I just got back from a week in Hong Kong and wanted to write a few notes before my memory fades.
As previously noted, get a PCCW SIM card at the airport for use with phone and WiFi. I forgot my old one, didn’t get one at the airport and never did manage to buy one. None of the four 7-11’s I checked had them in stock for some reason.
Sam’s Tailor still rocks. I got a blue sportjacket, a couple of shirts and two pairs of pants. And two ties. I am now set for dress clothes.
I took my Yes Inca as my sole watch, and as expected it was excellent for the purpose. Dual timezones let me know when to video chat with home, the 24-hour display was nice perspective for the jetlag, and it went well with casual and sporty clothes. Not to mention it was good to wear to all of the meetings.
After reading this post, I went across the bay to Liii Liii Couture and am having a couple of pairs of shoes made for me. The guys there are very nice, and very accommodating. I have different sized and shaped feet, we discovered after tracing and measuring the hoofs, so I’m intensely curious to see how shoes made to fit will work. They are making pairs with more padding and high instep, so I am hopeful that these’ll last me long enough to make up for the high cost. I’ve wasted money on several pairs of dress and semi-dress shoes that don’t last.
We stayed in the Kowloon Hotel this time, and while it’s OK I’d recommend the Imperial Hotel instead.
The already-awesome Octopus card (busses, subway, trams and vending machines) now works some Starbucks locations, so be sure to buy one at the airport. These days, you can even buy an Octopus chip built into a watch! Very cool.
We flew Cathay Pacific again, the same 881/882 flights, but the experience wasn’t as good. Flights were completely full, and they now charge $100 per leg for exit row (WTF?!), so I was crammed both times. More room than American carriers, but still coach. Note that:
1. their video systems are fantastic, which helps, but you need the airline adapter if you want to use your own headphones.
2. Coach seats have a power jack behind the tray, but it's HK/UK style plug only.
3. They limit carry-on bags to a super light 15 pounds, so pack light. Or be prepared to be forced to check.
4. I paid the $100 for exit row on my return leg, and when I moved up my departure a day they refused to give me exit row or refund my money. Needless to say, I was and am quite pissed about this, especially on a 13-hour flight. Very shitty of them.
I’ll be posting pictures later.