Hong Kong to Helsinki (SYD-HKG-HEL)

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and the travel merry-go-round begins (again)
NOW
in the Hotel Alton in Prague - arrived here (slowly - my choice in case hotel not ready) at 2pm Wed. 1 June

Pix would not load at Vantaa-HEL (hence below) and had to dash to other end of airport to (new) gate

AT the TIME (this morning)
In a sunny nook (so to speak) at Helsinki Vantaa airport – its 8am 1 June – I lose track of what day of the week it is, date more important. I arrived here a little after 6am after my flight on Finnair from Hong Kong. It left after 12.30am, 5 hr time diff and a 10 hr flight. Ignored food when on board until hot brekky this a.m. as had eaten in Mong Kok in HK last night.

So what of Hong Kong? Dead tired when I arrived as did not go to bed, had to drop off library books in slot at Marrickville, then to airport. Only when asked about hand luggage did I realise that I only did not have my camera/computer bag – not going without those! – she could not check my other bag in case I did not return – so illegally grabbed a drop-off cab (they can be fined $5000 for doing this!) outside arrivals and streaked home (just as well I live close) in 31 mins and just got back in time for 10am cutoff (Bob will remember this last time in Akld! – and I did the same in LA – on airport bus and realised I did not have one of 2 bags – BIG and BASIC folks. Which explains why I am now somewhat paranoid about leaving things.

Forget temporary dramas – got to hotel via MTR at more or less Causeway Bay on the Island– you can see the shops but actually at Tin Hau station, next one on. This was called Metropark Harbour View - on 10th flr but "harbour view" more of the sports fields down here, although Victoria Park is close and can see the Oriental or whatever on the other side in Kowloon thru the usual murk. Have stayed 2 diff. places here before - Kowloon side first which I liked - night markets and 24/7 food! Wanchai last time - 2 stops closer than this to Central (on Island) - but with 3 day airport-MTR pass (300HKD - airport each way is 100 (12.50AUD or so) I thought was good value – but not really – most short MTR trips are only 5-7HKD. Free net (LAN only in room) was sooo slow - like dialup. They had Wifi downstairs which more or less worked on my Ipod (eventually).

My bag was super light 14.5kg (to US 18,5) but no winter clothes in this one! – and laptop (2kg) in backpack. So far have only forgotten one thing for sure (swimmers) - there is a rooftop (flr29) pool – but managed to get a cheapish pair that were not too ugly (it took a while) in Sogo at Causeway Bay the next day and had a sunset swim. Not as warm as it seemed after a while despite pool temp of 25C.

Monday when I finally got going (after thinking of heading to the Peak) ended really only in trip to Sogo (see swimmers) and also bought a cheap zipper jacket there (about 30% of orig. price for $50AU) and also a couple of pairs of traveller underwear which cost only $15AU - have paid $40 each for these at home! Went on to Central after dropping the shopping and sort of tried to find a really nice Chinese resto. I found last time off D’Aguilar – not really “lost” but could not find so ended up at Café Siam for Thai food. So that was more or less a recovery day. Had wondered about seeing the doctor here in case my left knee required something (not cortisone!) as is playing up but that started a few days ago – old ‘injury’ is coming back to haunt me.

Tuesday was the day I was supposed to really do something. Well at least I got to ride on a tram (locally called ‘ding ding’) which runs along the island. They are great value and you get to see something rather than underground MTR. Great value as only 2HKD flat fare – going up to 2.30 on 7 June so exact change will be a nuisance then. Went along for the ride then jumped off to get something to eat at Tai Koo a Viet resto. Fortunately MTR station over the road so could whizz back rather faster in the direction of the Peak tram. Slogged uphill til I finally found it among the tall buildings and “nowhere to cross” roads of Central. Its 65HKD ($8) for the tram (otherwise 40 return) and extra includes the viewing platform – you can see a lot from elsewhere but the windy platform makes it easier. Lots of tacky overpriced shops and ditto restos – although an espresso – in a real cup! At 15HKD was (relatively) good value.

Back from there to hotel to change – he said go to the roof where gym and pool is – guy offered me a towel – then realised this was not such a stupid idea so had a hot shower. Then to Central at 8pm to check my bag in (great feature of HK) – paying attention to HEL-PRG tag so it hopefully will arrive in Prague on same plane. Then over to Mong Kok – an alleged English language bookshop Cosmos which lists (online) the LP guide to Western Balkans I might need had about 6 LP guides! – pa. No real time to look at Ladies Market in Tung Choi st and had some very nice steamed prawn dumplings and some stuffed eggplant before dashing back to central for the airport train. In HK the LP guide was 250HKD (about 30AUD) they have it in airport at Helsinki but 37Euro which is about Aussie price – if I need one will try and pick up later. Better edit some pix and throw this online!

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Photos

fr. hotel roof @ sunset
Flr 31 @ Metropark Causeway Bay

HK hotel roof to Right
close and packed and tall

hotel roof daytime
and murk and haze (as normal)

HK ding ding tram
on the top deck - airy with windows down

HK street scene
at Tai Koo where had lunch

tourists on the Peak
Muslims do the view

Mong Kok neon
there's a lot of it