Hong Kong. What a place! We arrived here just as the sun was rising this morning (Tuesday) and it was already 19 degrees outside. After braving the stuffy heat, we spent the morning exploring the Jordan area of the Kowloon Peninsula, immersing ourselves in the full-on experience that is Hong Kong.
Our journey began at 8.20pm last night - no, wait. Our journey began three months ago when we began planning this epic trip, and since then we have left our house of 5 years and packed it into a small corner of the Moffat garage, Adam has resigned from his job of 5.5 years, and we have ticked a multitude of jobs off the 'to do' list that we were still completing at 7pm last night...!!! Nothing like a bit of pressure! Anyway we left Christchurch last evening, after a delicious Last Supper with Lynton and Philippa, and after a two hour wait in Auckland airport, we boarded our 777-200ER surprisingly early. Also nothing like a good jog to the boarding gate!
It is true. Long-haul economy travel sucks. Aeroplane seats are uncomfortable if you're short. Aeroplane seats are uncomfortable if you're tall. Aeroplane seats are uncomfortable if the arm rests don't retract and the person in front of you has their seat fully reclined. Stop-overs are one of man's best inventions - I have no idea how anyone could do the full Christchurch to London in one journey. I was, however, surprised that I did manage to get some sleep, even if it was in little bits here and there, it wasn't quite the hell
Also not as scary as I had imagined was Hong Kong customs. "Do you have anything to declare, yes or no? No? Follow the green arrow." Perplexed, we found ourselves in the grand arrivals hall, without having had to speak to a single customs official, fill in any forms, or have our suitcases checked.
Anyway, we made our way to Kowloon and explored the Nathan Road/Jordan Road area of Hong Kong. I was blown away by the geography of Hong Kong, with such beautiful, huge mountains. I only wish for less air pollution so that one could see the beauty of this place more clearly, as the vistas are obscured by a grey haze. Jordan is an amazing experience. There is always a smell in the air - a mix of sewage, diesel, incense, and sea food - and the narrow streets are packed with tall buildings and people. Lots of people!
Our hotel is beautiful - we were lucky to get a good deal on wotif.com, and have managed to find a 4 star hotel that has a huge amount of room, by Hong Kong standards. We're hoping to head out exploring later in the day when the temperature cools.
Wow, that's a plush hotel! Good to see you made it in one piece. :)
ReplyDelete