19/2 - Baaaaaai Bangkok, Helloooooooooo Hong Kong!

At 6AM the alarm clock screams. My plane leaves at 8:25, and I need to finish up packing and get to the airport. Another cheap taxiride gets me there in half an hour. I need to pay 900 baht extra because of the weight… I have to unload some stuff in HK onto parcel post or the airlines will suck me dry. The flight is uneventfull, Cathay Pacific uses lovely new 777s in which economy is as nice as business class with KLM. Take notice, KLM!

After doing my bookings, I realized that I was in HK during the Lunar New Year’s celebrations. I timed wrong though, since the fireworks were on the 17th. It was busy at the airport, but I managed to get to the hotel before 12.



My first impressions of Hong Kong are somewhat negative. It’s about four in the afternoon now, and I spent the first couple of hours of my stay doing a little tour in the old part of Hong Kong Island, near my hotel. Many shops are closed on this Monday morning, and it makes the place feel deserted. The weather is not working with me either; it’s very foggy, which prevents my from seeing much of the beautiful scenery. The temperature is around 23 degrees, but the combination with the fog makes it icky, sweaty weather. Food time: It takes a while to find a place, and I finally settle for a Chinese fast-food type place. The food is very bad unfortunately, and too late I realize that the Coke is probably made wth tapwater… I move to the opposite side of the road, where a Delifrance is located. Here I order a tuna sandwich, but the the tuna salad comes with icky vegetables in it ☹ I move on, looking for a post office. A security guard tells me that because of the Lunar New Years’s celebrations all public offices and many shops will be closed until Wednesday… great. A nearby mall seems to be mostly open, so I walk around a little. I see a Starbucks and order a large chai latte and a blueberry muffin. The chai is fine, but the muffin tastes three days old. It’s not my day!!!