China Trip 2008 Part 1

Cathay Pacific 777-300ER
CX 841 9:00 AM JFK , Arrive HKG Next Day 2:00 PM
Economy Seat 32A Window
No Empty Seats on this plane
Cost $1200 ( Including Dragonair RT HKG-PVG-HKG )

I have always wanted to go to China and I chose this winter to finally do it. I didn't need a visa for HKG of course, but to enter Mainland China I needed to go to the Chinese Consulate in New York City and get a 6 month multiple Entry Visa and pay $100 USD plus $30 extra for the privilege of picking it up at 2:00PM that day, instead of returning to pick it up in NYC 3 days later. It seems you must get the Visa in person and it cannot be obtained through the mail.
So I only visited 3 major cities, but in the future I would enjoy returning to see the rest of the country the smaller towns, the villages, rural areas, the western part of the country and maybe Tibet too.
Shanghai and Beijing were colder than I would have wished, but Hong Kong was warm and pleasant in January. I found that preferable to the unbearable heat and humidity of July, because I planned to do alot of walking and hiking etc.
There was an unusual heat wave for the 10 days I was in Hong Kong; it was 80*F and sunny / hazy, and I wore a T-shirt without sweatshirt or jacket. Many of the locals were wearing heavy winter coats, and because I hadn't figured out that it actually does get chilly in Hong Kong during the winter, I thought it strange that so many people would wear cold weather jackets just to be seasonally stylish. When I returned to Hong Kong at the end of the month, I found it rainy and damp and 45*F.

JFK Security Line by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

I rode the 2:30 AM Connecticut Limousine Bus service from New Haven, CT. to JFK ( RT $120 USD ) so I wouldn't have to park at JFK and also so I didn't have to drive in snow or icy road conditions and possibly start my trip off by getting killed on the Van Wyck. It was a large new luxury bus that stopped 5 or 6 times on the way to JFK to pick up about 10 other people. I was the last person on that bus when they dropped me off at JFK Cathay Pacific Departures at 5:30 AM. Check in before 6 AM and security took 5 minutes.

JFK Airside by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

Sitting down at a Terminal 7 food court.

JFK Airside Food Court 6 AM by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

Not much was open this early.

JFK Airside McDonalds busy at 6 AM by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

McDonalds is always busy but I wasn't hungry.

JFK CX 777-300ER at gate early morning by Wasted Down, on Flickr">JFK CX 777-300ER at gate early morning" />

The Beautiful new CX 773ER at the Gate.

JFK and UA 757-200 pulling into gate by Wasted Down, on Flickr">JFK and UA 757-200 pulling into gate" />

UA 757-200 pulls into gate.

JFK CX 777-300ER and UA 757-200 by Wasted Down, on Flickr">JFK CX 777-300ER and UA 757-200" />

Dawn Over JFK.

CX 77W at JFK Gate by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

Cathay Pacific 773ER In early morning light.

CX 841 at JFK by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

A full gate area and no place to sit for some. They have lots of battery charging posts and I took advantage of this as I relaxed and drank some juice. 2 large-scale passengers on the right. I was hoping and praying "please dont sit next to me ... God in Heaven, please dont sit next to me". Because I wouldnt really mind on a short flight but on a 16 hour flight it would kill me. But luckily a small person sat next to me and I had more than enough room. These new seats are harder to get into because of the more sever angle, but once seated, theyre are more comfortable than other economy seats.

CX 841 to HKG Economy Boarding Line by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

Economy Boarding began at 8:30 AM for 9 AM departure.

CX Flight 841JFK-HKG by Wasted Down, on Flickr">CX Flight 841JFK-HKG" />

Walking down the jet way.

CX 841 Y class cabin by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

CX 777-300ER Middle Economy Cabin by Wasted Down, on Flickr">CX 777-300ER Middle Economy Cabin" />

CX 841 77W to HKG by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

View from window seat 32A , settling in as others continue to board.

CX 841 at JFK by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

The map of the flight.

CX 841 Taxi at JFK tr by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

Pushback about 9:05 AM and we start to taxi. I think we took off only 15 minutes late, very nice for JFK.

CX 777-300ER by Wasted Down, on Flickr">CX 777-300ER" />

View of the legroom on new CX 777- 300ER hard-shell Economy seat. The seats are great; the person in front cant recline into your knees and the cushions are comfortable. Overall the IFE was a step above the AC 773ER i flew to Japan last summer.




CX 841 Leaving JFK Rockaway Park by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

Turned left, heading eastward after the powerful GE90-115B takeoff.

CX 841 Leaving JFK over Long Beach by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

Now heading northeast over Long Island.

