As the winter draws in
we’re finding ourselves
spending more and more
time on Expedia dreaming
up the perfect winter sun
holiday. Let’s be honest
we’re done with the cold
and shorter days. We’re
longing for some wellneeded vitamin D and
cocktails by the pool, with a
good book.
slumming it in coach,
TRAVEL
entertainment systems
on the
world’s renowned airlines are
becoming second to none. Long
gone are the days of the one
bulkhead screen for an entire
cabin and a entertainment
system that had 1 hour of music
on repeat.
The world’s longest
flight is Cathay
Pacific’s 16 hour and
50 minute time sucker,
from Hong Kong to
New York. The longest
direct flight from the
UK is London to
Buenos Aires that takes
13 hours and 45 minutes.
The long hours in the
recirculated air at
41,000 feet will
definitely take their
toll on your eyes,
whether you wear
contacts or not. You’ll
find that your eyes
will dry out quickly, so using
drops might be a quick fix for
you. Optrex optician Nick
Atkins advises, “It is always
advisable for contact lens
wearers to remove their lenses
when traveling on a long haul
flight to avoid unnecessary
discomfort from lens
dehydration due to the very dry
air conditioned environment of
the cabin. There is also the
possibility of falling asleep with
the lenses in which might be an
issue with some lens types. If
lenses must be worn then the
regular use of a good moisture
retaining eye drop will help. In
fact such a drop will also
provide comfort and relief to
non contact lens wearers alike.
One tip for CL wearers is to put
a drop into the ‘bowl’ of the
back surface of the lens for
prolonged relief.”
There are some great long haul
destinations but you have to be
careful where you’re planning
to stay as an open LGBT
person. The middle east is a no
go area if you’re gay and much
of the far east also offers little
protection for LGBTs. Towards
the Americas many of the
Caribbean islands frown upon
homosexuality and is illegal on
some.
CREDIT:S EYE: DIDDLE EAR: Den Barbutlat
Take a look at our long-haul
safe list online for pro-lgbt
destinations.
FLYING LONG
HAUL
Flying long haul can be an
incredible experience,
especially if you can afford to
turn left on entry and be seated
amongst the rich and well
healed, but even if you’re
THE EYES HAVE
IT
70 THEGAYUK | ISSUE 16 | NOV 2015
HYDRATION
Don’t forget to keep yourself
hydrated whilst your up in the
clouds, also if you suffer a bit of
traveller’s belly once you get to
your destination, don’t forget to
drink plenty of bottled water
from a reputable source to keep
your system hydrated. O.R.S
Hydration tablets could also
help you keep your fluids up.
EAR, EAR
Are you one of those people
whose ears are affected by cabin
pressure? When on a long haul
flight, there are two factors to
be taken into account. Firstly,
there will be changes in cabin
pressure that can affect our ears
and hearing. Secondly, there
will be noise from the aircraft’s
engines that may encourage
higher volume settings when
listening to music or on-board
entertainment using
headphones or ear
buds. Although
cabin pressure
is well
controlled in
modern
aircraft, the
changes in
atmospheric
pressure
outside an
aeroplane during
the ascent after takeoff and the descent for
landing will cause cabin
pressure to change. There can
also be quite rapid variations in
cabin pressure if air turbulence
causes significant fluctuations
in an aircraft’s altitude.
Normally, there are no
adverse effects during the
ascent after take-off as our