The airport at Hong Kong was empty! - Well it appeared that way anyhow. The whole design flowed flawlessly from the moment you walked through the entrance until you reached your gate - Feng Shui in motion I guess. The free internet access and fresh noodle bar provided a useful rest stop to catch up on the blog whilst Myles had a snooze.


Myles was golden on the plane - after settling down and watching Jungle Book (for the 2nd time!), he slept most of the rest of the journey - Wish we could say the same - The majority of the rest of the plane had done transit and were still on UK time, so the flight was quite noisy and busy with people stretching their legs. The air crew were much better than the London to Hong Kong bunch - who seemed a little miserable and hung over, quite difficult to squeeze a smile out of even.

Met a great couple and their daughter on the plane, Pete, Sara and Anna their two and a half year old daughter, who were sitting behind us. We got chatting and they kindly said that we could pop over to theirs later and borrow their travel cot and spare mobile phone - Not often you meet such nice people on a plane!


Had a great reception from Gavin & Victoria at the airport - who very kindly offered us a place to stay and show us the sights for a few days. Rach and I were shattered and could have slept in for Queen and country the following morning.

One you leave some of the busy streets of Hong Kong, people can be found kicking back and taking a breather from the humid, polluted pavements, in small parks and green areas hidden away from the 5 star hotels and never ending shopping opportunities.

On the way to the park we must have been asked at least 50+ times if we were interested in tailored suits by several men on every street corner - Better than being offered other things I guess! It reminded me of a Radio 4 programme by Ross Nobel where he grew weary of Egypt following several thousand offers of perfume during his travels through the area on tour - I think the programme was called Ross Nobel Goes Global - check it our V.funny.

Chinese people seem to have a very liberal attitude to passing each others kids around - several times whilst in Hong Kong, including in the park, a stranger would come up to us with oohhs and ahhs for Myles, mistake him for a girl and the try to wrench him from our arms / the stroller for some closer contact. Myles loved the attention but we, with out slightly nervous western disposition were quite uncomfortable with it all - I dare say you'd get used to it - Saying that though, the first words the Scottish head chef at the Langham Place muttered to us at breakfast were - "what a cute blond haired boy - God help you trying to go down the street!"

What can you say - Where's Simon Cowell when you need him!

I'm sure Sharon Osbourne would also love to rescue the dog! This guy was very entertaining and we even made a donation - Raw talent like this needs all the encouragement they can get :-)

You'll need to be a bit of a Riddley Scott fan to appreciate the title I'm afraid, but Mongkok is an amazing place once the sun goes down - not that it's not amazing when it's up! There's something nice about staying in a city where the 'real' people live and work. The clinical area of Hong Kong island and the harbor front at Kowloon do nothing for our senses. We love the area around the hotel for the same reason that we love to stay in Soho whilst in New York - You can taste life here more.

I'm pretty sure you can buy anything you need, don't need and shouldn't have within a short walk from the Langham. From small shops selling things that look edible, to large shops selling everything else.

The air at night has an aroma of five spice, soy sauce, body odor, and slight sewerage - maybe with a hint of raspberry!. This should not be a good thing - but it seems to suit the surroundings in a strangely positive / con-native way. If someone wants to produce a Mong Kok scratch and sniff card we can supply the recipe!

This luxurious lounge on the 36 floor of the hotel boasts all day beverages and light snacks - which sounds nothing special except that you can get any alcohol you want including afternoon champagne and canapes and 24 hour breakfast(?) It's just the kind of place you think you've been transported to as you glide up the elevator and are met by efficient and dutiful staff who ensure you are comfortable and have drinks and snacks to hand.

The views are stunning over downtown Mong kok and if you so wish you can use the executive board room or like we did kind of take over the lounge area with Myles's fascination for sugar sachets and the amusement of the female staff who wooed over him at every opportunity plying him with goodies. Their is even a shiatsu massage chair which I sat in only to be pummeled by it with the help of Myles who decided that the buttons looked good to press, only ensuring his mother's legs were encased in the chair and I was then transported backwards to have my spine tortured before releasing myself from the clutches of the chair and the delight of one little boy who made another sharp exit for the sugar sachets on the adjacent table!

