Focus, Focus
Hong Kong, China
March 02, 2009
We were up at 4:30 this morning, but that is OK because we have lots of time to sleep on the 16 hour flight. Marlene fixed some fruit salad for us and we were on the road at 5:30. Thanks for the lift to the airport! Traffic was light, so we arrived at Pearson on good time and checked in by 7:15. I think that our bags are lighter for this trip than any other trip even though I still think we have too much stuff.
Bill is still having a hard time thinking clearly. After Marlene drove off he asked me if I needed the jacket I was wearing. My response was, "you mean the one I specifically purchased for our trip? Focus, focus!" I think he will be alright after some sleep on the plane!
After going through security we ordered some food Fish Anyone?. Our choice from the Coyote Grill was scrambled eggs combo 1 or scrambled eggs combo 2, so we had scrambled eggs. We parked ourselves at an unopened bar and noticed the ice in the tub. Bill was able to "focus" and suggested I request an empty cup (sans coffee that was included in our combo) from the Grill. I was able to reach over and scoop some ice into a zip lock for Bill's ankle.
We were able to check in when the first class folks did because Bill was moving slowly. Sadly the plane was configured 3 by 3 by 3 and we had someone sitting in the aisle. We did not spreading out. At 9:55 it was wheels up and we were on our way!
We watched some Daniel Craig movies - James Bond Quantum of Solice and Defiance. They were both pretty good. For lunch we had beef/chicken, mashed potatoes, corn and beans and mousse with cake. It was pretty good. We had to eat with chopsticks!
At one point too many passengers must have been roaming around during turbulence Hong Kong Harbour. Over the sound system one person was singled out (man in white) and told to sit down! LOL!
Some cool stats from our flight were that it was 8,189 miles long and we flew within 300 miles of the North Pole. During one point over Russia it said the ground temperature was -68 degrees. BRR!
Our next meal was turkey and cheese sandwiches, almond cookie, apple slices and Cup of Noodles. Bill successfully ate his Cup of Noodles with chopsticks. I think he is going to survive our trip! The green tea was very yummy!
During the next while I read some of Stone Cold by Baldacci, watched some TV shows, and listened to BPM (XM radio). We were both able to catch some sleep for 1 or 2 hours at a time. A couple of times I ended up get wet on our flight. Bill's ice bag melted and I stepped in the puddle, I did not realize he had water left in a cup and I dumped it in my lap and finally upon decent the ceiling was dripping on me Sky-Walk.
Our final meal of the 15 hour flight was chicken/beef, peas and beans, and fruit. All the food was pretty good, can't complain too much!
We landed in Hong Kong a bit early and cleared customs very quickly. We hopped on the airport express train(MTR) and were in Hong Kong in 24 minutes. I was surprised at the number of high rise apartments that are located very close to the airport. We saw lots of green trees (some palm), so nice to see after all the snow this winter.
We walked up and down some streets and alleys and took the escalator (good idea Sam) - there was so much to see. There were a lot of familiar brands - McDonalds, Starbucks, Burger King, Esprit, H&M, Body Shop, and so on. Down the next alley there were seamstresses, people selling clothing, jewelery, art, massages, live fish, whole pigs, fruits and vegetables from their stands Street Market. I think you could find every type of cuisine - Italian, Lebanese, English, Russian...
Bill described Hong Kong as New York city mixed with an old city. I agree, there is a definite blend of old and new. There are sky scrapers everywhere and right beside them are crumbling buildings with laundry hanging off the balconies. It seems like there was a peaceful coexistence between old and new.
We headed down to the Pier, Bill wanted to take a ferry part way back to get a good picture of downtown Hong Kong. Unfortunately the ferry was booked, so we had a bit more time to spend.
On the way to a restaurant I found a Starbucks and purchased 2 mugs - Hong Kong and China. YEAH! We stopped at a post office, bought a box and mailed them home to Mary!
We went back to a restaurant we saw earlier called Cicadas and ordered chicken lard (minced) in rice wrappers and peanut encrusted lemon grass chicken before taking the MTR back to the airport The Escalator.
Our flight was delayed by 1/2 hour so we decide to find a computer/internet. We had to purchase something at a cafe, but received 1/2 hour of internet at no additional cost. So, I had a tea and Bill had a beer. I was able to start this blog and catch up on some emails.
We were a bit early at the gate and we both fell asleep waiting. We kept waking up and seeing a long boarding line. I finally woke up and saw no one, so we sprinted/hobbled to the gate. We were the last ones on! We were on our first 747. It is a pretty cool plane (some business class get to sit upstairs). I think this plane has seen a few flights. There were some things that looked a bit dated and we had tons of leg room! I read for 2 seconds and was asleep again. I woke up to have some chicken, fried rice, melon and ham salad, and jello that tasted like star fruit with a hot cross bun.
Just before landing all the ladies received a corsage with 3 orchids. It is very beautiful and still alive in our room 2 days later.
We landed, cleared customs and picked up our bags without any problem. Our taxi driver did not know where our hotel was for a bit, but finally figured it out. He has 7 amulets and 3 pairs of glasses hanging up in the front window. I noticed that he did not wear any glasses while driving though... The roads are in perfect condition. No potholes here! We made really good time to the hotel, there was no traffic at 1 am. I did notice some street vendors selling food were still open though.
Our cab ride was over 30 minutes long and only $18. When I stepped out, a kitty was laying on the sidewalk to greet us. At the hotel the bell hop greeted us and brought us some juice. We went straight to our room and chrashed.
