location in New York.

32 floors in the hotel and only one working elevator. The second elevator had not been working for a long time and there was not one that knew when it would be repaired.

32 floors so it was a lot of waiting for the elevator, especially since all the staff used the same elevator bringing stuff up and down the building.

I checked in to my room and the sink was blocked and I called for service. The technician found a corkscrew in the drain so I wonder how the cleaning standard was. I stayed 4 nights and no cleaning of my room during this time.

The room was small, but it was OK, but I missed a place to have the suitcase during my stay

Newark International Terminal 2

Newark International Terminal 2

Check-in had started when I arrived

I stepped inside the terminal and the check-in had started and there were plenty people in the business class line and as there were only one guy in the Premium Economy, I went to this check-in line.
- What the is going on?

It was like nothing happened at the check-in desks and after 20 minutes nothing had happened and I looked at the business class line, they were moving and I went over there. I asked the manager if it was the first day on the job for the whole staff.

She told me that she was sorry but there were some problems with the computers
- In the Premium Economy only? I asked.

At least the security was quickly done and I was soon in the lounge where I had a glass of soda water before I left again. The lounge was not really worth the visit. Small lounge and it was like sitting in the lap of the other passengers.

We are using Virgins lounge

People are lining up to boarding very early

I see that people have lined up to gate 52 very early, and the line was very long. I was sitting in one of the chairs and when the people had boarded, I went to board Singapore Airlines flight SQ 021 to Singapore. I got on board and I found my seat, my home for the next 18 hours.

I was not looking forward to it, but the seat was comfy and I had not had much sleep so I hope to fall asleep after departure at it is 10 o'clock in the evening in Singapore. We will arrive at 5 o'clock in the afternoon and I will spend one night at Ambassador Transit Hotel Terminal 2 on Changi International.

So, I hope to be tired by then by avoiding sleeping the last 12 hours before arrival.

Waiting to get pulled out from the jet bridge

Waiting to get pulled out from the jet bridge

Safety instructions

Leaving Manhattan behind

Leaving Manhattan behind

We took off and I turned my chair in to a bed and I had arranged for 5 pillows and I managed to sleep for 4 hours waking up at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and that is 3 in the morning in Singapore.

I bought cheese at Target Supermarket on Times Square so I don't need to eat any of the carbs served during the flight. Waking up and I asked for tea, two cups of Earl Grey tea.

The Stewardess brought two cups of tea and a tray with snacks. I took some nuts and I sent back the carbs to the galley again.

Nuts and cheese

Earl Grey tea

Enjoying my Earl Grey tea

I started to look at a video about Weird Al Yankovic but this was so bad I had to pause the movie and I had an additional hour of sleep. I resumed the video when I woke up and, well, the movie was embarrassingly bad.

The crew noticed my Buddha amulet and they showed me their Thai Buddha amulets (พระเครื่อง). My friend has told me several times that the amulets are very popular and Singapore, but I had been like:
- Yeah, sure...

But they all had Thai Buddha amulets (พระเครื่อง) and we talked about different temples in Thailand, and I managed to kill some time. Every minute counts on an 18-hour flight. I was back in my seat asking for 2 cups of hot chocolate and I started my second movie, some action thing with Jason Statham.

The movie was OK and I managed to see the whole thing and I had another hour of sleep when I finished the movie. 6- 7 hours to go and they brought me a cheese plater (my second) and a starter, they were a little concerned about me not eating, I had not told them about my cheese. So, they were asking if I wanted something all the time.

+++++++++++++++
Wednesday 10^th of May 2023 and we landed in Singapore at 16 thirty and I was in the terminal 20 minutes before 5 o’clock.

Approaching Singapore

We are at the gate in Singapore

Time to get off the flight

I take the train to Terminal 2 to look for Ambassador Transit Hotel where I will spend the night It was not so hard to find the hotel which was a surprise for Singapore International Airport and I went to check in.

It was very smooth to check in and I was soon in my room and I was very happy with the room. I went next door to have my dinner, included in the price and it was OK. Lunch and breakfast served at the Ambassador Lounge next door so it was typical lounge food.

Ambassador Transit Hotel

Ambassador Transit Hotel Terminal 2 at Singapore Changi Airport was a really pleasant surprise this turned out to be. I have stayed at “flight side” airport hotel before so I had no expectations.

Started at check-in, a very service minded girl in the reception and I was a pleasure to check-in. The room was a real surprise, a big room with everything I needed. Bathroom is very nice.

Dinner and breakfast included and you have it at the Ambassador lounge next door. Nothing much but the buffet has what you need and you won't be hungry.

Walking to my room

My room

My room

Bathroom

Dinner buffet in the lounge

Dinner buffet in the lounge

But it was OK and I left to buy some USB cables after the dinner. I went in to a mini mart but they only had coke. I should pay when he suggested me to try the7 Eleven on the second floor, they might have Pepsi.

I found 7 Eleven and I really didn't have any high hopes to find Pepsi. So, I was very pleasantly surprised when I discovered that they had Pepsi MAX and I bought 4 bottles. The cashier informed me that it was not allowed to bring the refreshments on board my flight.
- No problem, they will be empty by the time my flight departs.

7 Eleven

Pepsi at 7 Eleven

Pepsi at 7 Eleven

I was back in my room and I went to bed at 8 o'clock and it did not take long before I was a sleep with my alarm set to go off at 4 o'clock.

+++++++++++++++
Thursday 11^th of May 2023 and I wake up at 1. I looked at my clock and I thought it was 3 but I discovered that it was only one o'clock when I turned on the light. My first worries, did I buy enough MAX yesterday to last me until departure of my flight to Bangkok.

I did not expect to fall asleep again so the two and a half bottles remaining might not be enough. But no need to worry, I emptied the last bottle and I left the room 5 minutes before 6. Coming down the escalator and it was pleasant to discover that there were not many people in terminal 2.

Not many people in terminal 2

Not many people in terminal 2

Trotting towards gate 42

Boarding flight SQ 706

I am ready to leave Singapore

Boarding started just as I had passed the security check at gate 42 and I was soon in my seat. I had skipped breakfast so I was hungry and thus looking forward to the breakfast after take-off. Boarding went smoothly and we were pulled from the jet bridge as per schedule.

Taxi to the runway and we were off and it is about 2 hours to Bangkok. I got two cups of tea and they were soon serving a breakfast that was not bad. I was hungry and I had more bread than I had wished for. Time passed quickly and we we're landing in Bangkok as per schedule

I book an AOT car while waiting for the luggage and before going to the car I went to buy some refreshments at the mini mart.

My luggage

Ready to leave the airport

Taxi is arriving

Next stop home

It was very nice to get back home even though I had had a great time in North America and I have me a lot of nice people and of course, nice birds, 176 Lifers, 160 with picture and 44 with sound recording and I was very happy with the trip.

eBird Life List

I have decided to use the eBird Life List function instead of doing my own time-consuming Life List. I discovered eBird Trip Report in April 2023 during my bird watching in North America, a new function that I now do for my bird watching trips.

And as this working beautifully I decided to use their Life List function and I will save hundreds of hours doing my own lists.

Pictures and location available by clicking the links in the pdf document. If you are using eBird you should be familiar with how it works.

And you can visit my list of “Birds I have seen in North America”

Now I will see if I can find the time to go look for birds in Thailand, click HERE to find out!


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OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.

Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.

So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas

Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!

Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra

Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!

คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

Вы говорите по-русски? Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!

E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.

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