The one evening we came back from our adventures in Mong kok (listen to podcast) to meet up with 3 other guests. A business couple called Christine and Wim, and a lady called Katie. We shared a lovely late evening with them as Myles dozed peacefully in his stroller and we sipped another champagne and ate beautiful deserts. It was so special to meet them and we hope they can enjoy our journey and have remembered this blog address after the consumption of the champers

The MTR in Hong Kong seems, on the face of it, to be a spotlessly clean, efficient, logical and quick way of navigating around the area. - all the qualities that London's tube system does not posses.. One thing it does have in common is the original version of the Oyster Card - with a deferent aquatic variation - The Octopus Card. You can seem to use it in many places in the city, from take away food outlets to news agents and many variations in between.


The ticket machine are quick and easy, and it's very difficult to get lost or confused unless you are overcome with a bout of xenophobia and cultural panic! Even the line map on the train has lights to show you which line you're on, which station is next, which side you get out and even lights up interconnecting lines at stations where you can change line. A fantastic price of interactive sign-age if there every was one.
The MTR trains are again, very logical - they are made up of one continuous carriage that runs for 50+ meters or so, somewhat like one giant single story 'bendy bus'. When you've swapped perspiration with a stranger during the sardine like rush hour in London on the Central Line you come to really appreciate the vast space, air conditioning and comfort of the MTR. Can't speak about the rest of the public transport system here, but the UK's seems to be slipping down the charts rapidly.

As we have found out - If you really want to - you can pretty much live in Hong Kong without ever experiencing fresh air, choosing the air conditioned comfort of whichever mall, hotel, MTR route over the real world - One could argue that the air here most of the year is not particularly fresh, but rather a tepid sauna - If you were an orchid, I'm sure you would love it.

Myles in on the hearts and minds mission at the hotel. I'm a little concerned that he's starting to get used to the 5 star hotel treatment! He seems to be collecting bruises at an alarming rate at the moment due to his energetic escapades - but the knocks and bumps don't seem to be slowing him down much. At the moment he's going through a stage that when you tell him off because something is dangerous, he just laughs and tried to do it any way.... Is the the 'terrible twos'? - is so it's not that terrible, just a little draining and frustrating at times. The level of terribleness seems more do do with how tired we are than how full on Myles is. He continues to entertain the staff though.

Well we finally left the aircon haven of the hotel and adjoining shopping mall today and ventured into Mongkok - our first intrepid travel since arriving. We gave the MTR rail a go and it was a breeze, once we found the disabled access ticket barrier that looked as if it would chop you in half if you stayed a nano second too long trying to retrieve your ticket! We got loads of looks as usual from the locals - we can't decide whether its Myles the babe magnet or the Chariot stroller that they're staring at? A bit of both we reckon so once we're on board the immaculate subway we feel we've really stepped inside Hong Kong proper.

We head over to Kowloon Park and melt in the heat and humidity - so decide to go to the star ferry via an opportune shopping mall - this place is full of them. All kind of anonymous from the outside as if your entering the lobby of an office building then go up a random escalator signed to the 'shops' only to be in retail heaven or hell - depends on how you view your um teenth chance to purchase a Louis Vuitton bag or Versace dress or whatever!!!


The star ferry costs all of $1.70HK around 20p each and the cost of it with its sailors all dressed as if there uniforms should be in a museum - jars against what we're headed over to - our view of looming high rise Hong Kong island the CBD and its global business empires soaring into the skies. Nevertheless we are glad we made the trip over as the water is a magnet to Myles and he cheers against the sweltering conditions and then falls blissfully asleep before we board at the other side - we cross the sky bridge and decide we're just too tired to venture any further and head back on the MTR right back to our aircon hotel haven and the outdoor pool on the 41st floor complete with spa and contemplation room! We enjoy a refreshing dip and then visit the club lounge for a bite to eat and some more liquid refreshment before Craig checks in with work back at the suite.

