Kung Hei Fat Choy!
Hello from Hong Kong!
I can't believe that we are so far from home. In less than a week, we will have Joy in our arms!!
The flight was quite nice. It wasn't anywhere near full and we were able to spread out on lots of empty seats and even lay down to sleep! It took about 16 hours and the Cathay Pacific flight attendants were quite pleasant. Most of the food was okay, too. That says a lot about an airline!
After landing in Hong Kong, we used (thanks to Sam's research) public transportation (wow!) to get from the airport to the hotel. We are staying at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kowloon and it is beautiful.
We took a little time to recoup and were told NOT to take any naps, so as to get over the jetlag quickly. We spent the day (about seven hours) walking all around Hong Kong. We took the Ferry to Hong Central and walked up and down streets taking in the sights and sounds. Hong Kong is a fantastic place. It kind of reminds me of (for lack of a better and more worldly experience) San Francisco. It is very hilly and today was overcast and a bit foggy. It is not the chilly fog of SFO, but more of a muggy and Hawaii-like feel. It is a tropical climate and the lanscape reflects that. It is very lush.
The people here are very helpful and it has a very strong sense of hustle and bustle. After walking around Hong Kong for the day, I got the sense that it is a popular place to visit. We did see a lot of locals, too. One highlight was going up a seemingly endless stream of escalators that pass by shops, which one can get off to visit, every fifty feet or so. I think they were called the Middletown escalators. They bay was beautiful, too.
Our day also included TWO visits to Starbucks, to help with staying awake until at least 9 p.m. HK time. (Sugie would approve.) As I write this it is 9:30 p.m., February 1. Hong Kong is 16 hours ahead of California. So, you are all in your p.j.'s and fast asleep, I hope. I guess the walking, caffeine and no-napping did the trick, because I am still standing, well sitting and typing. Please excuse the typos!
I had hoped to have photos to show of the day, but, we forgot our cable to download them to the computer! Not to worry, though, we are traveling with our friends David and Samantha who are also adopting. David has photos we can hopefully "borrow" for our blog for tomorrow. We have a link to their blog here as well in our "links" section.
Anyway, I feel like I am babbling. I better sign off! But, I miss you all already, and am thinking of everyone, including the kitties and kindergarteners!
Love,
Mary
p.s. We haven't been able to connect to our email yet, but hopefully will soon!
I can't believe that we are so far from home. In less than a week, we will have Joy in our arms!!
The flight was quite nice. It wasn't anywhere near full and we were able to spread out on lots of empty seats and even lay down to sleep! It took about 16 hours and the Cathay Pacific flight attendants were quite pleasant. Most of the food was okay, too. That says a lot about an airline!
After landing in Hong Kong, we used (thanks to Sam's research) public transportation (wow!) to get from the airport to the hotel. We are staying at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kowloon and it is beautiful.
We took a little time to recoup and were told NOT to take any naps, so as to get over the jetlag quickly. We spent the day (about seven hours) walking all around Hong Kong. We took the Ferry to Hong Central and walked up and down streets taking in the sights and sounds. Hong Kong is a fantastic place. It kind of reminds me of (for lack of a better and more worldly experience) San Francisco. It is very hilly and today was overcast and a bit foggy. It is not the chilly fog of SFO, but more of a muggy and Hawaii-like feel. It is a tropical climate and the lanscape reflects that. It is very lush.
The people here are very helpful and it has a very strong sense of hustle and bustle. After walking around Hong Kong for the day, I got the sense that it is a popular place to visit. We did see a lot of locals, too. One highlight was going up a seemingly endless stream of escalators that pass by shops, which one can get off to visit, every fifty feet or so. I think they were called the Middletown escalators. They bay was beautiful, too.
Our day also included TWO visits to Starbucks, to help with staying awake until at least 9 p.m. HK time. (Sugie would approve.) As I write this it is 9:30 p.m., February 1. Hong Kong is 16 hours ahead of California. So, you are all in your p.j.'s and fast asleep, I hope. I guess the walking, caffeine and no-napping did the trick, because I am still standing, well sitting and typing. Please excuse the typos!
I had hoped to have photos to show of the day, but, we forgot our cable to download them to the computer! Not to worry, though, we are traveling with our friends David and Samantha who are also adopting. David has photos we can hopefully "borrow" for our blog for tomorrow. We have a link to their blog here as well in our "links" section.
Anyway, I feel like I am babbling. I better sign off! But, I miss you all already, and am thinking of everyone, including the kitties and kindergarteners!
Love,
Mary
p.s. We haven't been able to connect to our email yet, but hopefully will soon!
posted by Mary @ 5:14 AM
3 Comments:
At 11:32 AM,
Anonymous said…
Hey there Mary and Paul.
I'm lurking on your blog and will continue to do so until you get home. Hong Kong sounds quite wonderful and your description was really great, although, I won't tell Sam that you frequented the Evil Empire! Wink, wink. I can't wait until Sunday afternoon at 4pm (our time) to have a champagne toast on your behalf. I'll be savoring the little bubbles on my tongue and picturing you two with Joy in your arms at long last. Sending all our love and warmest wishes for all three of you!
At 12:25 PM,
Anonymous said…
Mary and Paul,
I'm following your blog with fascination. I have been thinking of you all constantly since Monday. I'm with you in spirit, and am full of excitement and anticipation on your behalf! Love, Karol
At 1:43 PM,
Anonymous said…
Oh Paul and Mary, we are so excited for you! I am glad you were able to get some shut eye...amazing really.
Enjoy yourselves and keep us posted. :) Meanwhile, enjoy Hong Kong! (Andrew's older brother lives in Happy Valley).
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