Back to the Regular Old Blog

Now that I have arrived in Hong Kong I can resume the regular Google blog for occasional news updates. The China Travel Blog will be put on hold until the next trip.

Hong Kong Airport - Heading to Chengdu

I have a few hours to wait for my flight to Chengdu so I might as well just relax. My first choice was the 'Cabin' Cathay Business Class lounge but it was very full because they are renovating the 'Wing' lounge. I moved over to the Dragonair which is a lot quieter and less humid. If I get bored here then I can move to the Quantus lounge which I have never been in.

The flight from New York was as expected except they bumped me to Business. You know I have a love hate relationship with Business Class because the coffin seats are a little short. I did catch up on movies and the food was good. The fifteen or so hours just fly by.

Well, as the five of you who read this blog know - Blogger doesn't work in China. Therefore, after today I will be using the Travelblog: http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Jeff-on-the-Road/page-1.html

I arrive in Chengdu at about 11:00 tonight and have a friend picking me up at the airport. The weekend is free and I don't have to be at the Sichuan University until 10:00 Monday morning. The jetlag will not be over by then but will definitely have lessened. I don't need to do very much prep work for the first few classes. The detailed outline was all prepared in New York and translated into Chinese. All further outlines will be based on that original model along with input from the students.

Tuesday in Hong Kong

Tuesday morning was a good opportunity to sleep in and relax. We didn't really get motivated until after breakfast and then in the early afternoon took the ferry from Kowloon across the water into Hong Kong. A few hours were spent meeting with art dealers and looking at various objects. Later in the day we met up with some good friends and then went for drinks followed by a late leisurely dinner at an Australian steak house in the heart of Hong Kong's bustling nightlife district. It was a good time with lots of laughing and joking. We arrived back to the hotel before midnight and were asleep almost minutes later.

Wednesday Morning: It was easy getting up at six in the morning and packing. On short trips luggage and packing is so easy. Unfortunately Cathay was not able to upgrade us to Business Class but still we have good seats anyway. With luck the flight won't be too busy.

Friday Morning on the South China Sea

If it's Friday it must be Taipai. Well, not quite yet. We still have to get to the Hong Kong airport which is about 25 minutes from the YMCA Hotel in Kowloon. After that the flight to Taipai will only be about an hour and a half.

Yesterday afternoon was spent looking at some interesting pieces of art followed by a leisurely dim sum lunch. Following lunch we spent the afternoon in the Chi Lin Nunnery and temple compound. It is very quiet there - a hidden part of Hong Kong so far unknown to tourists. The nunnery also has a beautiful park in front with ponds and waterfalls, a tea house (literally the quietest place in Hong Kong) and a vegetarian restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious dinner before returning to the hotel.

No images yet - I didn't have time yesterday or this morning to download the files from the camera to the computer. In Taipai there should be more time for downtime and details - unless of course I am completely mistaken!

YMCA Hong Kong

Cathay Pacific was nice enough to upgrade the two of us to Business Class yesterday. Arrived in Hong Kong on Wednesday afternoon after losing a half day because of the international dateline. It is actually Thursday morning here now as I write this entry.

We had a coffee in the lobby of the YMCA Hotel yesterday and then ran into a friend from Kathmandu as he exited the elevator in the hotel. He was in Hong Kong on business and the last time I saw him was in a restaurant in Kathmnadu three years ago. The world is becoming ever smaller.

Later, after a short rest, we met up with our host and went for a traditional dinner at an upscale Shanghai restaurant. Needless to say I don't think I like the food that much. I have become very picky about my Chinese diet especially when I can't recognize it out of a line-up. I also enjoy taking my food from the plate and putting it into my mouth directly rather than having to pick out all of the bones, skin, bits of shell, etc., but most importantly I want to know what it is. Is that really so much to ask?

The weather is cool here with mostly 60s during the day - somewhat cloudy. It is winter after all!

We are only here today and then leave early in the morning for Taipai. The flight leaves at 9:00. For the next few days we have all of the recommended restaurants reserved (by our host) along with the meetings lined up. Basically we will be hitting the ground in Taipai running until arriving back in the Hong Kong YMCA late on Monday night. Tuesday will be a full day in Hong Kong to finish up any last minute work before flying back to NY on Wednesday morning.

