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Hong Kong - Day 1
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
KUNG HEI FAT CHOI!
This was the first and pretty much only Chinese phrase that we learned in Hong Kong. It translates literally as “Best Wishes for Prosperity”. “Sin Nee Khuai Lok” translates literally to “Happy New Year” but nobody here ever uses that phrase so, again, Kung Hei Fat Choi.
What a flight. Fourteen hours from San Francisco to Hong Kong on a United Airlines 747. One good thing about flying United is that they typically have about 4 inches more legroom than most other airlines. Still, 14 hours is a LONG time. We breeze through customs and immigration. As we come out of customs, we pass by a security type person holding an infrared scanner. Another guy sits in front of a monitor looking at the temperature of our faces. Any unusually high or low temperatures and we would be pulled over for a health check. We pass through without incident and soon find the Pleasant Holidays representative that will take us to our hotel. While waiting for the rest of our group to clear customs we take a few pictures of the airport. This airport opened only a few years ago and it’s pretty impressive.
Airport Lobby, Trains to City, Sushi Bar
We chat with some of the other people waiting with us and discover that Kara & Bruce are also displaced Canadians, though presently living and working in California instead of Texas (We will touch base with them often during this trip and compare notes). Once our rep has gathered up everyone going to the Kowloon Hotel, our luggage is loaded onto a truck and we are soon on our way by tour bus. The Tsing Ma suspension bridge connecting Lantau Island to the mainland is very impressive especially all lit up. Our rep gives us a running commentary about the sights around us as well as a run down on what we will be doing next day. The basic package includes only two organized activities, both of which occurred on Day 2; the half day tour of Hong Kong Island and the Grand Stand tickets to the New Year’s Parade. There were various optional packages available which can be taken at different times, depending on the package. We are also provided with a number of passes for Museums and such. The only optional package we purchased was the Harbor Cruise Fireworks Tour for the evening of Day 3.
After checking in at the hotel and unpacking, we decide to go for a walk. Even though it is approaching 10 PM Hong Kong time, we need to stretch our legs a bit, unwind from the flight, and say hello to the city. The Kowloon Hotel is located directly behind the Peninsula Hotel, the oldest existing hotel in Hong Kong, and is just one block north of the start of Nathan Road. Nathan Road is the “Main Street” of Kowloon running from the harbor all the way north to Boundary Road which separates Kowloon from the New Territories. We quickly discover the pedestrian underpasses that get you across very busy streets such as Nathan and Salisbury Roads. In Hong Kong, these are what they refer to as subways and are not to be confused with the MTR system, which is the underground train system that we would call subways back home. With the Chinese Cultural Center blocking our direct path to the harbor, we turned east and eventually find the Promenade. There is a fair bit of construction going on and most of the Promenade is closed off. We can only see the eastern half of Hong Kong Island up to about half way across the Central District; roughly 3 of the 5 miles of skyline that makes up North Hong Kong Island (much later, we will discover a place on the other side of the Chinese Cultural Center that provides a much better view across the harbor). We take a few pictures anyway of the buildings with the fancy light displays and then head back towards the hotel.
Buildings lit up for New Years, Eastern skyline
Instead of stopping at our hotel, we continue North on Nathan Road for a few more blocks, taking pictures of the neon signs up and down the street. We walk as far as Kowloon Park and then turn around, finally returning to our hotel and our bed.
Nathan Road at night
Let me take a minute to describe our hotel room. It is rectangular in shape except for a triangle formed by the two sets of windows that meet at right angles (see the pictures). We have a queen size bed that is about 8 inches from the wall on L’s side and about a foot and a half from the opposite wall. J’s side has a little more room because of the windows, but he also has the desk/fridge/TV/safe combination unit on his side. There is also an armchair that takes up any “excess” space by the foot of the bed. Everything is computer controlled and there are control panels by each side of the bed, on the desk above the computer keyboard and by the door. The ones by the bed have the most buttons on them.
Bedroom north, Bedroom South, Control panel by bed
You may notice the lack of a dresser in this space. The dresser consists of 2 drawers about 3 inches deep built into the suitcase holder in the closet (sorry, forgot to take pictures of the closet). This unit is, fortunately, on legs which raise it about 8 inches above floor level, & that is just enough room for us to cram our empty suitcases under. This would not work if we had hard-sided luggage.
The bathroom is the standard Western toilet & Shower/Tub combo. We are pleased to say that the shower is large enough to share (unlike that one in the hotel in Paris). The bed is very reasonably comfortable and once we readjust we will sleep well.