CX 777-300ER IFE AVOD Remote Control by Wasted Down, on Flickr">CX 777-300ER IFE AVOD Remote Control" />

Cathay Pacific IFE and remote.

CX 777-300ER IFE Movies by Wasted Down, on Flickr">CX 777-300ER IFE Movies" />

Cathay Pacific IFE Movie Selection. Lots of movies. Watched Darjeeling Limited , Rush Hour 3, 3:10 to Yuma, and basically everything else. On these long flights they make everyone shut the blinds quite early. This discourages reading because you have to keep the book in your little bright circle of light. Plus, you dont want to annoy others around you trying to sleep with a spotlight.

CX 841 Menu 1 by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

CX 841 First Meal Breakfast by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

After a couple of hours they served the first meal : breakfast. I decided on the eggs and the entire meal was delicious. The coconut mousse was delicious and I could have eaten 9 more.

CX 841 over Boston by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

The Airshow traced a path back to New England and over Boston. I wondered why they dont just fly straight up through New York State.

CX Inflight Snack Cup o Noodles by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

If you ask a FA,they will bring you a snack. These kind of noodles will always taste best on a long haul flight. I would never eat this at home, but onboard, it seems delicious and passes the time.

CX 841 Inflight over Canada tr by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

Somewhere over Southern Canada.

CX 841 Menu 2 by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

CX 841 Second Meal Dinner by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

A couple of movies later, it was time for the second meal. I tried the pasta and it was moist and the sauce was very good. I though the meal was a bit small, and for an American , this is basically an appetizer. But I had brought some of my own snacks ; yogurt covered raisins, cashews, trail mix and some dates, so I didn't feel hungry. CX FAs will get you any beverage you ask for during the flight and there was always one "on duty" in the galley area to pleasantly handle all pax requests.

CX 841 Inflight Over Northern China by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

Above Northern China

CX 777-300ER Toilet by Wasted Down, on Flickr">CX 777-300ER Toilet" />

CX 777-300ER Toilet . These toilets were cleaned very often throughout the flight and seemed bigger than the toilets on the AC 773ER i flew on.

CX 841 Over Hong Kong by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

Map showing last bit of the flight before we touched down on Lantau Island.



CX 841 Taxi at Chek Lap Kok HKG by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

CX 841 Taxiing to Gate HKG by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

Taxiing to Gate at Chek Lap Kok

CX 841 Disembarking at HKG by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

At the Gate

CX 841 by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

Finally off the plane. No love for the 777 after 16 hours. I always feel dazed when I fly this long, like Im in a foggy dream. I tried to take some pictures, but I gave up.

HKG 1 small by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

HKG 2 trr by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

HKG by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

Walking to Immigration at HKG. I should have RAN to immigration to save time, because by the time I got to the line the entire plane was ahead of me.

HKG 2 small by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

HKG Control Tower and AC 777 and CX A340 by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

HKG Arrivals Walking to HKG Immigration by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

Arrivals area just before the large escalator.



Hong Kong Airport Automated People Mover, or train, as they say in the trade. Theres a sign that says "Relax... another train will be along in 2 minutes " This airport is extremely well thought out and so easy to use. Its has better english signage than some airports in English speaking countries.



Hong Kong Airport Immigration Line. I was dressed all wrong for the warm weather and still had my winter coat and had to pace through these ropes for an hour. So I stood there sweating and listening to eveybody cough. I thought I would get their cold by the next day. But actually I was fine until the day I got to Shanghai 10 days later when I came down with a vicious cold with a runny nose.




HKG Baggage claim is a mile long, and it takes a while to find your carousel because of the size, but my bag was right there waiting. Carts are free and you can grab one anywhere.



Hong Kong Airport Arrivals Hall. Its Shiny New and clean and easy to navigate. There is a prominent Tourist help desk with advice in Chinese and English. They are very helpful and had answers to all my questions: like: Where to take the Airport Express ; Where to exchange money etc.

I bought the "Octopus Card". I strongly suggest you buy one if your ever in Hong Kong. Its a debit card that you load with money and you can use on trains, buses, ferries, some taxis, and at at 7/11 and other convenience stores. Its very very helpful. I put about 1000 HK dollars on it ( $150 USD ) and it almost lasted the entire time. You can add money at any one of the zillion 7/11 all over Kowloon or Hong Kong.

The Airport Express Train costs only $100 HKD or about $ 13USD one way to Hong Kong Island in about 30 minutes. Its fast and easy and the trains depart about every 15 minutes.





Sights on The Airport Express.



Here is the Airport Express as it stops in Kowloon. I stayed on until Hong Kong island, a half hour ride.



I took a taxi to my hotel which was 5 minutes away from Central Hong Kong. All the taxis in Hong Kong and Kowloon are red and, the outlying island taxis are blue. Cost was $14 HKD or 2 USD.





