Just when I thought my adventure
was over, I was in for another one... at the airport.
Efficiency is the best policy.
I took the MTR from Tsim Sha Tsui
to Hong Kong Station, where the Airport Express ends before departing once more
for the airport. Before I began my adventure in the morning I saw an Airport Express
billboard just above the airport's exit. The sign boasted, "The fastest
link to the city. Only 24 minutes." So of course, I just had to prove that
for myself when the time came for me to leave. The train arrived at 6.30pm and
left after a few minutes.
There are only two stops on the
way: Kowloon and Tsing Yi stations. All throughout the trip I was still
marvelling at the sights at night time as everything looks so different. And
yeah, was wishing I'd stayed even for just one night. Heh.
Of course the train arrived at
the airport by 7pm, which was also the time the check-in counters for my flight
opened. I actually timed my travel back to the airport that way so I could make
the most of my time in the city. And so indeed, it only took 24 minutes! Have I
mentioned that Hong Kong's public transportation is efficient?
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| This was taken at the beginning of my adventure. |
I really don't like shopping.
When I returned my Octopus card I
got back my 50HKD refundable deposit plus the cash that I wasn't able to spend.
That meant more money for me to buy some souvenirs. I preferred to get some
souvenirs at the airport itself since it was more convenient. Like I said in a
previous post, I did not want to be lugging around a shopping bag while sightseeing
all day. The weight in my backpack was enough to deal with as the day went on
anyhow, light as it was. But once getting myself some goodies at the airport,
they were still few enough that I was able to stuff them in my backpack.
Ms. Lotts the explorer.
Hong Kong International Airport
looked and felt very much like the city, with its hustle and bustle contained
in one place. So many sights to see there. Aside from the usual airport
fixtures, there were a lot of cafes, restaurants, and shops which are mostly
high-end. There was even a jazz band playing in one of the restaurants. It was
a very busy airport, with people rushing about or simply lounging around
waiting for their flights. I almost ate at McDonald's again but decided to get
dinner at another concessionaire in the food court. Unfortunately I cannot
remember what I ate (took too long to write everything, did not even record
what I ate, so there) but I do remember adding a red bean drink to my meal. I
remember that because I took the long plastic spoon home with me, and it's
still sitting in the silverware drawer at home up to now. Haha!
Killing time
There was so much time for me to
kill since my flight's information on the board was a glaring red DELAYED. I
was actually not surprised there since September is in the middle of the rainy
season in the Philippines; for sure there was another thunderstorm that day in
Manila. And depending on the thunderstorm alert level, airport operations would
stall until it is safe for the operations to resume. That includes the boarding
or disembarkation of passengers. Cause of delay, sure, but that is for
everyone's safety. And so knowing that, I just sat wherever I felt like
sitting, checked out the shops, went to the bookstore, checked my flight info,
sat and read a few pages of my book, chatted with my fellow passengers, got up,
rinse, repeat.
No phone? No problem!
All throughout this time I wasn't
able to use my phone. I planned to charge it once I got to the airport but
unfortunately, the sockets were different and I had to use an adapter which I
didn't have. Did not bring, to be exact. Lesson learned? The universal adapter
is an essential in travelling. One good thing stemmed out from not being able
to use my phone, though. I was able to explore the airport without any
distractions.
Stop! Oh yes, wait a minute, Mr. Postman!
In one of my walks around the
terminal I saw a post office. It was already closed but there is a machine that
sells stamps and slots for putting the mail in for within Hong Kong and abroad.
There was a sign that said that the mail will be picked up at so-and-so time so
that meant I can send myself a postcard. It's another way of mine to get a
souvenir from a place I've visited because at least it's light, it costs less,
and it gets delivered straight to my home. Just one of the benefits of not
carrying a shopping bag.
Another fun factor in sending
myself a postcard via snail mail is that I will see something with my name on
it when I open the mailbox. Oh wow, a postcard for me! Who's it from? Oh. Me.
I went back to the bookstore to
get a postcard and wrote what I could of my one-day adventure. And silly me, I
almost couldn't find the post office when I retraced my steps but after
carefully going around the area, I found it and was able to mail the postcard.
It arrived after two weeks.
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| Postcard for me, from me. Harhar. |
HKGHKGHKGHKGHKG
I kept a tight lookout for my
flight's status despite feeling sleepy as the night wore on. That was no wonder
because my day started at dawn, and what an eventful day it turned out to be. Then
when I was deep into my book I heard my flight being announced on the PA two
hours on the time when it was supposed to depart from Hong Kong. Oh well. Finally!
Was out like a light from the
moment the flight attendants finished their safety demo and stayed that way
until we landed in Manila.
The end.
