Post number 130, no less…….

Rather sad, not only to be leaving this beautiful hotel (I mean, where else do you get electrically operated curtains??) but also, of course, Hong Kong itself, on the very last leg of our journey.

Got up at sparrowfart to be collected right on cue in a limo (pre-booked) and taken to the airport for a 7.30 a.m. flight to Dubai. Arrived in plenty of time to an eerily quiet airport, checked in, through Security and into the lounge in virtually no time at all. Then on to the aircraft and in our seats with very little fuss.

Although we had plenty of legroom, it was a little cramped sideways and Jean felt she was out in the corridor a bit. Apart from that, it was a very smooth flight of around 8 hours, although the service was a bit sullen.

Flight left a mere 15 minutes late and arrived ahead of schedule.

A couple of pics from the plane:

a very murky and misty Hong Kong Airport

Above the clouds on our way to Dubai

Fortunately, our bags were checked through to Heathrow, so all we had to do was to go through the transit area and get to the lounge at Dubai. This probably took less than 15 minutes, so we had a comfortable 3-hour wait, having moved four hours back in time, before we boarded the plane, an Airbus A380, to take us to Heathrow. We actually went upstairs for the first time ever in an aircraft! All very comfortable and swish.

The flight was delayed an hour, because a bag with lithium batteries in it had to be located and the batteries removed before the plane could take off. Go figure. However, once in the air, another very smooth flight, very well serviced, ensued and we actually landed at Heathrow bang on schedule some eight hours later but with another reverse four-hour time zone. We were pretty zonked when we landed.

Dubai from the air

And again

And again

There was another delay whilst the police entered the plane and escorted somebody off it. No idea what that was all about, but we noticed that, whilst we were awaiting our bags off the carousel, a guy was standing right behind us accompanied by two armed policemen. His bag turned up, the coppers took the bag off the carousel, and they all marched off into the red zone of Customs. Mystifying.

Anyway, we got our bags, and, having travelled with Emirates, we took advantage of their chauffeur drive service to take us all the way back home. As it was 9 p.m., the roads were clear and we were indoors at around 10.15 p.m.

That is actually the end of our travels (until we bugger off to the Caribbean at the end of February, anyway…..). As I write this, I’m feeling a little empty and sad, even though it was very nice to get back to one’s own bed after 52 strange ones.

My final submission (Post No 131) on this will be a brief summary just to finish formally, but overall it has been a stupendous experience, one we really will remember for the rest of our lives. This blog will help prompt our memories when needed, of course – we’ve already forgotten some of it!

Meanwhile, we are unpacking and doing the washing. These things are important, you know…..