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Published: June 16th 2011
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Continuing from last blog:
Sunday - straightforward journey to the airport in Kuala Lumpur then onto the hotel in Hong Kong - it was going on for 11pm by the time we got there but we were very pleasantly surprised to find we'd been upgraded to a deluxe room! That never happens to us! What it actually meant was that we got a bigger room, replica of our previous one at the Island Pacific, but with a harbour view and king size bed, so very nice indeed, and on the 15th floor so really good views.
Being in Hong Kong at that time meant it was no problem shopping, so we get the customary bottles of Tsing Tao from Circle K round the corner and rounded the evening off (or rather, early morning) with two cold ones.
Monday - revisited our preferred breakfast place for menu item A, the one that we'd ordered every day on the previous visit and got something different each day! And yes, sure enough, different again - 3 jowsers (small pork dumplings) and a glass of cold soy milk and as tasty as before!
We then got the ding ding to Wan
Chai and wandered around Hong Kong Park, a lovely green space in the heart of the city with artificial lakes, waterfalls, an aviary, Tai Chi centre, walkways and a few buildings, surrounded by skyscrapers and mountains, surreal really! Got a few good photos there but our main reason for visiting was to see the Visual Arts Centre there and that was a bit disappointing as there was only a tiny space open to the public so not much to see.
We went back to the hotel in the afternoon to swim in the pool, again weird being in an open air pool surrounded by skyscrapers! Then we checked our email and got the first news of the continuing aftershocks in Christchurch, several today including large 5.5 and 6 shocks, so our thoughts returned home to our friends there. There was coverage on the BBC world news too - it seems to be never ending. We are so happy to be on steady ground but it's never far from our minds. Luckily today there seems to have been just a few minor injuries so some relief.
In the evening we got the metro to Kowloon, ate average overpriced Japanese
food, watched the light show at the harbourfront then shopped at Temple St night market until gone 11pm. The numbers on the streets at that time are incredible, everyone seems to be in a shopping frenzy in HK!
Tuesday - went through the same breakfast ritual and got two jowsers, a bowser and soy milk this time! Then spent most of the day in Causeway Bay, shopping. We found a surprisingly excellent little bakery in the Japanese dept store basement, Sogo - a french patisserie; too good not to have lunch from there! Also very cheap. We also tasted about 12 different German fruit teas, again excellent but pricey. I did buy green tea at the Japanese dept store (including some for you Izabela!).
We made our way to the airport that evening after changing at the hotel, a long day all in all. The 12.5 hour flight was delayed so it was just after midnight when we left HK.
Wednesday - arrived in Heathrow at about 6.00am local time, then had 6 hours to wait for the connection to Manchester (wouldn't you know, the first flight to be cancelled was the UK one!). We were so
happy to see Mac's brother at the airport so got to Preston mid afternoon, though with the 7 hour time difference it felt much later. Doesn't seem that much has changed in England in the 3.5 years since we left (other than stricter security and immigration checks) but I obviously need to reserve judgement as it's far too soon to say. Traffic seems a nightmare compared to NZ, funny seeing roads with more than 2 lanes again! But good to be greeted with the customary grey clouds and rain over Manchester and a butter pie in Preston!
Thursday - woke at 4.00 am, still awake at 7 so getting the blog up to date before the next wave of jet lag sets in, plus had no decent internet connection since checking out of the hotel in HK. Hope to start making contact with everyone from today, so much to do now we're back in England ....................... no vehicle, no mobile, probably still got a few outdated phone numbers ........ good to have a challenge!
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