Category: 2004-11: HKG, NRT and PEK

So after 4 nights with 8+ hours of sleep and sampling every over-the-counter remedy (TheraFlu night formula works best, BTW), I can say that I’m recovering.
I still say that they should ban sick people from planes. Of course, if I could have fit a SIN trip to the end of this trip, I never would have sat next to the sick guy on my flight because I would be on a different flight than the one I was on…
wouldacouldashoulda.

BAN THEM BAN THEM BAN THEM!!!
They shouldn’t be flying if they’re freekin’ sick! And they should NOT be seated to ME!
I traveled in Asia for three weeks. I suffered (and sweat) in the heat of Hong Kong, sweated and chilled in Japan for over a week, froze in Beijing, stumbled into Shenzhen and sweat in the then not so hot as before Hong Kong before I left for California.
I got seated by some sick (COFF COFF COFFFFF!) Brit who lives in Mexico. He was coughing and sneezing throughout the entire flight.
I had a mask in my baggage from the SARS time. Should have put it on.
Come to think of it, he should’ve had a mask on for the consideration of the others on the plane.
But nooooo, in-consideration is the name of the game here!
I’m sick now. Great. Hope the Theraflu nips this in the bud.
Freekin’ sick people! Kick them off the damn plane!

Bleagh. Back in the US. Not an anti-US screed, but more of an annoyance. Follow:
When you travel, there’s usually two lines: one for foreigners and one for citizens of whatever country you’re visiting.
Usually, the foreign passport line (especially in China) moves really slow while the citizens line moves fast. Makes sense.
But when I finally landed at LAX and walked from El Segundo (it really seemed that far) back to customs/passport control, guess which line was longest?
US Citizens, that�s what!
Although, the line moved kinda quick considering how long it was. Customs was a snap, much faster than it is in SFO.
After a few hours, I caught my UA connection back to San Fran. The service was horrid (in all ways) and people weren�t too happy on the plane.
So in other words, it was United Airlines! =)
Landed and went straight to In & Out for my �welcome back to Cali� dinner.
Yeah, I�m back. And despite eating a lot, I lost 7 pounds! Yeah!

OK….so the ROK airlines (Korean Air, Asiana, etc) are trying to turn Seoul Inchon (ICN) into a regional hub.
Cool, but…
my flight arrived at 1715 from HKG. I have to cool my heels here until 2000 when I have to get on yet another steel tube (AKA 747-400 PAX) for the 10 hour flight to LAX.
Upon arrival, transit passengers have to go through a security screening (why, since we did this already in HKG?). Fair enough.
However, they only had two metal detectors active and the sensitivity was set so high that EVERYONE who went through set it off and got wanded.
You’d figure that a “world class” airport would be able to figure out when the majority of connecting flights are coming in and staff accordingly.
But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Wasted 30 minutes in queue and finally got to the lounge. Two saving graces from me being absolutely pissed about it all.
Numbah 1: There’s free wireless internet in the lounge here, unlike in HKG where anything that has to do with commmunications MUST be controlled by Pacific Century Cyber Works (what a dorky name) so they can make a buck offa you..
Numbah 2: The lounge here has Shin Cup AND Pocari Sweat. And a shower.
Which may leave me about 30 minutes to do some actual work.
Now why did I call this a crapshoot? Because when I was heading to HKG through ICN 3 weeks back, it took all of five minutes to do this.
And oh yah, I like Asiana Airlines A LOT but be careful about the flights you choose. If they are using a 747-400PAX avoid that flight. These are combination cargo carriers/passenger jets and it has none of the in flight amenities that Asiana is known for.
It almost feels like a better maintained UA jet.

I got to sleep in today! Yeah! Until 0800!
Beats getting up at 0600 like I did yesterday AM…
Finally got to HKG after picking up 6 pairs of pants for a fren back home.
Yes, pants. It takes a bit of explaining.
Since I’m on Asiana going home, I got comped in the Dragonair lounge. It’s cool! You overlook the gates, you can see airplanes and there’s a noodle stand inside!
Bad part: They charge for wireless internet so you’re forced to use these community computers…
The Airport Express is a wonderful thing. Not only do they get you to HKG fast, they have in town check in where you can check in and check your bags. Then all you have to do is putter once you clear passport control.
Or chill in the lounge…

