The journey

My travels started early on Wednesday morning with meeting the landlord and return my keys then taking my over 30kg luggage, some 7kg backpack and a small paper bag with two gifts that was not light at all (remember this when you think of me struggling through the Hong Kong metro system later). I started off with going around Chengdu a little to say a final goodbye to Li Min and then I went off to the airport, I taxied all the way so at least I didn't have to worry too much about the luggage carrying yet. For once I was not late to the airport, which was very fortunate since I was over 10kg overweight and had to pay a 210Yuan fine to get it onboard, that was totally worth it. Once through the security I had some time so I had my breakfast, a 45yuan sandwich. Then of course I nearly missed my flight anyway (exaggeration) because I thought it was from gate 9 and delayed but it was from gate 7 and on time, but I found that out quickly enough and boarded well on time.

Two hours and another half -breakfast later we landed in Shenzhen and I decided (against better judgment) to investigate alternative means of travel to Hong Kong, it turned out to be a great idea, they have an express shuttle bus that goes all the way to Hong Kong and makes several stops and it costs only 90yuan, and to this they actually had quite good service, really helpful staff and stuff like that. So I took the bus to Hong Kong instead of dragging myself to Shenzhen and around on the metro there to get to Hong Kong and take trains and stuff there to get to Central, instead I got to Jordan, only two three stops away from Central but that was more than enough.

Getting around in a very crowded metro system in Hong Kong is troublesome enough without luggage, and with the previously mentioned luggage it is not easy at all, I did get to Central easily enough but the in town check-in I was looking for is in Hong Kong station, about 5 minutes walk (read 15 minutes with luggage) from Central, and with some minor judgmental errors I had to walk back and forth a few times and pay entrance (buy a ticket to another station) again before I finally got there.

British Airways is great actually, they have at least until November this year no fine at all for luggage under 32kg, and after that they will have a fixed fine of £25 over 23kg or something like that, which is not too much, compared to those that have like €10 per kg too much, which sucks. So I got through with my luggage without any issues and stored my hand carry there for 200HKD and was off to meet with Joyce. First I went to Mong Kok to buy my graduation gift for my cousin Sandra though, can’t tell what it is or how much it cost but it was fun to barter for and I think I got it for a fair price, and really quickly too, this was after a brief complication to exchange money first though, were I accidentally went to the stock exchange instead of the money exchange but I soon found a bank that could help me at least.

Then it was finally off to TST to meet Joyce, but since I had been so quick with everything that I got there about 30-45 minutes too early, and in that time I managed to distract myself with looking at some “name card”, a small paper card where some guy wrote a Chinese version of a western name and sold it for 25HKD, of course I couldn’t find Johan so they insisted I’d tell them my name and soon I had told them my Chinese name too and they had written it down and I had to pay the 25HKD for it. Eventually Joyce got there and met me and we went off and ha dinner with Almen and Ariel, after which they followed me to the check-in to get my hand carry and take the airport express, which I first missed because Almen insisted we should take photos together first.

So I got to the airport a little bit late, but it was OK, I was not late for the flight only had Charlotta wait for me a little there, I think she survived that with and major troubles. That was pretty cool though, a pretty much chance meeting on a big international airport with an old friend from the time back at electro engineering. This is around the point where my brain stopped working properly and I was thinking I had a bit more time than I had, so after I’d left Charlotta and gone through the security I went to wash up and stuff and I was ready just in time for when I though the gate was opening, but of course that was the time when the gate was closing, which I realized when I was walking to the gate and found the signs saying final call for my flight. I even met some ground staff urging me on to hurry there. I did (once again I have to say) get on the flight just in time, some of the attendants seemed a bit annoyed at me but they will survive too.

12 hours later I had finally seen National Treasure 2 and slept just about enough to be happy I landed in London Heathrow and struggled my way through the airport to my connecting flight and a close to 2 hour wait. £3 for half an hour internet by the gate and some rest later I boarded yet another flight and was nearing the end of my over 32 hour journey home, I tried to sleep on the plane but it even though it was 5am local time it was closer to 12pm in China and my personal time so that was basically impossible. We landed a bit early and I had to wait a bit for mom and dad to come and pick me up, and as usual they had problems finding the right terminal and which parking lot to go to but at least they finally found me and could get me home.

Around 11.30am on Thursday morning Swedish time I finally got back home, after over 32 hours of which most was spent on a BA flight between Hong Kong and London and in Hong Kong itself I was finally home. And nothing had changed, it still feels like time has been standing still since I left on August 8th 2007, almost 10 months ago.

I’m home!