TRANSPORTATION & FLYING BACK

A noteworthy thing about HK is the taxi drivers. They are the most efficient drivers on the planet. Their cars are fast, they know exactly where they are going, they drive like the wind, and they don’t mess around at all - it’s all business as soon as you step into their house. The rest of the world should model itself on these guys. Hats off to them for sure, and a welcome change to the guys who run the streets in Manila.. You’ll be lucky if they get above 30mph.

There’s a train that takes you from Hong Kong to the Airport. It’s the most comfortable train I’ve ever been on. It’s fast and fairly cheap as well. Hong Kong has amazing public transportation. In addition to busses, they have electric cars, trams, an underground subway, taxis, and ferries. How many cities can you name that have a network like that?

Although I loved Hong Kong, I was reminded that I am still in Asia when I tried to book a flight back via the Manila airline (who shall remain nameless). First, it’s impossible to get through to the Airline reservation system via phone. If we did get through, we’d get cut off, or the service rep was unable to help us because our request was off script. They are so scripted, that I asked about changing a flight, which the response was 5,000 pesos plus the difference in fare. When I asked her how much the new ticket was she said it was considerably less. I asked her why she didn’t recommend I buy a new ticket entirely, rather than spend a few thousand extra pesos to change my existing reservation. She was stumped! Anytime you ask them to confirm something, they confirm the ENTIRE reservation… including spelling your name out (Bravo, Hector, Alpha, Victory, Indigo….. painful!!!). We were also unable to book the ticket via their website. It would crash, or would not take credit cards. They also do not take American Express, and my visa cards have their security number rubbed off. This is a perfect time to ask Visa why they still print that security number on the strip… seriously! Makes no sense. I need to find a credit card suggestion box, or fire off a letter to the CEO of Visa. But.. I digress…so we were unable to change our flight – rather, we figured we’d just purchase a new “one way” ticket. Trouble is they don’t’ sell those to foreigners unless you show them proof of a return ticket out of Manila. In the end, we had to purchase the ticket at the airport on our way out, which was an event in itself. You can’t purchase it at the same counter, so we had to run from counter to counter to verify that we had another return ticket, then verify that there was space on the flight, then purchase the ticket, then go back to check in.

Finally, we were on board and on our way home…