With luck I will have better images for the next entry.

Later...

--- Jeff

Back from Chengdu - Hong Kong Airport

Well the trip is over. I could have stayed much longer. I had a place to sleep, roof, hot water, food and good company. The China Travel Blog has now been illustrated with some snap shots from here and there. I did very little in the way of photography on this trip - some art. Many collectors didn't want their pieces photographed. There was a lot more conversation on this trip than there was quick action camera play.

I am currently sitting in the Hong Kong airport - Cathay Business Lounge "the Cabin" - watching the planes come and go while I catch up with e-mail and uploading the decorative images to the Travel site. They have three Cathay Business Class Lounges at the Hong Kong airport.

It seems I am flying coach back to NY. I tried to upgrade with air miles but they don't have any openings. Oh well, it will be fine. The exit row aisle seat is actually very comfortable and allows me to stretch my legs out and trip all who walk by - especially after they turn all the lights out.

The image above is one of the buildings within the large Taoist Temple complex in Chengdu. The Panda photo is not mine but rather borrowed from the web. Chengdu is the main city closest to the Panda sanctuaries and also the gateway to Tibet.

Hong Kong Airport and the Dragon Air Lounge

After a 16 hour flight I have finally arrived in Hong Kong. As a general, and usually strict rule, I do not fly on Saturdays or Sundays. For this trip however I am dependent upon the schedules of others and not as free to choose my own flying days. Also, being Asia Week (month) in New York makes it even more complicated. Therefore, for those reasons, I flew on the Cathay Pacific Sunday morning baby run. I only have myself to blame.

While in Chengdu I plan to use both Travel Blogs depending on which one works bets. It is possible that this Google blog will work in Chengdu as the hotel is primarily for foreigners. In the mean time I have been trying to access the alternate Travel Blog but without any success. It could be that it is temporarily down for some nightly maintenance. http://www.travelblog.org/ or http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Yungdrung/. The internet at the HK airport is extremely slow today. More later.....

Hong Kong

Due to heavy winds we arrived late in Hong Kong and I missed my connecting flight to Beijing. Flights leave all the time so it was easy to get on another scheduled for an hour and a half later. The brie and cucumber sandwiches in the Business Class lounge are the best. It is sunny and warm here. It would be nice to go into Hong Kong and spend some time, but alas no. I have the thick clouds of pollution and dust to look forward to in Beijing.

Leaving Delhi & the Hong Kong Airport Lounge

The rest of Tuesday went as planned and we left for the airport at 7:30 with our favourite driver. Delhi can be a confusing city. Sometimes it is best to hire a driver to take you around in your own car, especially at night. The airport was a little frantic and the passengers boarded buses to get out to the plane. There was no reason offered for this lack of a modern ramp side gate. At the gate I was given an upgrade to Business Class. On an older plane it doesn't always make that much difference. There are three Cathay Pacific Business Class lounges in the Hong Kong airport. All of them have free food, wi-fi, showers and more.

The image above is of the Yamuna River running behind the Tara Guest House in Majnukatilla, New Delhi.

Hanging Out In The Hong Kong Airport

Well, the 14 hour flight is over and I have a 3 hour gap here in Hong Kong before I get onto the 4 hour flight to Delhi. The Business Class Lounge is a lot bigger here than in New York. They have two bar/restaurants (free) along with showers, internet and a secret door that leads to the First Class Lounge. I have some e-mails to write but that will probably go much easier with a glass of red wine.

The picture above is of my friend Jamyang Lekdrub. He and I were monks together back in the 70s in Rajpur India. This photo is of the newly built Ngor Ewam Monastery in Tibet. In 2007 JL and I traveled to Ngor, Jonang, Bodong, Narthang, Gongkar Chode, and then spent a week at Sakya Monatery, Tibet. The reason for showing this picture is because he is picking me up at the Delhi airport at 2:00 am in the morning. Now that's a friend.