August 2, Doha to Hong Kong
Ugh, flying. :(
I popped a diazepam for the takeoff and the rest of the flight was fine, the only problem was my seat mate, a middle aged Western man who just could not keep still. He wriggled and shifted around in his seat for most of the flight, constantly invading my personal space with his feet and elbows. Not fun. But a melatonin pill combined with my industrial strength earplugs helped me get a few hours sleep. Landing at HKIA was interesting because the plane came extremely close to the sea before the landing strip suddenly appeared. It felt like we were flying on the water.
I went through a long queue at immigration and finally emerged into the free land of Hong Kong. Within minutes of being there I changed into a vest top and shorts. Ahhh. Comfort. And all that flesh on display, tut tut. Everyone in Doha would be staring at me. I used the free wifi in the airport to message Chung Wah and then I headed for the airport bus. Next I made an amazing discovery - the buses have free wifi! This is practically unheard of in London, Brussels, Doha, Beijing….or anywhere else I’ve visited ever.
The bus ride was great and I gazed out the window to absorb all the Hong Kong scenery. Tall buildings mixed up with flashes of blue sea and dark green trees covering rolling hillsides. Such variety of colour and texture was a feast for the eyes after spending so long in the unrelenting yellow desert dustiness of Doha. The streets of Hong Kong bustled with commuters, street vendors, cars, trams, buses and bikes. Tiny intriguing shops nestled between famous brand names and Chinese chain stores. Hong Kong has history, character, culture, colour, buzz and soul - plus modern efficiency and excellent customer service. It’s a city that seems to work with you, instead of against you. Brussels is a fine example of the latter type of city…
Tonight I had Vietnamese food and cocktails with Chung Wah and Walter. We drank wine and ate seafood noodles while discussing topics including our latest travels and the current political influence of Beijing over Hong Kong. After dinner, nicely tipsy, we went our separate ways. Chung Wah to meet with a female friend in need of a heart to heart chat, and Walter to catch the last ferry back to his island home. I caught the MTR back to Quarry Bay and wandered the local area for a while before letting myself into the flat. It was so great to walk around without instantly turning into a huge sweat-ball.