After spending most of our time 'glued' to the hotel and adjacent establishments, we are finally venturing out in to the wide world of Hong Kong. The combination of jet lag, the tail end of all round colds, work demands and the pampered surroundings of our suite we ushered in the usual Ray spirit of adventure and headed out early today.


We started with a breakfast of bacon and eggs all round - or backon in Myles speak. Now don't get me wrong - We've stopped in some nice hotels, but never in one where the breakfast place mats include all the days main headlines and weather forecast and never one where there there is a buffet featuring all the possible breakfast menus from around the world - Want to start with some sushi, then move onto a full English fry up, following by some nice spicy noodles and finishing with a continental spread - no problem all catered for here. I could go on, but to demonstrate a point - I normally get honey out of a jar - not a fresh rack out of a beehive!


Anyway will post some more later today as I'm sure it's going to be an eventful day - I did think breakfast deserved it's own post though!

Monday - Phew! - we made it - the flight was bearable and Myles slept most of the way - with a few interim moments of listening to classical music on the noise cancelling headphones Craig purchased (great buy), which I also used to get some sleep too with, so all in all we sailed through the first leg.

Arrival at Hong Kong airport is relaxed a true antidote to the chaos and mayhem at Heathrow although we got VIP service as Myles got upset at securty check in which was like a cattle market so they whisked us through all of the snaking queue - much to the raised eyebrows of those passengers without a crying child!! - so there are benefits to your baby screaming in public!!!

Apart from having one of our bags torn and having to go to baggage claim where a bowing assistant very graciously filled in triplicate and then duplicate our claim for compensation then offered a miserly sum of $200 HK!! for our trouble - he was obviously used to putting on the eastern humility that we agreed and went on our merry way to the airport shuttle desk. This was a breeze - we think job creation is the order of the day here as we are ushered by 2 attendants to a waiting area to be met by more attendants who ensure we get on our shuttle bus - which is air con and leather reclining seats!

We arrive at the Langham Place (wow!) Good choice Craig - and he's sorted us so we are whisked up to the Club Lounge to check in and leave our bags at reception. Once at the club lounge we are seated, given hot towels to freshen up and a drink of our choice, they coo over Myles and fuss over him checking that if he needs anything we are just to ask. We then decide to go the whole hog and upgrade to a suite (well worth it) this has two rooms a kitchen/lounge area and bedroom which has a bathroom off it where you can lounge in the bath and look through a floor to ceiling glass panel and listen to the TV piped into the bathroom from the 50" plasma in the bedroom! Oh yeah and to top it off we are given a bottle of champagne on ice and a selection of fruit and chocolates - which are enjoyed as Myles sleeps fast on the enormous queen size bed complete with fragrance pillow selection - well enough said!!!


So we wake around 3am local time and then get back to sleep and then wake again at 10.30am - we are on the 39th floor and the view is just like Blade Runner - and me and Myles sit on the window seat looking at the view of the ants below and the what seems like millions of windows on stick thin buildings soaring up and below us - we are so high up!

Tuesday we just chill out in the suite to recover from jetlag and a cold that has taken hold of us. This place is amazing - we get a call from reception asking us if we want to go on a guided tour which we'd shown interest in when we checked in but Craig told them we weren't feeling great with a cold and in 20 minutes a knock at the door and we had 2 pots of hot water, a dish of fresh lemon slices and two mini jars of honey and a selection of fruit and cookies - with compliments and to wish us well!!!

Craig has to work today anyway and is glued to the skype phone at the desk most of the day so me and Myles amuse ourselves and take a nap at around 4pm - we finally venture out for a spot of dinner and a bit of shopping - the young women keep cooing over Myles - he is such a babe magnet, we go into a toy store and the 2 girls in their keep taking pictures of him on their sony mobiles! All the female staff at the hotel say hi to him - he does his 'I want to be alone shy look' reckon he should be an actor when he's older - and this just makes them coo even more!!!