View from my Harbor view suite at the Bishop Lei Hotel International House. The room is definitely worth the $10 USD upgrade. Its advertised as being in "the mid levels" but it was a 3 minute walk to the Soho Escalator so I prefer to think of it as in Soho. It was very close to LKF Lan Kwai Fong and the Soho bars and restaurants which meant I could walk home Late at night without taking a taxi.





Bishop Lei Hotel is a good choice if you want to stay in Central Hong Kong without paying Hundreds of dollars more for a 5 star hotel. A taxi from this hotel to the Central MTR Station only takes 5 minutes. You can walk up hill from Central MTR plus use the Soho Escalator to the Hotel in about 25 minutes. Along the way there are hundreds of restaurants and bars and shops giving the place a neighborhood feel; not unlike a Soho in New York City with steep hills.
I forgot to take a decent picture of the bedroom, very large by Hong Kong Standards.

Below are some photos I took while in Hong Kong and Macau.



Koi Carp Chi Lin Nunnery







A Sleeping chicken



Hong Kong Women are stylish and beautiful.



Goat sagittal section. A Damian Hirst you can barbeque.



Coconut Juice Seller Mong Kok



Reflection at Lower Peak Tram Terminal Hong Kong



Grand Lisboa Casino Macau



Medicine Ingredients Sheung Wan Hong Kong



Woman Makes Offering Wong Tai Sin Temple Kowloon



Woman Praying at Shrine Macau

Cathay Pacific Flight 840 HKG-JFK 777-300 ER
7PM Departure , Arrive in JFK 9PM
Exit Row Seat 30 A ,NO Window, So no video
( Especially with the FA sitting 5 feet in front of me )

I had already Checked my Bag at the Airport a full 25 hours before departure, So I was able to get an exit row seat and get a boarding pass too. I took the Airport Express Train From Central Hong Kong at 4:30 PM and arrived at HKG at 5:00PM

HKG by Wasted Down, on Flickr">



Isnt it nice how there are free baggage carts lined up for passengers as they Exit the train. I had no bag, only a backpack so I just passed security and went to the gates. I had a light meal and bought a bag of chocolates and some snacks for the long rode back to NYC. I also bought diet cokes and iced tea but at the gate , just before walking down to the plane, they made us throw away all liquid without a warning. There was even a pile of liquors and wines that were thrown away.

HKG by Wasted Down, on Flickr">HKG" />

HKG by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

CX 777 gate at HKG by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

CX 840 777-300ER at HKG by Wasted Down, on Flickr">CX 840 777-300ER at HKG" />

773ER ready to go to JFK.

CX 840 at HKG by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

Now Boarding in Hong Kong

CX 840 in Kong Kong by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

Settling In for the ride. A weird plane ride because its night now, then night for 14 hours, then when you arrive its still night - for all night long. Too much night. Is there worse jet lag than returning back to USA East Coast from Asia?

CX 777-300ER Seat 31 A Exit Row by Wasted Down, on Flickr">CX 777-300ER Seat 31 A Exit Row" />

CX 777-300ER Exit Row 31 A B C by Wasted Down, on Flickr">CX 777-300ER Exit Row 31 A B C" />

My Exit Row Seat. Its absolute heaven to be able to sit in "Economy" like this and stretch my legs out. Is it worth an extra 7000 USD to fly J ? Who Knows.
Fold out tray Tables and IFE work great. The guy on the end would not stop complaining to the FAs He must have had 20 instances where he asked them for something. He was doing some fast constant button pushing on his touch screen and he eventually broke it. So He complained more and they gave him a free bottle of wine, which was nice of them.

CX 840 View From Seat 31 A by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

View from Exit Seat 30 A CX 777-300 ER

CX 840 First Meal Dinner by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

First meal

CX 840 Second Meal Breakfast by Wasted Down, on Flickr">

Second meal. I'm not sure why it was breakfast during the hours and hours of black night. I would have liked another "dinner" type meal, but the breakfast with sausage and eggs was enjoyable.

CX 840 HKG-JFK FAs by Wasted Down, on Flickr">CX 840 HKG-JFK FAs" />

Here are three of the excellent Cathay Pacific FAs. They worked very hard all through the flight to get snacks or water, or other beverages or cope with anything at all. I would definitely fly Cathay Pacific again to Hong Kong on the strength of their new planes, comfortable new seats and state of the art IFE, and most of all courteous helpful crews.

If Interested, take a look at more of my Hong Kong Photos at Flicker:

Hong Kong :: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wasted-down/sets/72157604121686327/

Hong Kong Streetfood :: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wasted-down/sets/72157604114385681/

Thanks for reading. Comments welcome.