Date: 24/7/2012
City: Okinawa, Japan
Remarks: Day 5, Flight from Okinawa to Hong Kong
We were taking Hong Kong Airline direct flight back to Hong Kong today at 1540. Upon returning the rented car to OTS (the car rental company: https://www.otsrentacar.net) near the Airport, we took their free shuttle bus to the Airport (it took around 15 minutes. It stopped first at the Domestic Airport, and then the International Airport).
PS. Checked online that there was a signal no 10 typhoon Vicente in Hong Kong yesterday, and heard this morning the typhoon had weakened to signal no 3. Had kept my fingers crossed that it wouldn't affect our flight today.
Checked in the luggage at around 2pm, and well, the flight was delayed! 1540 departure became 1930. Could only get into the immigration at 1800. Now we have more than enough time to walk around the Okinawa Airport. The Okinawa International Airport and Domestic Airport were in 2 separate buildings sitting side by side, with distance of around 3 minutes walk. The Okinawa International Airport was super small, with nothing to walk around, but the Okinawa Domestic Airport was much larger, it's 4-storey, with many souvenirs shops and restaurants.
Had a meal in the Domestic Airport at around 1430. Then walked around the Airport. Brought 2 A5 size notebooks in the Airport. They were single-line notebooks covered with black leather. Costed only 105 Yen each!! Such a bargain!!
Had another meal at around 5pm. Went back to the International Airport to check my flight. Holy crap!! 1800 immigration changed to 2000. Well, went back to the Domestic Airport. Had another meal again. (PS. There wasn't much seats in the Airport unless getting in the restaurants) Sat in the restaurant til 2000 and then got back to the International Airport. Unexpectedly, or indeed as expected, there's another delay. Immigration time delayed to 2110. The Hong Kong Airline staff said the Hong Kong Airport was a chaos because of the typhoon Vicente yesterday. Our plane had only just took off from the Hong Kong Airport and would arrive Okinawa at around 10pm.
My flight finally managed to depart Okinawa at 2245!! Delayed for 7 hours!! Why didn't you just tell me that the flight would delay for 6-7 hours so that I could indeed get back down town to walk around or maybe had a good meal instead of being trapped in the Okinawa Airport and walking back and forth from the Domestic Airport to the International Airport every 2 hours and then being informed there was another 2-hour delay?
I wished it was the end of the story, but it wasn't... We arrived Hong Kong Airport at midnight 0010, and there was a long queue of planes on the runway, waiting for the parking!! There were at least 10 to 20 planes queueing for parking!! This was seriously my very first time and we had queued for another 2 hours!! Just for the parking. Only managed to get off the plane at 0200...
Got through the immigration very quickly. And when I was thinking that I could finally back home for a sleep, there was another 1.5 hours waiting.........There were crowds of people waiting for the luggage at the luggage belts, but even more luggage on the luggage belts!! It was a total chaos!! I had waited the luggage for another 1.5 hours. I was so exhausted that I thought I had fallen asleep while standing besides the luggage belt waiting for the luggage!!
Had really experienced the post typhoon impact. 2-hour flight became 7-hour delay, 2-hour flight, 2-hour parking, plus 1.5-hour collecting luggage, that was a total of 12.5 hours!! There was even VERY HEAVILY RAIN when we finally managed to get off of the airport at 4am in the morning!!
Thank you Vicente. I totally understood your power.
#Okinawa, #Okinawatravel, #travelblog, #travel, #OkinawaAirport
Showing posts with label travel stories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel stories. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Saturday, December 22, 2012
My sneakers @ Penang
Date： 27/11/2012
City : Penang , Malaysia
Remarks: Day 1, @hostel
It was my first day in Penang . I walked from the bus terminal to my hostel in George Town with my sneakers to check-in. Upon arrival , I took off my sneakers and left them outside the hostel , since no shoes were allowed in hostel . For the sake of convenience , I walked out the hostel with my slippers (leaving my sneakers outside the hostel). Such a wrong decision !! When I was back to the hostel later the day , I could find only one of my sneakers . The other was gone !!
Only by then I realised the hostel indeed had 2 dogs !! And there were indeed signs in the hostel warning us not to leave our shoes outside the hostel. It was way too late when I saw the signs!! That was my first day in Penang. Interesting experience, right?
I was in my slippers for the remaining days and had no hope in finding my missing shoe . Afterall, god knows where the dogs kept my shoe. However, it reappeared one day before I left Penang !! Just the right timing!! I guess the staff of the hostel found it for me. I had no idea where they found it, but here it was !! The sneaker was still in good shape (at least much better than I had expected) , just that the heel had worn out , obviously being chewed by the dogs . Well , at least they were still wearable and now my sneakers would not mixed up with the others for sure .
