Homeward Bound

New Years Day 2011 was our last day in Hong Kong; our flight back to Dubai was leaving at 00:35 the next morning. When we got dressed in the morning we knew we'd be wearing the same clothes for the next 40 odd hours.

Luckily, Hong Kong is very efficient and well-organised, so we were able to check-in at the Airport Express in Kowloon Station, which meant that we'd be able to get rid of our bags and have the minimum of fuss travelling to, and through, the airport that night.

We had a good lunch with Laura, Scott, Charlotte and Rod in a restaurant near their hotel and then had a walk into TST, where there was a record-breaking chinese dragon event going on. Unfortunately we were too late and we missed it, but we did see a lot of the performers packing up the costumes. Sally and I then spent about an hour trying to find a flower shop that was open, to get some flowers for Laura - in the end we did find one and managed to get some lilies.

In the evening we went for our final meal with everybody, in a Thai restaurant in TST. I was still full from our big lunch so just shared a mixed starter with Laura, and Sally picked at a salad.

At 10:30 the time came to start our journey, so we said our goodbyes to Rod and Charlotte and got a cab to the Airport Express terminal at Kowloon Station with Scott and Laura. The trains come every 12 minutes and we had about 5 minutes to wait until ours arrived. It was obviously a very emotional 5 minutes, especially for Sally and Laura, and in the end I had to almost drag them apart so we didn't miss our train.

It was a quick but quiet ride to the airport and we were on the plane almost before we knew it. The 9 hour flight to Dubai seemed to pass very quickly, as we both slept nearly all the way, and the 2 1/2 hour in Dubai was just long enough for a couple of coffees and a bit of shopping.

Sally about to go through security

The Dubai to Larnaca leg seemed longer, even though it was only 4 hours, but we arrived at Larnaca Airport still feeling reasonably fresh and awake. Unfortunately, we arrived at 10:30 and our flight to Heathrow wasn't until 16:15, so we did have quite a bit of time to kill - but we had a drink outside in the spring-like weather until we could check-in our bags at 13:30 and then went through to departures.

By the time we boarded our flight home we were starting to feel very tired and dirty, and the 5 hour flight felt much longer than that, but eventually we did arrive at Heathrow and were back home by 22:00, after over 30 hours travelling. We showered and went straight to bed - and Sally slept solidly for 13 hours!

Discovery Bay and New Year in Hong Kong Harbour

Beach at Discovery Bay

On the last day of 2010 we took the ferry to Discovery Bay. This is a slightly weird community of 16000 people on Lantau Island, originally conceived as a leisure resort in 1976. It's a little bit like 'The Truman Show' meets 'The Prisoner' with a bit of 'The Stepford Wives' thrown in - everything is a bit too perfect. Nobody is allowed to have a private car and the residents need to use public transport or buy a golf cart (which apparently cost as much as a new BMW).

Golf Carts at Discovery Bay

We had a walk around, went to the harbour and then back to the town centre where we had lunch before boarding the ferry back to Hong Kong.

Everyone had agreed that we'd have an Indian meal in the evening and, after making a few enquiries, Scott found a restaurant called Tandoor, in Central on Hong Kong Island, not far from where we'd be seeing in the new year.

After a hurried change, we hopped in a cab and set off.  As it was New Year's Eve many of the roads had been closed and the cab driver, thinking we were all tourists, tried to use this as an excuse to rip us off, by claiming that the other tunnel would cost $60 - luckily Laura spotted this and we only paid the $10 it actually cost. The cab driver wasn't amused, but as the rules they operate under are very strict and we could have called the police, he had no option but to accept this.

Charlotte and Laura at Tandoor Restaurant

It took a bit of time, but we managed to find our way to the restaurant in a closed street lined with police vans. When we went in we found that all the other customers were indian, and there was an indian band playing, so we were expecting the meal to be authentic. It was all a bit confusing to us, starters were brought to the table, but the main and dessert were from a buffet, but the food was fantastic; my favourite meal of the holiday.

We left the restaurant and caught cabs to Central ferry port where we boarded a boat (actually a re-purposed car ferry) to sail out into the harbour, where we'd be able to get the best view of the fireworks. It was all a bit frantic, jostling for the best position on the boat, but we did manage to get a place right at the front and waited as the boat became one of hundreds, of all shapes and sizes and many with loud parties, on the crowded waterway.

Fireworks on IFC Building in Hong Kong

With a minute to go until midnight, a countdown started, displayed in lights on the IFC (International Finance Centre), one of the tallest buldings in Hong Kong and overlooking the harbour. Everyone joined in the count at about 20, and when the clock reached zero, 2011 was displayed vertically on the building and it became the centre of a firework display co-ordinated across many buildings along the harbourfront. Fireworks exploded from the top, and ran up and down the sides of the building as the crowd did the usual 'oos' and 'ahs'.

New Year Toast in Hong Kong Harbour

When the short display was over, Scott opened a bottle of champagne and we toasted in the New Year. It was a fantastic and spectacular end to one of the best years ever for Sally and I.

Location:IFC Building, Hong Kong Harbour