I am sitting in seat 1G, a centre aisle seat in a 1-2-1 configuration in the first row of Business Class, on this Eva Airways Boeing 777-300 ER flight bound for Taipei.

The seat is identical to the long flight coming over and I am very happy as it is spacious and reclines to a fully-flat bed position – and being a 2am start of a 13-hour flight, it’ll come in handy.

Pre-takeoff drinks are served and I get a glass of the Veuve Clique La Grande Dame 2008. It’s a nice drop.

For my main I choose the Pan Seared Sea Bass with Lemon Cream Sauce which comes with assorted vegetables and brown rice. This is preceeded by a prelude of Foie Gras on Paris Toast and Boursin Cheese Tartlet with Sundried Tomatoes, and an Hors D’oeurve of Balik Salmon and sautéed Scallop with Corn Salsa. I skip the wine choices and instead try a signature cocktail – a ‘Passion Island” with Rum, Cointreau, orange and pineapple juices. A Raspberry Chocolate Fudge Cake and a Baileys ends my 1st meal.

I try to stay awake a bit by watching a new release, ‘Tolkien’, based on the life of the author, on the extra large AV screen. It is now 3am…..I don’t finish it and fall asleep for about 6 hours.

I wake up and finish the movie, order a tea, fall back to sleep, then wake up for breakfast. I go for the Chinese menu and it is quite good consisting of congee and condiments, followed by a fruit plate. During breakfast I watch a Ron Howard documentary on Pavarotti. It is fantastic.

We land after about 14 hours at 4.15am. My next flight to Bangkok boards at 7am.

Rating: 9/10