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When I had the opportunity to use frequent flyer miles for an overseas trip, I decided to use them to go over a different sea than usual for a trip to Asia in November 2002. Here is a report on that trip to Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

TRIP TO ASIA, NOVEMBER 2002

Amc
2004-09-13 14:42:34

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Hong Kong

I'll describe my flights to Hong Kong at the end of this report, and start chronologically with my arrival there. I had studied extensively what to do on arrival; at a transport service center I bought an Octopus Card for public transit offered by different companies, also good at other places such as convenience stores. I found my way to the buses to the city; mine was the A21. The driver gestured to me how I should pass the card over a scanner; after that I was able to keep the card in my wallet and pass the wallet over the scanner on other rides. I put my bag on the storage rack on the lower level of the double-decker bus, and took a seat on the upper deck with a TV monitor showing the luggage rack. It was close to midnight, and I had a good first impression of HK by night from the bus. When we got to central Kowloon, there was much neon and activity after midnight. There was a recorded announcement of the stops and hotels served in English. As we got closer to the waterfront, the vocal announcements stopped, and we went through the stops on the lighted signboard in rapid succession. Very quickly my hotel came up, I went down the stairs and took my bag, but before I could get off it was two stops late. No problem, I'd memorized the map of the area and knew where the bus was going, so I could make my way back. However, the sidewalk was closed for construction of a new rail line (a prevalent problem in the area; I believe that part of the problem over the stop announcements was that stops were relocated for construction). The sign in English said which side streets to take for a detour, and I found my way with my luggage after midnight, but not without having to free myself from a woman who grabbed me trying to get me into a shady place of business. So I think I handled my arrival in Asia well.

I found my way to my hotel, the New World Renaissance Kowloon. I got this hotel through Priceline Asia; following successful ...