Days 0-1: Travel, Arrival and Settling In

There was definitely no time for blogging in Singapore, nor indeed a toilet break. Nerdia even had to forgo her usual "disembarkation etiquette" and push her way off the 'plane first. Brisk walk to Transfer Lounge E, obtain paperwork, brisk walk to nearby gate... read sign saying flight has moved to new gate at other end of terminal. Very brisk walk/jog/pelt to new gate... to board the very same aircraft we'd just left. (Yes, Plane Boy recognised it by name.) Well, it was a chance to stretch our legs. We didn't get the seats we'd picked on the second leg, but there was still pretty good leg room and no noisy kids. Both Plane Boy's seats were faulty, however, several armrests were held together with duct tape, and one part of the floor cracked underfoot. Clearly they are ready for those new Dreamliners. Nevertheless it was far roomier than most flights we've had and the service was good.

Caught a bus to the hotel just as dawn was breaking, enjoyed watching the green hills and enormous buildings flit past on the way. Quite a swish hotel by our standards, and a hot shower in the health spa was welcome indeed. Our room wouldn't be ready for several hours so we wandered off and had yummy, cheap breakfast around the corner. True to form, we were the only Westerners in the tiny, bustling streetside diner with shared tables and lots of noise but no eye contact and definitely no conversation. Braised pork belly with noodles in a spicy soup, delicious "pineapple" bun with a hockey puck of cold butter, two coffees and complimentary cups of rather tinny hot water for about A$10. Hurrah!

Spent a few hours wandering around the vast New Town shopping plaza adjoining our hotel, comparing prices to home and marvelling at the range of Tomy train sets in the toy shops. We'll be back! Once the room was ready and Nerdia had had a nanna nap it was time to visit the Hong Kong Heritage Museum nearby. Impressive and very detailed feature exhibitions: numerous galleries depicting amazing ancient Buddhist cave artworks dating back some 2000 years, plus a loving tribute to Bruce Lee that appears to include every single item they could link to him in any way. The range of kitsch 1960s Kato/Green Hornet toys were quite amusing.

Time for some delicious gelato and a recharge at the hotel before we head off for dinner at the shabu shabu restaurant we spied in New Town Plaza. Totemo oishii desu! (Or the equivalent in Cantonese. Or is it Mandarin?)