G & J away from home

Wednesday, 1 June 2016

Just after we landed in Hong Kong the announcement by the cabin crew assured us it was only 29 degrees - luckily they didn't mention the humidity level or I might have refused to leave the aircraft!  We didn't even have the (comparative) luxury of an air bridge as, due to congestion, the aircraft was parked away from the terminal and we were bussed across the tarmac.

Beth and Marianne arrive in Hong Kong

Neither the sauna like heat not the unexpected bus trip seemed to dampen Beth's spirits.

Still smiling

The queue for passport control was nice and short and we were soon trekking around the airport in the wake of the shuttle bus guide.  We (and the other 20 or so passengers) must have looked like an unlikely bunch of ducklings strung out so far that the guide occasionally waited for us to gather together before turning the next corner.

Checking into the Eaton Hong Kong hotel was also relatively painless, made more enjoyable by our rooms becoming available during the check in process so there was no delay in getting settled and showered and into a fresh set of clothes.  (Small rooms, only just workable with bags, but nice enough.)

Opting for food right away rather than something wonderfully local we dropped down the stairs (underground) into the closest Macdonalds for lunch; even so Marianne managed to find something with a local twist - this burger with 'buns' made of rice.

Local variations

Despite the heat and humidity we'd experienced for a few minutes on the way to and from lunch Marianne and Gary decided to go for a walk down to the waterfront and through the Kowloon Gardens.  The pair of them came back in a pretty over-heated and sunburned state but seemed to have enjoyed themselves.  For Gary it was a chance to see what changes had happened in the years since we last visited Hong Kong, and Marianne a chance to look around.

Looking over to Hong Kong Island (Photo: Gary)

We've all been rather intrigued with the bamboo scaffolding which is not just for low-level projects.

Bamboo scaffolding (Photo: Marianne)

Gary and Marianne peeped into the Peninsula Hotel:

Founded by members of the Kadoorie family The Peninsula was built with the idea that it would be "the finest hotel east of Suez". In December 1928 the hotel opened in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong, located at junction of Nathan Road and Salisbury Road and directly opposite the quays where ocean liner passengers disembarked. Kowloon was also the last stop on the trans-Siberian rail link that brought travellers from Europe.

-- Wikipedia

Inside the Peninsula Hotel (Photo: Marianne)

Marianne and Beth had discovered the pool at the top of our hotel and invited me up there to order drinks for them while they swam.  It was a lovely spot with a view out over the city but still very humid and hot - even the pool was 'more refreshing than invigorating' I was informed.  I took their word for it.

Open air pool on the 21st floor

Marianne & Beth

We gathered for tea, altering our plans to eat out to fit in with the walking tour of the Temple Street night market that Beth, Gary, and Marianne were going to do.  We had a nice meal in the atrium of the hotel and postponed dessert until after the night market visit.  (The heat of the day hadn't subsided at all and the air was still and it was even hotter in the market. Gary came home right after the tour - Beth and Marianne kept on shopping.)

As it turned out, Beth, Marianne, and I had dessert while Gary had a beer.

Gary has a well earned beer

Reflections on the atrium windows

It's hard to believe we only arrived this morning at 7.30.  Despite the heat we seem to have packed a lot into the day.


Reading: The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan

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