After returning to the hotel and packing we took the train to the airport. The great thing about Hong Kong is that airline checkin can be completed at the railway station. This meant we did not have to worry about our luggage after boarding the high-speed train as it would travel unsupervised from Kowloon Station to Heathrows Terminal One. After arriving and passing through customs we had four hours to fill in and HK$500 to spend. We browsed the expensive designer shops and then had a nice dinner complete with lobster soup and cocktails at a european style restaurant. Our seats overlooked the departure lounge and airport tarmac so there was always something or somebody interesting to look at. It was a great way to round off our visit to Hong Kong and some european food after days of noodles and rice was very welcome.
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| Hong Kong Airport's Departure Lounge |
The flight to Heathrow was unfortunately on British Airways who are in my opinion one of the worst major airlines to fly with. I am sure their first and business classes are very good but to encourage passengers to upgrade their cattle class attempts to replicate hell in the sky. To maximise seats it appears BA have reduced leg room and toilets which on a twelve hour flight become very important. Also their in-flight service is well below that of other airlines (Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines) both in what you get and how you get it. The flight stewards seem to operate under the presumption that if they hide in the crew area chatting for the entire flight eventually the passengers will die of hunger and thirst, thus reducing their already minimal workload. To compound matters the presentation and selection of food is well below that of other airlines. Whilst bad from an aesthetic perspective it was also not fair on the numerous Asian passengers. Most airlines on asian routes offer a European and Asian meal option to accommodate the dramatic difference in tastes and eating styles. BA in all their arrogance provided only a single meal option, which in the case of breakfast was a ham and cheese roll with a muffin, not exactly ideal for the Asian passengers who typically do not eat much cheese or bread.
After twelve hours we arrived in London hungry and tired. Fortunately we met the driver sent out by Emmas locum agency very easily and we were soon on our way to our hotel. The Travel Lodge we are staying at for the first few nights is located in Illford, Essex. Illford is about 20 minutes by train east of London. All the Londoners we have talked to have raised their eyebrows when they find out we are staying in Illford, apparently it must be like the West Auckland or Hutt Valley of London. Fortunately its outer location means the room price is only 60 pounds per night which is apparently very good for London (although it pays not to think what you could get for NZ$180 per night elsewhere in the world). The facilities are spartan but there is a few supermarkets and a train station nearby.