For various reasons I was booked on a flight to Hong Kong the day after I was due to return from Peru. What would this mean?  – 13,000 miles in the space of 3 days – nearly 30 hours spent a mile above the earth.  Not before had I such a far-reaching journey  planned for such a short space of time. But I wouldn’t have done it any differently.

Here is the journey, in photographs:

From one side of the planet, to the other.

Leaving Lima, Wednesday afternoon.

The scrum to get on board at Jorge Chávez International Airport.

About 12 hours later, somewhere over Portugal.

Thursday afternoon – having landed in Madrid and waiting around for my connecting flight to Dublin

3 hours on – the bus trip from Dublin to Belfast. Getting home at 10.00pm for a quick sleep and re-pack!

Off again at 9.00am Friday morning. Midday flight to London Gatwick.

A half day at Gatwick. I open a newspaper and there staring back at me is the place I’ve just returned from. Few stranger feelings.

9.00pm departure on board an Oasis Hong Kong Airlines 747-400.

Now defunct.

12 more hours in the air, and I’m nearly there! It’s now Saturday lunch time.

I will always remember September 2007.

To Hong Kong