Start of a new trip to Nepal in 2011:
I'm sure glad I planned to overnight in Hong Kong on the way to Kathmandu, with the long delay I never would have made a connecting flight.
There was a typhoon sweeping through the southeast Asian coast, and the plane arrived late in Vancouver and so my departure was delayed by 45 minutes or so.
In the air, there was some turbulence that was so strong I could barely hold a book in my hand, I was swaying from side to side so much. We actually landed in Taipei for a while, to refuel, as the captain said he anticipated a long holding pattern above Hong Kong. Eventually we landed in Hong Kong without difficulty. Although I've set a personal recorded for the longest time sitting in one airplane - 16 hours.
Apparently all the planes started landing at once, and many people with missed connections needed to stay the night, so the lineup to check in at the aiport hotel took over an hour. In the hotel I noticed that all doorways leading outside had a rope across them with a sign saying to stay indoors for safety reasons.
This morning, however, it is sunny, with a wind that is strong but refreshing despite being warm and a bit humid. I got up early despite the late night, had a big breakfast and walked around outside. Hopefully that will help speed up adjusting to the new time zone.
I'm sure glad I planned to overnight in Hong Kong on the way to Kathmandu, with the long delay I never would have made a connecting flight.
There was a typhoon sweeping through the southeast Asian coast, and the plane arrived late in Vancouver and so my departure was delayed by 45 minutes or so.
In the air, there was some turbulence that was so strong I could barely hold a book in my hand, I was swaying from side to side so much. We actually landed in Taipei for a while, to refuel, as the captain said he anticipated a long holding pattern above Hong Kong. Eventually we landed in Hong Kong without difficulty. Although I've set a personal recorded for the longest time sitting in one airplane - 16 hours.
Apparently all the planes started landing at once, and many people with missed connections needed to stay the night, so the lineup to check in at the aiport hotel took over an hour. In the hotel I noticed that all doorways leading outside had a rope across them with a sign saying to stay indoors for safety reasons.
This morning, however, it is sunny, with a wind that is strong but refreshing despite being warm and a bit humid. I got up early despite the late night, had a big breakfast and walked around outside. Hopefully that will help speed up adjusting to the new time zone.
