The Ambience Hotel sometimes had *ambience* in the form of a violinist playing during breakfast!
After breakfast I walked up to the Regent Hotel so I could make a "been-there" out of the opening scene in Lucy.
Statue in Linsen Park
The Regent Hotel
Me standing where Scarlett Johansson did at the beginning of Lucy.
Forty years ago yesterday that Lucy was discovered.
Street down from the Regent Hotel, seen in Lucy
Regent Hotel entrance, as seen in Lucy
Then came back and we packed and sorted ourselves out for coming home.
We went back to the Evergreen Hotel to catch the shuttle bus to the airport.
Elevated railway outside of Taipei
Arrived at the airport at around 12:20, and the lady checking us in said we only had an hour turnaround in Hong Kong, and normally our ticket wouldn't allow for an earlier flight but she got approval from her supervisor and put us on a flight two hours earlier. This turned out to be brilliant because our other plane ended up being an hour late and we'd likely have missed our plane back to Australia.
Taipei airport departures hall
Orchids in Taipei airport
Had lunch at the airport in Taipei before boarding. Turns out the plane was quite empty - there were only like half a dozen people in the whole back section. I played (and won) a game of p0ker.
Our lunch at Taipei airport
This, believe it or not, is an *airbag* !!
A very empty plane
Leaving Taiwan
Lunch on the plane (the opened box looked quite *blah* for a photo)
I loves me any plane that has power points in the seats!
I think the air traffic controller was playing Flight Control for our approach into Hong Kong
Park Island, approach into Hong Kong
Looking towards Hong Kong Disneyland
Forward cam view
Hong Kong airport
Our plane from Taipei to Hong Kong - Cathay Pacific A330-300 - B-HNI
In Hong Kong we had time to go to the Qantas club for a couple of glasses of bubbly (after we found it - I don't know if they're in a temporary spot, but there's no signage whatsoever to welcome you)..
Don't look only at your mobile phone
Hong Kong airport
Sunset at Hong Kong airport
Sunset at Hong Kong airport
Our plane arriving at Hong Kong airport - Qantas A330-300 - VH-QPG
Christmas tree in Hong Kong airport
Then the tortuous trip home. Mum cursed me with restless legs, so couldn't even sit still, let alone get any sleep :(
Can you tell the sweetie is thrilled to be on another plane?
I watched Lucy first up, because "been there!". Then Blended, which I liked a lot more than I thought I would, on account of it being an Adam Sandler movie and all.
Dinner on the plane
Then just sat there miserably for a few hours.
We flew over Manilla and Darwin which was pretty cool.
Over Manilla
They turned the lights on for breakfast at 2:50. Urggghh. I could barely stomach breakfast. Far too early to be eating a full meal.
Breakfast on the plane at 3:27am
Bendigo, Victoria
Got to Melbourne and had some juice in the Qantas club.
A380 landing at Tullamarine
Then our last plane home.
Calder Park, Melbourne
Lake Hume
Talbingo Reservoir
Approaching Canberra
Our last plane - Qantas 717-200 - VH-YQW
Got home and mostly unpacked, then crashed for a couple of hours.
Sorted out all the various paperwork from the trip, then we had pizza for dinner (on account of no food in the house).
So a pretty good trip. The weather was certainly fantastic, if a little hot sometimes. Saw lots of cool stuff and did some hot but good hikes. And towers, always towers :)