What a City!
Trip Start
Sep 20, 2004
1
75
89
Trip End
Mar 30, 2005
Hong Kong,
Hong Kong
Saturday, February 12, 2005
Hmmm, 5 star Harbor view seems more appropriate!
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The drama of dealing with many different carriers on an around the world ticket. When we were in New Zealand, we changed one flight so we could leave from Queenstown instead of having to go back up north to Auckland. Qantas told us we had to come intp the airport a few days before to have it reissued. Which happened to be OK as we were driving by anyway.
When we got there, it turns out that in order to reissue the ticket, it was going to take a few hours (plus the woman's first born child...). No sweat, we would be back in a week to fly out.
When we got there, we were told everything was fine. But no ticket. It was all Electronic Ticket now. OK. 'How about a receipt or a printout of the remaining flight?' 'Well, you don't really need it.' Never a good sign.
'Well just anything then.' Big sigh followed by an eye-roll. 'Fine.'
The printout, which took her two buttons to print. Whew, 'Thanks!'
Wait a minute. We don't have a Bali to Hong Kong flight here. 'Uhmm, excuse me but we are missing a leg of the flight.' 'Well, was it booked in the first place?' It took a good deal of self control not to actually bark at this woman. I did, in fact nod and smile.
Bang, Bang, Shift - Alt - Ins...whatever the hell they do on those keyboards at the airport. Then a phone call where she asks someone why she can't reissue the ticket for that leg. Then, 'Well is there a booking?'
Finally she tells me that we do have a booking, we don't need a ticket because everything is electronic now anyway.
Best Chili Crab ever! love the heartburn!
And we were still booked on the plane. Hmmm. Sounds like a disaster. But she assured me and I wrote her name down on a scrap of paper (lost). And the flight to Christchurch was boarding.
Nearly two months later we are in Denpasar, Bali checking in. The woman tells us that it is not a E-Ticket, and asked where was our paper ticket? I can feel the blood rushing to my head.
Literally an hour and a half later, standing in a little side office of Cathay Pacific with two Managers (actually Manager's Managers) who are hovering over their computers and what looks like a tele-text machine. They are basically emailing (or more like Instant Messaging) their office in Hong Kong, Qantas Local (closed), Qantas Main, Qantas Queenstown, called the local manager, called the local manager of Qantas.
Finally the manager took it on herself (I'm pretty sure) to let us fly to Hong Kong. But she said if Qanatas won't reissue, you'll have to pay for this ticket when you get off.
'Sure! We just have to make this flight!' Thinking 'Good luck getting a nickel outta me when I'm there and it's not our fault.'
There was a big sign waiting for us right as we got off the plane. It felt like when mom used to meet us at the airport with ballons. No way we were going to miss it.
So we basically had an escort through immigration, baggage collection, customs....
An hour later, it still wasn't resolved and they said, just go and when you check in for the next flight, we can make sure Qantas will reissue.
Bob Mkt HK
Where are you staying? Luckily we made reservations at the Sheraton through asiarooms.com. But the check in place in the airport for Sheraton had never heard of us.
Off to find an internet cafe to get the confirm. Finally found one where we had gotten an email about that asiarooms had to cancel our reservations and actually had no space for us in Hong Kong for all of Feb.
Great! It's midnight now and after trying to call asiarooms and then trying to get cheaper rates from any of the other places that had Kiosks (Ritz, Conrad, Mandarin...) finally got a room at the Sheraton. Then got in a cab.
Hong Kong was amazing.
Decided to stay an extra 3 days. Changed flight no problem. Later got a call that Qantas had reissued and we should be ok.
When we were checking in to leave, they still had us on the earlier flight. So it looked like everything was cancelled. 50 minutes later and lots of hanging around we got our boarding pass.
As we left she said 'Actually, make sure you confirm that last flight to London. I may have been cancelled.'
AAARRRRRGHHH!
The moral is: Check the ticket AND Get the confirm printed out! We knew it when it happened but sooo wanted to believe her!
And I'd bet the last leg home is messed up.
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In any case, back to Hong Kong.
We arrived in the Sheraton, and at check-in we were told that the price was actually cheaper than what we booked. (SWEEEET!) Got to the room and our jaw basically hit the ground.
Bob Mkt HK 2
Stunning view over the Harbour and a very cool modern room. We very happily ordered room service and enjoyed the 1 AM views from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island.We called a guy that we met briefly in Ubud -- John Chang, a New Yorker living in Hong Kong. He was fantastic! He took us to a great Dim Sum place near Queen's Harbour called City Hall. How great was that. And I know that John's Cantonese got us the gooooood stuff too!
We then spent the day walking around, getting the tour of the central district. Man Mo oldest Temple in HK (filled with incense! cough!), various markets, great bars, great gelato. It was really a super tour.
Then John dropped us off at the base of the tram to the Peak and went to work (7pm on Sunday...you work too hard John!). The ride to the peak was so step. It was amazing. Had super night views over HK -- really stunning.
Waited in the cold (???!?!) wind for the tram back down and were reminded of being cold on the Inca Trail!
Finally made it down and back across the Star Ferry to Kowloon to get read for our dinner at Felix, which is on the top of the Penninsula Hotel (best hotel...). Went up the lift (in my hiking boots) and entered another world of a place. Had one of the best dirty martinis ever while Lisa got looks like she might be a rock star (really). Great super amazing dinner that the folks at Lisa's work gave to her (how cool? and Thanks!) and stayed there until Valentine's Day morning!
The next day walked up Nathan Street in Kowloon to Mong Kok (the most densely populated area in HK with thousands of people of the streets an where english is sketchy in the cafe's -we got by though) where the Lady's, Goldfish, and Flower Market (very nice as it happenned to be valentines day) (no the Lady's Market isn't what you are thinking.
Bottom's Up Club...James Bond...new friend Sandra!
disappointing!). So much neon and hustle-bustle but somehow in a really non-invasive way. We really felt like the only westerners in the city, and particularly there. Had a really late dinner at a totally empty place called Serendipity (Lisa picked it) that was in the book. Rather average considering the quality of all of the other places where we ate.Next day had more amazing Dim Sum at Luk Yu tea house (beautiful wooden booths, white table cloths with huge fans slowly turning above reflecting in the mirrors) and and then dinner of famous and fantastic Goose at Yung Kees. Made friends with Carol and her 8 year old boy from the next table. Mostly she wanted to practice her English. After a few whiskeys she was fluent!
A few drinks at La Dolce Vita (filming a movie outside). Then decided that we needed to walk to Wanchai where they have the Bottom's Up club. Apparently the first topless place in HK and mostly is famous for being in a James Bond movie 'Man with the Golden Gun'. Too cool. Although the ladies have slipped a bit (and not even topless). Lisa made friends with Sandra from Columbia (the barmaid) and we talked about our travels. After some more running around in the area, we headed home.
I think I had a bad beer. My head hurt the next day. And no matter what Lisa says I'm pretty sure it was a bad 100 year old egg that we had at the Goose place.
Moved to the Y -- which was cheaper but still really nice.
Also in HK: we had drinks with John again, ferry to a VERY foggy Lama -treked pier to pier and ate amazing seafood overlooking the fishing harbour, looked at fake Rolexes in a dodgy building, had the biggest crab and garlic dish at Hee Kee (its legendary), happy Valley Races, art museums, shopping, walked in Victoria Park and explored Causeway bay, watched the owner of a restaurant feed a crazy dancing dragon a head of lettuce with $$ in it, just did loads of stuff (and got stuffed from all the food) in 6 days!
-B
