Hong Kong Anew

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Flew from Auckland to Hong Kong on the 31st via Cathay Pacific. It was my second flight on an Airbus 350, their answer to Boeing’s Dreamliner. My first flight was last Fall, Helsinki to Hong Kong on FinAir.

We landed at 9PM HK time, five hours behind Auckland time, so, 2AM by my body clock.

I’d planned on taking a hotel bus from the airport direct to Hotel SAV. SAV is a new hotel for me and in a new neighborhood. Normally, I stay at the Island Pacific which is on HK Island. SAV is on the mainland. As a result of the time, late-ish at night, new neighborhood, and rain, direct bus seemed a good pick. When I cleared Customs & Immigration I went the shuttle bus company’s service desk and was told, “No bus for you!” Fine. I’ll subway it.

The subway required 3 train changes after I got the train from the airport. It’s now about 10:30PM and it’s raining and my map app isn’t matching the street signs. Still lots of people on the streets and beside HK is a very safe town, but it’s getting late and I’m pretty tired and getting wetter by the minute.

I got myself headed into the right direction, always carry a compass, but street signs are off. I see a guy and his young daughter seeking shelter from the rain under an overhang and ask if he speaks English and tell him I’m looking for SAV on Whuhu Street. He tells me to make a left and keep walking. It seems Whuhu changes names somewhere along my route. No wonder I couldn’t find it.

Made it to the SAV about 11PM local and 4AM my clock. The room is tiny, good bed, too large a TV given the room size, moderate bandwidth. It’ll do. But, I prefer the Island Pacific. However, this is a bit more of an upscale, though still working class neighborhood with many more Western eateries than my normal haunt.

A typical side alley pic below. A typical delivery cart. It seems all of HK is resupplied using these carts. There must be thousands and thousands of them.