Did you know that the flight to Hong Kong from New York is 16hours!!!

Sixteen hours!!

Someone at work told me that it's the longest single leg flight you can do. I have no idea if that's true, but I do know it's a bloody long time to spend in the economy cabin of a 777. It wasn’t so bad up to the 13th hour, but the last 3hours were absolute murder. I wouldn't recommend it. If I were to do a similar trip in future I’d be tempted to break it up in the middle somehow, or cash in miles and upgrade myself to business class. Ooooh that would have been lovely!!

Fortunately when we finally landed in Hong Kong it didn't take too long to get through immigration and we were soon on a train travelling to Central station on Hong Kong Island and from there we took a taxi to our hotel. Unfortunately our taxi driver was a complete numpty and dropped us off at the WRONG hotel, tsk, just what you don't need after a 16hour flight, but fortunately we didn’t have to struggle too far through the mobbed streets of Causeway Bay with our luggage to find our actual hotel and we were completely thrilled as we approached the entrance of the Lanson Place Hotel to see two doormen running towards us to take our bags. Bliss!!

Ah, I was so very happy to be relieved of my luggage I could have kissed them, although I doubt they would have appreciated it since the last shower I’d taken had been at 5am New York time – only 24hours earlier, but still I felt like a minger, so disgusting and definitely in need of a shower after travelling in the same clothes for all that time. I felt bad for soiling the air of their very elegant lobby.

Beautiful hotel isn't it. I can't recommend it enough are you are ever around Hong Kong way.

I always want to be one of those travellers who swishes elegantly, fragrantly and wrinkle free into a hotel lobby, but more often than not I arrive sweaty, crumpled and exhausted. The Lanson Place doormen however were the very essence of professionalism and didn’t wrinkle their noses at me once ;-)

After a revitalising shower we forced ourselves to get out and take a walk along the Hennessy Rd to see a view of the famous harbour. The guide book had recommended taking in the view from the bar at the Renaissance Harbour View hotel (the words 'harbour' and 'view' are in the very name, how could we possibly go wrong?), but I have to say it was disappointing and seemed too far west to get the full impact. Maybe if you are staying in a room on a higher floor of the hotel it would be better, but we could see more of the highway than the harbour, however after a refreshing Kir Royale cocktail and an appetizer of duck spring rolls we took a walk along the river and spectacular views of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. Unfortunately my photos are hazy - well, Hong Kong was permanently hazy - and I was still figuring out the correct settings for my new camera, but here's a view looking back to Hong Kong Island from one of the piers.

And here's Kowloon

Anyway I'm going to pop off and get ready to meet my friend Nigel for our annual British Orphans in NYC Thanksgiving. We have a reservation at the Spring St Bar & Natural restaurant downtown. It's a pleasantly bustling restaurant on Thanksgiving and doesn't charge an arm and a leg like some places do. Afterwards we're off to swoon over Daniel Craig in the new Bond movie - well I am. Nigel's probably going to be fantasizing that he is James Bond - so I'll be back to post more photos later, that is if I get a chance before popping off to Austin tomorrow to meet up with Catweazle for the weekend. Eeek!! So excited!!

Happy Thanksgiving to any Americans reading by the way.

Later kids :-)