Trip to Hong Kong... Trip one - 2006, Oct 4-6
Wednesday October 4th, 2006
You'd think 3pm flight would lead to a laid back morning, but, not so much... At least, got to sleep in a bit, but the cat is agitated and I'm trying to remember if I packed everything I needed (have to remember to bring clothes to wear, not just to get altered!). Think I got it all. Liquids are packed to conform to current aviation regulations - figures, I wait ‘til it gets to be a pain in the ass to start back on the international travel circuit!
Allison arrives to haul me and the two very heavy bags; gee, I hope these are within the weight limits per bag - they've been repacked at least twice - helmets & skates not in same bag as maple syrup... Huh? Off to visit Christie & Ian & Noah, and since Ian plays hockey in Hong Kong, Noah wants to too - so, the chick with no kids has been off buying hockey gear for a five year old. Many thanks to Cynthia's son Donald, who helped me out with this project! As for the maple syrup, anyone who knows both Christie and I knows that in our 21 years (has it really been that long?!) years of friendship, one of my jobs is to ship/cart stuff to her when she decides to go live in a foreign country. Japan - was a shipping relationship; Hong Kong - think may stay as more of a carting one; next stop... Probably continue to cart periodically to wherever the Breakingbury/Melhado household is set up (need to earn my keep after all). Okay, okay... Almost ready to get out the door. Think have left everything ready for Sue to stay with BC.
All the renos and building at the airport are fantastic - but really, there needs to be a way to tell if there is any parking available when you are selecting lots! Around, and around, and around... Allison kindly drops me off near the elevators, and heads off in search of parking. Time to see how well the online check-in worked... Bags are within weight limits (although, not a lot of leeway left). Checked in, no way to upgrade seat, Alli's parked - let's go have lunch (gotta love the street-level pricing requirments at YVR - this is why we've arrived early for me to check in). Oops, got a bit too carried away with the 'available time', gotta scoot through security. Damn! Looked like no line up - the line is behind the glass. Time is getting a bit close, but other people in line seem to have boarding passes for the same flight - fingers crossed, toes tapping, stuff ready to scan (c'mon, c'mon...) - yeah, folks, what part of no liquids was unclear??
Okay, through that, now... Where's the gate?? Of course, at the end. Get in line, realize you can take liquids purchased after security on, get out of line, buy some water, back in line... Guess no point rushing, as I am in the very last row, and might as well wait until the people in the middle are settled before trying to get through. As it turns out, going to have someone to talk to on the plane (acquaintance from when I made the trip back on the high speed catamaran from Nanaimo at Christmas 2005 - before they canceled the run). It's a funny small world - we work on the same block, but I have only run into Ian once in a restaurant in Vancouver; various modes of transportation - there seems to be the overlap! Nice to see someone who knows 'the drill' for this trip - I have not been looking forward to the length of time on a plane!
Lessons learned on 13.5hr flight - do not sit in the middle section of seats unless there are no other aisle seats available - this is the 'family row' and frighteningly few parents control the movements of their kids - seat cranked back, then bounced up and down in and out all night. Also, when the chart says limited recline, it means, limited recline - no legroom left at all with the front seat back. Getting a tad grumpy, and tired of standing in the back! Also, due to a glitch with the entertainment system, what is playing is not what is scheduled - and the pickings are slim.
At least I have Ian to talk to, and my discman (and even cheesy movies give you something to do)…
Thursday October 5, 2006
Yeah! We are in Hong Kong – well, at Chek Lap Kok Aiport http://www.asiatravel.com/hkair.html (click on the links on the site) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong_International_Airport.
Having crossed the international date line, it is about 7:30 in the evening of the following day, but we're landing. Almost last off the plane - no point pushing from the very back. Hop on the train which connects the international arrival and departure gates to the main terminal - pretty slick. Wend our way through immigration and customs - smooth and pretty painless. Locate baggage carousel. Mentally bless Vicki for lending me her bright blue luggage, very easy to find, and we're out of here!
Through another door, and there are Christie & Noah waiting for me. Do the introductions, and determine that I don't need to go buy an Octopus card http://www.octopuscards.com/consumer/en/index.jsp, Christie (as her usual organized self) has one for me. So, off we head to the train (MTR) http://www.12hk.com/hk_xprt.html#mtr. Christie & Ian (very much by design, as this is their second residence in 4 years in HK), live in a complex on 2 train lines, and a bus loop. They are one of 3 stops on the Airport Express line.
HKD60 (exchange was somewhere between HKD6.5-7=Cdn$1) gets us almost home. But, from here, it gets cooler - we pick up an airport style luggage cart, and off we go home to tower 12 (where we leave the cart at the front door of the apartment, and someone picks it up - talk about hassle free!). Not sure how well the links below will work, but if you Google tierra verde hong kong (2,680,000 sq ft of residential in the complex) then you can get all sorts of details about the complex. It's pretty impressive (not to mention slick) http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/cx/?id=100561
This picture was taken on a subsequent trip... But shows the complex where they lived
Hand out stuff I hauled, have a visit & some wine, off to bed…
Friday October 6, 2006
Up early (actually, up repeatedly through the night, but a sleeping pill around 3am facilitated sleeping until about 7am when everyone else got up), if briefly – breakfast, say good-bye to everyone, and go crawl back into bed in Christie & Ian’s room (more out of Ame’s way – since she is so kindly sharing her room with me for the duration of my visit!). Slept until about 2ish, up, dressed, ate – Christie’s home!
On the whirlwind tour, the next stop is a cab to the Flower Market (Google Hong Kong flower market – for details, and under images for fantastic pictures…) http://www.anniebees.com/China/China_52.htm (bought so many flowers, we had to use the bathroom garbage can as a vase – carnations, variegated roses, red roses (a gift to me from Noah), jasmine, and pompom chrysanthemums); a brief sojourn through the Song Bird Market; and a quick hustle over to the Gold Fish Market(Google hong kong goldfish market – images) (we got three new gold fish – from tanks, then into the bags, but they really do have them pre-packaged in bags – only one lived more than two days – but he was really healthy!). Was starting to get dark as we left – and the neon was coming on…
pictures of other goldfish in HK on other trips to HK, and of neon in other neighbourhoods
Back into a cab, and head home – there is company coming for dinner at 6pm (officially, Noah’s ‘adult’ 5th birthday party – auntie’s & uncles vs. the 32 children from 11 countries at the one the prior weekend – think those numbers are right)! We make it through the doors moments before people start to arrive: Lisa Gyokery (Canada, HK for 4 yrs)/ Shawn Lyons (US, HK for 4 yrs)/ Ron Anderson (Canada, HK for 4 yrs)/ Jason Woods (Australia, HK for 6 yrs)/ Doug Walters (Canada, HK for 3 months)/ James Stephenson (Canada, HK for 4 yrs)/ Margarita Hoyos, (Colombia, James' wife and Tomas' mother, HK for 4 yrs)/ Tomas Stephenson, age 3.
Started at Christie & Ian’s place – with great French (and other) wine (thanks for sharing, Ian!). Lots of good cheese and bread and soup and stuff! Then moved upstairs (several floors) to Jason’s place – that way Noah could go to bed. More wine, neat toys to connect computer to stereo system for out-put, lots of music, bed around 0130.
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