Minnesota

Packed and ready for eleven weeks in China. Exhausted as always after the long air flight from Minnesota to China. Left on Thursday, May 22nd and arrived into the future on Friday, May 23rd. Minneapolis to Tokyo about 11 hours then connecting flight to Hong Kong another 4. I want a Star Trek transformer. I would be willing to have an ear rearranged in a strange place not to put my body through international flights. First time flying to Hong Kong, always Beijing or Shanghai in the past. Since I wanted to visit friends in Shenzhen and Guangzhou this was the cheapest flight. To get to Shenzhen would have added another flight from Shanghai and about $400, plus a nights hotel. Landed in Hong Kong at 9:30pm or about the same as pulling an all-nighter as it would be about 8:30am at home. I can't sleep on airplanes so was dead tired. Fairly quickly through customs and my checked bag was waiting for me. I was very happy I had a reservation at the Hong Kong Airport Regal Hotel. It was a short five-minute walk down a connection corridor from the airport lobby. Because of the late arrival they ran out of the lower cost room I reserved and was upgraded to the executive suite on the top floor. Plopped my bags in the room and went back to the lobby to use the free wifi. Would have needed to pay about $28 more to get internet in the room. Interesting to sit and let it sink in I was back in Asia. Lots of airline stewardesses coming and going in groups of six or seven. Cookie cutter looks. All the same taught, pulled up hair, same height, same body size, same uniforms and same disposition. There were also a few foreigners in the mix with other Asian travelers. Got to bed at midnight and set the alarm for 9:00am. I woke up a couple hours later by a big flash of light as if a spotlight filled the room and a rumble as a heavy rainstorm broke the night. I was able to get back to sleep but with the morning light and continuous rumbling I awoke again at 7:00am. Skype called my friend Thomas in Shenzhen that I would be arriving at the hotel that afternoon. I could not check into the Shenzhen hotel until 2:00pm so hung out at the airport hotel until 12:00 check out time. Hong Kong power is different then mainland China so I did not have a converter and computer battery level was low. Took a shuttle van to the Shenzhen boarder for 150 Hong Kong dollar (130 Chinese rmb or about $21). I did not want to do four transfers on the metro line with big luggage bags. Using a company recommended online for a cheaper bus they ended up selling me the shuttle van instead. It will not be the first language miscommunications. The van driver told me to sit in the front passenger seat so I walk up front to open the door. The other passengers speak out because I am going to the driver side on the right. I didn't think about this being a British colony for such a long time and they drive on the "wrong" side of the road here. Though raining, it is still a beautiful ride across several bridges, mountainous vistas and bays. Wish I could see the landscape better. Some day I should explore Hong Kong further. Arrived at the Huanggang crossing point and the only foreigner so the quickest entry ever. Was hassled by non-official taxi drivers wanting to pull my bag to their vans. One guy was so persistent! I told him my hotel and he said official taxi would be 180 rmb but of course will not give me their price...."have to call my boss!" A security guy finally intervened and scooted the guy off for me to encounter him again after I go over the pedestrian bridge to where the official taxis are waiting. Others are bidding for me to ride with them also. I play more assertive and pull my bag away and say, "I will take an official taxi". Lots of them are waiting and since I know my hotel is near the cost is only 30 rmb. The Tian Cheng Sha Zhui Jiu Dian (Sha Zhui Hotel) was hard for the taxi driver to find as they only put a cross street reference on their confirmation page I printed out. Taxi driver had to call the hotel to find an entrance. I had reserved a king size bed but those rooms were in the front of the building with lots of traffic noise. Went down to the desk to change to a bad side room that has two single beds.