Here is an hour by hour recap of our travel day[s], beginning in Newark, NJ at 5:30am Thursday, January 16, EST, and culminating in our arrival in Singapore at 5:30pm on Friday, January 17, (Singapore time).

• 5:30a – Wake-up, shower, finalized packing.
• 6:00a – Breakfast.
• 6:30a – Uber to airport, another scary driver (although not as scary as yesterday, but still.  What is with these people up here???).
• 6:45a – We’re in the airport check-in line…..for 45 minutes!!! Slow as the Dickens! We have no idea what is going on, except that the agents have to check so many documents for some people.   There are a couple of people with issues who have to wait on the side of the check-in counter until it is resolved. We have no idea if they ever make it to the plane, because they were still there when we finally got through the process.
• 7:30a – Finally, checked in, our check-in process only took a few minutes, totally speedy. Have no idea why, but we’re not complaining or arguing!
• 7:35a – Through security, another breeze.

• 7:40a – At the gate with 1 hour 20 minutes until boarding! No lounge here, just super expensive coffee – $6 each!!!  And it was just normal black coffee!  Not even Bali Luwak poop coffee, which we would understand.  Sigh.

• 8:55a – Boarding begins early, again, a breeze!  Great bulkhead seats (thank you Ed!). We have all the room in the world in front of us, easy to stretch out and get up and out for bathroom breaks or just walking around.

• 9:25a – Boarding was fast. Push backed early. Then sat on the runway for 20 minutes before takeoff.  There goes our early departure.
• 9:58a – Takeoff – gorgeous, if hazy, views of the city.  Captain tells us there is rough weather ahead which will make the flight 19+ hours today. Well, pooh!  This flight has been running 17 to 18 hours lately, but obviously not today.  Nothing we can do but sit back and try to enjoy the ride.

• 10:05a – Turbulence, the flight crew remains seated. Probably good that service is delayed, it will stretch things out!
• 10:24a – Flight attendants up; service begins!
• 10:45a – Service! Oh, and Wairua River Sauvignon Blanc, needless to say, I’m in heaven.  Yay.
• 11:45a – Lunch done. Book the Cook was the way to go. Ed ordered Stir Fried seafood in XO sauce and I ordered Braised Ee Fu noodles.  The FAs brought the special meals, including Book the Cook first.  We are done and most of the other passengers are just getting their meal! Onto watching True Detective season 4.

• 12:57p – Just south of Greenland. 15 hours to go. 2 True Detectives done.
• 1:35p – Started getting dark.

• 3:00p – 4 True Detective episodes watched, now time for sleep.
• 4:15p – Sleep didn’t last long – sigh – oh well, 2 more True Detective episodes to finish the series and snacks (Kit Kats and sweet/salty bits).
• 7:20p – Service starts again. Thought it would be snacks, but obviously not, because the FAs are bringing dinner. Book the Cook again – Ed has Hungarian style chicken goulash, I’m supposed to have Supreme Soy Sauce Fried Noodles, but it doesn’t arrive.  Finally, they bring what they call “XO” seafood noodles. Huh? Not what I ordered but turns out that was right. They just didn’t have the seafood in the description on the website when I ordered it. Whatever, it was excellent as well.

• 8:29p – Back to more reading for me; Fly Me To The Moon for Ed (not recommended, FYI).
• 10:13p – Its daytime!  Flying between Kabul and Kandahar. Thank God were at 37,000 feet. Still watching for rockets….
• 11:00p – More reading, watching TV. Kit Kats and banana for snacks
• 12:30a – Snack time.  Pizza Margherita, not too shabby, probably don’t need it – but it was something to pass the time.   
• 3:45a EST – We’re starting to see land…and ships…and city!

• 4:40a EST – Landed!!!  5:40p Singapore time on Friday 1/17. We survived! No worse for wear!
• Total Flight distance:  16988 km/10,555 miles
• Total Flight time:  18h47m
• Total Temperature change: 58 degrees

Phew!!!! And to be honest, we really didn’t fell all that bad.  We were awake and raring to go.