Advertisement
Published: February 19th 2016
Edit Blog Post
On vacation but don't sleep in due to jet lag. I figured I could catch up while crossing the Pacific Ocean. This hotel also offered free hot breakfast but without the baked beans that are traditional in Québec. Good thing as the air conditioning on the plane isn't that good. Thankfully, returning the rental car was uneventful. A quick hop over the Rockies.
Once we had reclaimed our baggage we headed over to the international departure area. Vancouver international Airport is my favourite from around the world. I love its open concept, the panoramic views of the mountains and the native artwork everywhere. Here are some details of Bill Reid's creation myth. Something I had not noticed on other visits was a display of Inuit sculptures. Here is a photo of one piece that perfectly mirrored my mood upon learning that our flight was delayed by 3 hours! Still, I was happy that I had forked out extra money to fly Cathay Pacific. Attached to our boarding pass was a $12 voucher for food. Damned if I was going to waste it on some take-out. We dined at Milestones. Big juicy burgers that really hit the spot.
Once we
did board the aircraft, I was not let down by the expected service. The cabin crew were constantly on the move serving meals, making sure everyone kept hydrated and keeping the washrooms clean. As usual, the meals were above par, even in coach. There was a wide selection of movies and music to while away the hours. I did manage a few short naps but my skinny ass was feeling it by half-way through the flight. My tail bone never completely healed from last year's folly of jumping off a cliff in Costa Rica into the water and landing on a boulder.
Passing through Hong Kong customs was just a formality. The long jaunt to the taxi stand was just what was needed to stretch the legs. It was approaching mid-night so there was little traffic and we arrived at our Kowloon hotel in about half an hour. We were dumped on the sidewalk and the driver grabbed the cash from my hand and sped off to the chorus of blaring horns since he had been blocking traffic.
The hotel is located in a 20+ story building with a smelly entrance with peeling paint and crumbling paint. A
doorman was snoring in the alcove. My research had indicated that the hotel was in a multi-use building. While waiting for the elevator to the 11th floor, I counted 13 different hotels, countless other enterprises and private apartments. We stepped through a door just beside the elevator and into the lobby which was barely large enough to accommodate our bags. Our room was just behind the concierge's desk. Upon opening the door, we almost fell over the foot of the single bed. Somehow, they had managed to squeeze in a double bed also. No night table, just a rickety shelving unit. The bathroom has a very small sink and a throne. As in many hotels under four stars in Asia, there is no tub. The shower head hangs from the wall and water goes everywhere when washing. At least shampoo and shower gel are provided. There was even a large towel but no face cloth. Hey, what do you expect for under a hundred bucks! TV and a good internet connection though. The pillows and comforter were stacked at the head of the bed. No top sheet. Hope it doesn't get too cold at night this high off the ground.
'Nite all.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.196s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 12; qc: 27; dbt: 0.1585s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb