HKG to LHR - Blogabond

Hong Kong International Airport:

Currently sitting (on the floor) at Hong Kong International Airport, congregating with a few others connected to a power outlet for their notebooks. We are boarding in fifteen minutes and from this point on it is uncharted grounds to old me! Sun is shining now.

It was almost 18 years ago when last come to Lantau Island with friends before the airport was built. I was quite surprised, impressed I guess is a better word for it, last year when I first came back to HKG. The old soggy paddies with mosquitoes and flies hovering around us while picnicking are gone. This is a totally different world! The only thing that is constant I suppose is the smog coming from China. The air is never clear...makes me appreciate NZ a lot more!

Back to seat 66D, plane is looking a bit fuller but quite thankful to find out that the seat next to me is still free. Flight is long but it is plain sailing. I noticed a slight difference in the degree of warmth or friendliness of the crew, could be due to more pax and they need to work faster/quicker? But that would not be living up to what AirNZ stands for: the best service possible by a carrier. It's a name the company wants to create and should keep.

view from the plane

Wee hours before reaching LHR, the captain announced us passing through the Netherlands. I took this chance to get up and went for a walk about and later on congregated with a few moms (and dads possibly) by the window next to the lavatories. Managed to take a quick snap of the view below us. From the right side of the plane and looking down at the many white dots that covered quite a vast expanse of the land made me realize these are WINDMILLS ...

White Christmas...

Checked the left side of the plane and all I can see is a blanket of white...reality kicks in I guess and the moment the word SNOW...lots of SNOW is formed in my brain...next questions is.. “Oh dear...Will I be warm enough?” Checking the photos I just took I suddenly put two and two together (in this case one and one really) and figured the snow is only on one side because the windmills, hundreds of windmills were on the other side.

Looking at the flight plan showed we were passing my final destination, Germany. It is another hour or so to LHR. Sun was out and once we touched down, I breezed through immigration (although I could have spent a bit more time checking which queue I should have gone to avoid looking like a dork and being told “this queue is for European passport holders only)...to my embarrassment! But lucky enough there were no queues. Once I have collected all check in luggage, I took the trouble of taking out the Kiwi bone carvings with a bit of a feather in it (my pressie for my host) for the purpose of declaring it. I went through the red line but I was surprised and almost feel disappointed to find no one there at the counter. Just a quick turn to my left, I joined the others going through the exit doors into the airport's arrival lobby.

Found my Dot2Dot airport transfer and was told to wait for a few minutes. The drive from the airport was a good introduction for me. With my eyes wide open I noticed the contrast London has with Auckland. Although the city is widespread as Auckland is, especially out in the suburbs...the difference is the colors. Being swallowed into a sea of all shades of browns gives a feeling of warmth and a welcoming spirit!

There were only 3 of us in the shuttle yet I did not get to my hotel until 3 hours later. I was starting to feel very tired but the driver was quite friendly and advised (once the 2 other pax were dropped off) that since it is my first time in London, he will show me around. The service took so long and for people who know their way around in London, the Heathrow Express would be better. But I do not like the idea of pushing or dragging 2 suitcases plus my hand carry in the middle of crowded train. So the shuttle worked better for me this time and the driver was kind enough to actually carry my suitcases to the reception.
The only downside was the long wait at the airport but I guess that is something that can’t be helped as they can’t run the shuttle with not enough pax.

Ibis London City Reception

Got to IBIS London City only to find that everyone on the reception are immigrants (I think from Russia) and didn’t understand my KIWI accent. Room is small but quite clean and the bathroom most especially. It is about a hundred meters away from/to the Aldgate Station which served very handy for us. It is also just a block or two away from the London Tower/Tower Bridge.

While inside the airport shuttle I felt quite tired and all I wanted was to drop dead as soon as I reach my hotel bed and sleep for a few hours to recover. But after a quick warm shower I was fine and dandy so we decided to go out.

my first time in the London Tube

After all I am only gonna be in London for a couple of nights and every hour counts.

the right sign, wrong place

I saw this sign at the Victoria Station. I was actually looking for food, I gave up the idea after this.

Few eye openers for me tonight:

Auckland’s streets get crowded but nothing compared to here. I see a lot of people tugging along suitcases in different shapes colors and sizes all over the train, streets and everywhere. Rubbish was everywhere. Walking along one of the main shopping area near Hyde Park, I realized that with the massive number of people the city has to cope with, it is hard to keep everything under control.

Well lit streets

People rushes around like mad and there are rubbish everywhere on the streets, on pavements...

I even found a shopping cart just across Hyde Park full of rubbish and just left on the side road!

Just a few more photos I took during my first night. This one is at Hyde Park Christmas Market

Winter Wonderland Hyde Park

Well lit streets

Taken at one of the main shopping area not far from Hyde Park. And this one is somewhere in Soho..

Street Deco and lights in Soho District

Marven kept reminding me..."Kathy look after your bag please...you are not in NZ!" Hearing this from him, I remember telling the shuttle driver... "I have just been a few hours in London and I miss NZ already!" We are not lucky in NZ, we are blessed and we don’t even realize it. Yes, even if life can be hard at times back home...the space, the freedom, the surroundings, the friendly people, the simple things in life... I can’t ask for more!

written by

jorgn_craw on November 22, 2008 from Hong Kong, Hong Kong

from the travel blog: Euro Trip 2008

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