#GeorgeTown, #penang, #penangtravel, #travel, #travelblog
City : Penang , Malaysia
Remarks: Day 1, @hostel
It was my first day in Penang . I walked from the bus terminal to my hostel in George Town with my sneakers to check-in. Upon arrival , I took off my sneakers and left them outside the hostel , since no shoes were allowed in hostel . For the sake of convenience , I walked out the hostel with my slippers (leaving my sneakers outside the hostel). Such a wrong decision !! When I was back to the hostel later the day , I could find only one of my sneakers . The other was gone !!
Only by then I realised the hostel indeed had 2 dogs !! And there were indeed signs in the hostel warning us not to leave our shoes outside the hostel. It was way too late when I saw the signs!! That was my first day in Penang. Interesting experience, right?I was in my slippers for the remaining days and had no hope in finding my missing shoe . Afterall, god knows where the dogs kept my shoe. However, it reappeared one day before I left Penang !! Just the right timing!! I guess the staff of the hostel found it for me. I had no idea where they found it, but here it was !! The sneaker was still in good shape (at least much better than I had expected) , just that the heel had worn out , obviously being chewed by the dogs . Well , at least they were still wearable and now my sneakers would not mixed up with the others for sure .
#GeorgeTown, #penang, #penangtravel, #travel, #travelblog
Sunday, December 2, 2012
George Town to Penang Airport @ Penang
Date: 1/12/2012
City: Penang, Malaysia
Route: Day 5, CX flight from Penang to Hong Kong
Since I was taking the flight at 0750 back to Hong Kong (which was early in the morning), I had been very worry about how to get to the Airport from Day 1. After asking around, I could take Bus No 401 or 401E in Komtar Terminal or Weld Quay Terminal to the Airport. The bus get off from Weld Quay and the second stop is Komtar. There is no other station in between.
The locals advised that the bus ride would take at least an hour, so I'd better take the bus at 0530, which was the first bus of the day. There is a bus every 20 min. So my plan is to get up at 0450 and get to the station at around 0520 for the 0530 bus (it should take around 10-15 min walk from my hostel to Weld Quay Terminal).
That, however, was only a plan, since when I was awake it was already 0535!!! Oh my gosh!! I immediately got change and rushed out to the Terminal. Don't even have time to wash my face/ brush my teeth... It was around 0550 when I got to the Terminal. I was so worry when I was waiting for the bus and had been kept asking the bus drivers at the Terminal whether I could make it to the Airport before 7am (There were lots of drivers in the Terminal since many routes start at Weld Quay). The drivers were so nice and helpful. They told me the ride was around 40 min and it was!! I was so grateful. I got on the bus at 0610 and arrived the Airport at 0650!! Since it was early in the morning, the sky was still dark and there was no traffic at all and just a few passengers throughout the ride.
I still had time to wash up after checking-in and enjoy the sunrise @ Penang Airport. Que bien!!
PS. 40 min bus ride to Airport should only valid for early morning in weekends. I heard from the locals that the traffic jam starts at 0630 and the ride would usually take much longer.
#travel, #travelblog, #penang, #George Town, #penangbus, #penang airport, #sunrise
City: Penang, Malaysia
Route: Day 5, CX flight from Penang to Hong Kong
Since I was taking the flight at 0750 back to Hong Kong (which was early in the morning), I had been very worry about how to get to the Airport from Day 1. After asking around, I could take Bus No 401 or 401E in Komtar Terminal or Weld Quay Terminal to the Airport. The bus get off from Weld Quay and the second stop is Komtar. There is no other station in between.
The locals advised that the bus ride would take at least an hour, so I'd better take the bus at 0530, which was the first bus of the day. There is a bus every 20 min. So my plan is to get up at 0450 and get to the station at around 0520 for the 0530 bus (it should take around 10-15 min walk from my hostel to Weld Quay Terminal).
That, however, was only a plan, since when I was awake it was already 0535!!! Oh my gosh!! I immediately got change and rushed out to the Terminal. Don't even have time to wash my face/ brush my teeth... It was around 0550 when I got to the Terminal. I was so worry when I was waiting for the bus and had been kept asking the bus drivers at the Terminal whether I could make it to the Airport before 7am (There were lots of drivers in the Terminal since many routes start at Weld Quay). The drivers were so nice and helpful. They told me the ride was around 40 min and it was!! I was so grateful. I got on the bus at 0610 and arrived the Airport at 0650!! Since it was early in the morning, the sky was still dark and there was no traffic at all and just a few passengers throughout the ride.I still had time to wash up after checking-in and enjoy the sunrise @ Penang Airport. Que bien!!
PS. 40 min bus ride to Airport should only valid for early morning in weekends. I heard from the locals that the traffic jam starts at 0630 and the ride would usually take much longer.
#travel, #travelblog, #penang, #George Town, #penangbus, #penang airport, #sunrise
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