Around the world in a daze: part 3

Hong Kong – 27 September 2009

Let’s recap. I woke up Saturday and found the hotel gym. Well, I was awakened by a call from some one stateside to inform me it was jeans and team jersey night at work if I was interested. I told her I was not but thanks for calling. Since I couldn’t get back to sleep, I decided to spend 45 minutes ellipticizing (I just made that word up). After that, being only 9 AM, I decided a shower and trip to the Deira souk was in order. I spent a couple hours walking the gold, spic, perfume, and general crap souks. You can get just about anything you can imagine there. It was early and many of the shops were just opening for the day, so you would see the merchants putting out the goods, the windows of the Gold shops opening (and very shiny stuff that look ridiculous and would make awesome Bling for back in the ATL).

I had been contemplating getting one of the traditional Arab gowns and head towels. I’m sure there’s a more official name for said garments, but I don’t know what it is. So I stopped into a shop that had some for sale. The owner was asking 1250 dhm for the high quality “gown”, with head towel and rope thingy that holds it on. I asked how much the lower quality “Chinese import” was, since I don’t plan to wear this every day or anything, I didn’t think I need the “Armani” or gowns. The owner wants 950 for the low quality. So, I went with the low quality, and bought it for 200. I think I did ok on the bartering thing. Plus I had to unload the money before leaving and I have a spiffy Halloween costume!

Then back to my hotel, another shower, packed, and off to meet my crew, not looking forward to the 8-½ hours in the 767 cockpit with 3 other guys, but the price is right.

Once again, one of the crewmembers suggested I skip Hong Kong and go with them to Clark (formerly Clark Air Force base in Angeles City, Philippines). Why? Hotel rooms for less than $50, $.87 beers (yes that’s 87 cents) and a girl to go home with you for the night at the price of $20. Yes, for the price of a date in the US, including dinner, drinks, dancing or movie, and coffee/desert, you can have an all night 4some. Of course, you could also catch something penicillin won’t get rid of. I hear they have a new AIDS vaccine that’s promising maybe when that’s perfected…. Right…
So we got to HK about 3 AM local time, after clearing customs (and getting a passport stamp!!! Finally, the 3rd country I enter finally decides I need a stamp), I ride to the crew hotel with one of the layover crew, and take a cab from there to my hotel across the harbour. 5 AM and I crash into my bed.

I had planned to get up earlyish and head to Macau. That didn’t happen. Instead, I bounced around Hong Kong, went up to Victoria Peak, took the Star Ferry across to Kowloon, walked down Nathan Road a little ways in Tsim Sha Tsui, took in the HK History Museum, and the water front for the views and the light show. Lot’s of walking, and I have the blisters to prove it.

Every night, at 8 PM, the skyscrapers in Hong Kong proper are lit up in sequence to music. I highly recommend checking this out for its freeness. Tonight, the narration was in Cantonese, so for all I know they could have been telling everyone in the crowd to find and American and laugh at him. After the show, I took a Star ferry (which, if you come to HK, it’s a tradition, its only 2.50HKD each way and there are great views) back to Wan Chai, the area on Hong Kong island where my hotel is. I went looking for some food and beer. This is when I discovered that Wan Chai is strip club central for Hong Kong. And being a solitary young(ish) male I must be the prime target. Each one had an older lady in front with a few girls who I guess were either the “model dancers” or the old lady’s grand daughters trying to entice people in.

It’s bedtime, tomorrow off to Macau.