Tizs original idea was to spend a few days in HK to wind down from the whole hectic trip before getting home.
It was far from a wind down trying to do anything in HK.
The once non-existent language barrier, the out of sync (to us) schedules of transport etc., the fact that you no longer get a bargain in HK (for which I've already thanked the internet for), the lack of planning of what to do and how to do it, the sweltering humidity (which really caught me off guard) made it less of a break than we had hoped.
We had spoken about trying to head out to Macau today, even if it was just to enjoy the ferry, but given our lack of success with other plans and forms of transport we decided to sleep in and take out time getting to the airport.
Ultimately, it was the wisest thing we'd done in Hong Kong.
We had some coffee down the street.
We repacked our (OK, OK - my) ever expanding pack, making sure that only the most necessary of items ended up in our carry on backpacks.
Necessary as in ALL the phones, ALL the power packs, ALL the USB leads for ALL the previously mentioned equipment, a laptop, a few sets of headphones, something analog and really old school - a book, documents to get out of China (yes this place is part of China despite the different systems, IT IS CHINA), wallet with four currencies (don't ask!).
These few necessary items reminded me of the backpack a work colleague carries on his back to run around the Carlton Gardens \to train for some excruciating torture marathon I think they call the MUTHA, or something similar.
We did Ok, again with more thanks to ?Tis than I deserve.
Where did the days of packing three t-shirts and 3 pairs of undies to
to go to London for an indefinite amount of time go?!
We took our bags to the Kowloon Airport express for an early check in and were rid of them by midday.
Our flight wasn't due to board until 19:45 so we had at least seven hours to kill, or enjoy, in HK.
Whilst we were in this huge complex, which housed the Airport Express Check in and train station to the airport we thought we would go for a look around and maybe get a bite to eat.
This place was simply massive.
From the look of the people that were wandering about I would say it had a lot of office and businesses above the seven storeys of shops we walked past.
These seven storeys had almost every imaginable high end shop.
Jimmy Choo, Porsche Design, Ermenegildo Zegna, YSL, Cerutti, Louis Vitton,. Rolex etc. etc.
The "poverty" shops like Zara, H & M and the like were not left out either.
It had ~30 good eateries.
It had a full size ice hockey rink, for gods sake, and who knows what else that we din't get around to seeing.
After some lunch we caught the train to the airport.
This is not just "a Train" as we know them.
This thing is very very comfortable, with wifi AND fast.
How fast? Can't say with any certainty as it didn't display it's speed like the Spanish one but it felt every bit as fast!
So now we're at the airport with quite a few hour still to go before the "flying bus" leaves for home.
We thought we might catch an IMAX movie but we got there 10 minutes late.
Tiz and I had read that around gates 23 and 26 there were reclining lounges. WE just had to see if it was true, so off we went to verify.
Walking, travelating, walking, travelating, walking some more and then we see Gate 23 off in the distance.
With palpable anticipation we approached it looking hard to spot the recliners ..... nothing but a change in seat colours!
I've tried to sell this change in seat colours as a "pretty good thing and almost as good as a recliner!" to Tiz but she's not buying my bullshit!
With the disappointed look of a kid that has witnessed Santa get shot through the head She says " I was so looking forward to being able to lay down in a recliner to get some sleep."
Now I feel like the guy that shot Santa and in my most upbeat, and utterly convincing voice I say to her "I think they were all moved to Gate 26"
A little more walking, a little more travelating and we get very close to Gate 26 and with a little looking we spot the Holy Grail of non-lounge members - The Recliners , for standard punters!
People don't seem to stay in them too long as they seem to discover them 20 minutes before having to board.
We clung to our two for over two hours. We would have probable\y stayed longer but nature called, and there's no dibs or reserving or holding onto them. If your derriere isn't firmly planted in one then it's not yours.
It was getting around "pensioners dinner time", ~17:00 so we thought we would head off t find a bite to eat.
Have I mentioned, or do you know, how big this place is?
The eating area, just in Terminal 2, the international one, must have 20 restaurants and seating for many many hundreds.
That just in the main eating area and I'm not including the countless fast food/coffee (if you can call it that) place that are dotted through the whole airport.
We had some noodles, soup and roast goose (done in a similar way the Chinese do duck, in Australia).
I have to admit that I really liked it. I can't imagine ever saying that about a meal that I would eat at an Australian airport.
Oops, I forgot - they also had wee little cans of Asahi beer. Those can are just like real ones, only irritatingly smaller ..... and I had one.
We exchanged our remaining HK$ into real wholesome spendable money, submitted ourselves to to complete body and cavity check and board the plane.
I'm kidding about the check.
In roughly 10 hours, depending on airstreams, erupting volcanoes around the Indo/Phillipine area, the possibility of being mistaken for something like
the MH370 flight by "unknown" aircraft etc.etc. we will be at Tullamarine by a little before 08:00 on Tuesday morning.
Angus volunteered to come and pick us up.
It was Angus' first time driving to the airport and it highlighted what a mess that place is.
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