Friday, Xiamen to Hong Kong

Actually starts Thursday in Xiamen.

After a lot of back and forth email and phone calls, with few actual conversations, we had a message that a lady artist friend of Grace’s was going to come to dinner. We are down in the lobby at 6:30, but no Luo Ping. A young girl sits down and bashfully asks if we are waiting for ? in very good English, except the name. We say no, but Grace digs a bit further, and sure enough this young lady is there for us too. Luo Ping does not speak English, so she has invited a student of hers from Xiamen University to come along. We talk a while and maybe 15 minutes later Luo Ping shows up. I figure the student is thirteen; turns out she is a junior in college. I’m getting old, fast.

Our upstairs restaurant is full, both the one we ate at the night before (was it just last night?) and the Chinese restaurant, so we head out onto the street. One thing for sure, you are not going to run out of restaurants in China; they are everywhere. We go behind our hotel and to another, and go up to their top floor to an even bigger restaurant. It is a bit crowded, but they make room for the four of us, and we get a menu.

Now, you have to understand, a dinner in China, especially one with foreigners is not an everyday occurrence. And it should not be taken lightly. The Chinese ladies discuss dishes, ingredients, preparation and more with the waiter before they make a decision. And that is on a normal day; when you have guests, it can get intense. It was. They settle on I think six dishes, and we get tea. Would much rather have beer, but this is Grace’s thing and beer is not offered.

The dishes come, and I have to say they were excellent, every one, well, except one. Several seafood (Xiamen is famous for their high quality seafood.) dishes; several spring rolls; a “beef” dish (Have never seen a cow in China.); a noodle dish, but we are told it is not noodle, and they cannot tell us what it is; and peanut soup. Now the soup was the closest to not being good, quite bland with boiled peanuts in water, and a little sugar. You don’t need to try that one when I get home.

Very nice dinner, and we pick up the tab, although only after a struggle. They insist they are the hosts; Grace argues she made the invitation. I pay. As we are saying good night, Luo Ping and June say they think they should see us off at the airport the next morning. We assure them that we are comfortable taking a taxi, and it would be too much to ask that they go to the trouble. We tell them how much we appreciate the offer.

We get back to the hotel after a little more shopping on the street. The phone rings, and the hotel desk clerk conveys the message that Luo Ping and her husband will be downstairs at 7:30 am tomorrow morning to take us to the airport. You cannot argue with a message. Good night’s sleep, but we were completely happy to take a cab.

The ride to the airport is uneventful. We attempt conversation with the aid of Luo Ping’s handheld translator while her husband drives. We learn that her husband is also an art teacher at Xiamen University and that their son did well in his graduate studies interview the evening before. We get unloaded at curbside, take more photos, and get started with check-in. It is a short walk (thank you) and we line up in the International line, but when we get close to the security, I tell Grace this is wrong as we do not have tickets yet. So we get out of line, walk a ways and stop at a booth that says Shenzen Airlines, but nobody is there. I ask the girl next door, and she tells us to go down to another area. We walk some more and find a check-in counter, get in line and wait. And wait. Finally our turn, but she cannot help us; we are International. After some struggle, we head back (more walking) to the original International entry, and the line is gone. We approach the security, and I explain we have no boarding passes; they wave us through. Customs--they wave us on, health check--they wave us on, ah, a ticket/check-in counter just like home. Kind of. We wait some more and eventually get to the counter. Sure enough all these people knew what they were telling us to do; we get boarding passes, checked in, and baggage “reclaim” tags.

Traveling on your own, when you do not speak the language or read the signs. wears you down. It is fun, but it does wear you down.

Actually, nobody gives our bags even a glance through security as the security guy is busy going through Australian lady’s things. More walking with no signs, but we follow others who seem to know where they are headed and to the health counter. We approach the “immigration” window, go through close scrutiny, and on to the gate area. More walking. Did I ever tell you there is a lot of walking in China? Yep.

Nice reception or waiting area--we try to let down a bit.

Flight is very nice; the plane is full as has been every plane we have been on here.

Hong Kong arrival is much less spectacular than it used to be. The first flight into Hong Kong was for me in the 80’s, and at that time you literally flew past apartment windows, close enough it felt like you could reach out and touch someone. Hong Kong at that time had the reputation of being one of the toughest airports for pilots to land at. Today the new airport is away form all buildings, way out by Lantau Island and is monstrous and very well laid out except for poor retired teachers from Florida who don’t walk much at home. Health check, security check, “immigration” and Visa counter, get the bags. We have nothing to declare, so we walk straight through that station, down a hall, into a waiting area, and to booth A02 for the hotel shuttle booth. They give us a sticker and ask us to sit in a waiting area. Fifteen minutes later, and a guy comes along and calls us to follow him. We walk the length of the terminal so it seems, pick up a couple more at another waiting area, and walk some more. Another terminal, down a ramp, down an elevator, through a tunnel, across a monstrous waiting hall, and wait some more. Thank God for rolling luggage. Bus driver arrives and we load up and get to sit in very comfortable seats in an air conditioned bus.45 minute drive into the hotel. We are really stretched thin, tired.

Room is the largest I have ever had in Hong Kong. Matter of fact, the bathroom is larger than one Hong Kong room I stayed in! I am impressed, and after sitting on her bed, Grace is impressed too.

I first came to Hong Kong in the 50’s. Hard to believe, but true. Cannot remember many details, but I do remember I was impressed, and I was just 13 at that time. Most 13-year-olds are not impressed with much. Hong Kong is absolutely one of the planet’s premier cities. If you have not been here, you need to come. I have now been here maybe six times, and it is always different: bigger and better.

We crash (intense nap for those of you who do not speak Archie); then about 4:00 we get up and head to the Pierside Bar. We do get a drink each and finally order a plate of fries after the girl tries to take Grace’s table service away without asking if we want food. Was a hint we should have paid attention to. The help soon disappears before we get the fries, and both glasses are empty. I even get up, walk around the bar area, and find not a soul anywhere. Sit back down and finally she comes with the plate. Drinks still empty, but we have decided to move on anyway. By the way, she did not ask; she is the food waitress, not the bar waitress. Distribution of labor? They disappear again, and we have to wait to get a bill. We do finally.

We get back to the room, and I head out to investigate, Grace to rest. Besides I would love a bottle of Scotch; after all, we are here for four days. My single drink was $10.00 USD and I am not going to have another there; that is for sure. No bottle shops, lots of “Want a copy watch, copy watch? Rolex Heaur, Rolex, etc.” and “Tailor, want a tailor? I have tailor shop.” Funny, none of these guys are Chinese. WE are in China mind you and they are Asian, but not Chinese. I do get a couple bottles of water, some crackers, and a magazine.

I’m back in the room now. Going to rest up for tomorrow. There just might be some walking in store for us.