The last supper

Day 80
Hong Kong

We overslept this morning and then had to race to the airport for our flight to Hong Kong. Our taxi driver kept his hand on the horn and did a formidable job of getting us there in about 25 minutes. The agents were still at their counters when we arrived — although they were wrapping up — so we checked our bags, passed through security and immigration and made our way to the gate.

Wheels were up on our Cathay Pacific flight 766 (my 20th) at around 11:30 a.m. Somehow, they assigned me a bulkhead seat, so the next two hours were primarily used to catch up on sleep. We passed over some of the many islands that make up Hong Kong and then landed on the secluded runway at around 2:30 p.m., having lost an hour en route.

After passing through the thermal imaging station to check for sickness, we stamped in and got our backpacks. Here, Burt parted ways as his flight bound to New York was leaving in a couple of hours. Wanting to get rid all of my leftover foreign currency, a Travelex caught my eye and exchanged for me some really cool and colorful Hong Kong dollars.

The Airport Express dropped me off at Hong Kong station, which was only a short taxi ride to Causeway Bay, the central area in which I’m staying. Along the way, we passed this billboard, which on day 80 of this trip around the world, was pretty weird and coincidental.

Jia, is a Philippe Starck designed apartment hotel, the first of its kind in Hong Kong. The trendy furnishings in my studio apartment reminded me of home and got me even more excited to return.

After a final supper of noodle soup at Mak’s Noodle, the famous shop just down the street, it was time to explore bustling Hong Kong by night. Passing countless shops and skyscrapers, my destination was the Star Ferry, which has been shuttling passengers between Hong Kong and Kowloon for over a century. Taking the boat across Victoria Harbor afforded some great views of this neon metropolis — as well as the historic clock tower — as the clouds dramatically rolled.

Wanting to get a a solid evening of rest, it was an early final night for me. Hopefully, there will be some time tomorrow afternoon to see the sights before my Cathay flight across the Pacific — thus completing my around the world trip — departs at 6:40 p.m.