I needed to stop off at Lo Wu to pick up a jacket I had tailored. I found a minibus that terminates at the Lo Wu Commerical Center that only cost 20 RMB so I took it.
SZX is on the fringes of the city and Lo Wu is on the southern end at the border with HKG.
I’ve always wondered why I use that term “border” when I talk about HKG. I’ll tell you why it’s a border.
There’s a checkpoint on the expressway about half way to the border. It looks like the checkpoint on the 5 when you drive up from San Diego. Except here they actually stop you.
Our mini-basi was flagged for a spot inspection (I later learned) to see if everyone on the basi has permission to be in Shenzhen.
Since Shenzhen is a Special Economic Zone, you need a special residence permit to live there. At the time though, it looked like the PSB guard was trying to shake down the driver since they had a knockdown dragout argument about the whole point of the stop.
The driver lost. The guard pulled one passenger for a spot check and being disatisfied, ordered all of us out. We all piled off the basi, went into a building and flashed passports and papers. Then we piled back onto the basi and continued to Lo Wu.
Total delay, about 10 minutes or so. But kinda scary for the first 3 minutes or so when the guard and driver were slugging it out.
So just a little bit of drama. It wouldn’t have been drama if I understood Putonghua! =\
So travel tip is here: If you plan to fly back to HKG from PEK, it’s best to purchase a ticket to Shenzhen (SZX) as opposed to HKG. Use this exit and walk straight. Then take this mini-basi to Lo Wu. Go past the Lo Wu Commercial City and the border crossing is right behind it. Clear passport control and take the KCR East Rail back to TST. It takes a little longer but the total price is something like 56RMB/HKD or so.
Just be ready to be boarded by highwaymen…

It ain�t the PRC,that�s what! =P
Got back late from the Club last night and promptly went to bed. My flight to SZX was leaving PEK at 0915 the next morning.
That means leaving at 0715 to get to the airport and then another hour for check in.
Soooo….I did wake up at 0600 (if you know me, you know what a stretch THAT was) and I did leave the hotel at, urmmmm, 0730.
Since all the Hyatt has is the big black cabs, it was 120 RMB to PEK. Seems that they dun allow the cool (cheaper) red cabs there. Annoying, ain�t it?
Since I was booked on a domestic flight, I didn�t have to go through passport control. I get to do that at Lo Wu after I pick up my jacket.
Finding the gate was a challenge. At first it was easy enough since it�s printed on the boarding pass. No problemo, right?
WRONG! Last minute gate change. But no english announcement over the PA. I figured it all out when I saw the woman with a bullhorn wearing a placard with my flight number on it.
When I got to the gate, it wasn�t really a gate. Instead, it was a big corral where there was a BIG queue (hence the title of this post), they took my boarding pass and motioned to get on a bus.
A boarding pass to get on a basi? Are we driving to SZX?
Nope. The plane was over near the old airport. But that was far too. It almost seemed like the plane was parked past the sixth ring road.
And guess what, airstairs! Did I mention how bloody cold it is outside? Sorry, no pictures. Unlike Japan, frequent picture taking is frowned upon and remember where I am please!
So I�m on an Air China 777 waaaaaay in the back. At least I�m near the bathroom.
Here�s a picture of what passes for �breakfast� . At least no one is smoking in the bathroom like the last time I flew Air China a few years back.
Now the challenge is to get from SZX to Lo Wu Commerical City without too much grief. Of course, when the red monster is tipping the scales at 21 kilos, that alone is grief…

Tomorrow is the beginning of the Long March (heh, pun intended!) home. First I fly to Shenzhen, pick up my jacket and then KCR back to Causeway Bay.
It�s shopping afterwards, mainly for some DVDs and to Bossini for pants. One of my friends asked me to pick up one pair of khakis in each color. And two black.
I think that�s the oddest request for stuff I�ve ever gotten.
The next morning, I fly off to ICN and connect to my flight back to LAX. I�ve got business to do over there for a few hours and then I catch my flight back to SFO.
It�s going to be weird being back but I think the order of my travels worked out fine. First leg was HKG. A cosmopolitian, international city. Then I was all over Japan where harmony, cleanliness and beauty were the norm. Then I was in Beijing where it was chaos, kinda dirty and optimistic.
Sorry, that�s just how the way it is.
Then I�m going to be back in the States, where whining, filth and subdued optimism is the norm. Sometimes you need to ease your way back in the swing of things.
Of course, I�m going to the In & Out just outside the airport. Mmmmmm. Double Double!