NOV 18, 19 .. DECISION DAY .. HONG KONG? .. SEOUL?
As Lewis Carroll wrote, and as I love to quote:
‘The time has come,’ the Walrus said,
‘To talk of many things:
Of shoes — and ships — and sealing-wax —
Of cabbages — and kings —
And why the sea is boiling hot —
And whether pigs have wings.’
THE TIME HAS COME TO MAKE A DECISION
As today began, I was ticketed to fly from Ulaanbaatar to Hong Kong on Tuesday, 3 December.
Hong Kong is undergoing a turmoil that was unthinkable just a few months ago.
Thanks to WhatsApp, I was in direct contact for several hours today with six of my closest friends in Hong Kong.
How is this for being in direct contact?
The two videos you are about to see were taken from the home of one of them. He was actually looking down at his own neighborhood. Further he lives relatively close to the YMCA Hotel in Kowloon where I have a reservation to stay.
The ‘clouds of smoke’ you see below are clouds of tear gas.
BOTTOM LINE
I quote one of my friends directly:
Cap SKIP Hong Kong.
Was it just yesterday that I wrote about the Bus Ride From Hell?
I ended the above post with the following words:
Next time I may hail a taxi / or a local car-for-hire, but even they were scarce. I did not see either one as I waited for the bus.
I’m sure that most of you know there is a small hotel right next to my building.
I often stay in this hotel the night before I have an airline flight because the elevators in my building do not run during the night and I am not willing to risk injury lugging my bags down 114 steps. I did it one time. I then solemly said : “Never ever will I do this again.” And I haven’t.
Back to yesterday’s post about the bus. Next time I may hail a taxi.
Hail a taxi? I did just that. I called the manager of the hotel who I have ‘known’ for over four years and said : “Bagi, I need a taxi to take me to the Mongolian Airlines Ticket Office (MIAT / МИАТ) in the Bayangol District, wait for me, then return me here to your hotel.” .. “I’ll have one here in 20 minutes Cap.”
Out and off we went in a taxi to the Mongolian Airlines (MIAT / МИАТ) office.
The MIAT / МИАТ office is located in an absolutely beautiful building. Maybe it’s their building.
A place I’ve visited many times. I’m a MIAT / МИАТ Frequent Flyer.
You select a ticket and are in-the-queue.
I handed her my passport with my reservation to Hong Kong.
“How may I help you Sir?”
“What are my options?”
“You are all set Sir. We’ve cancelled your Hong Kong 3 December reservation. You are all set to fly to Seoul, South Korea on 6 December. You will receive (in cash) a refund of 150,000 Mongolian Tugrik (U.S. $55.42).”
My taxi driver was wonderful. Polite. A careful driver. After dropping me off, he then returned to the building and waited downstairs in the lobby for me so I’d know how to find him and his taxi when I was finished. I’m embarrassed to tell you the cost of the ride to MIAT / him waiting a good 30-minutes / the drive back to Bagi’s Hotel. He charged me 9,000 Mongolian Tugrik (U.S. $3.33). I gave him 10,000 Tug (U.S. $3.69) and he was so happy with a little extra gratuity. Without Bagi setting this up, the cost would have been higher.
AND THAT IS THAT !
Click onto my TRAVEL page for more information:
https://babakaps.net/?page_id=3061
Sad to say, it’s a relief. I’ll be staying with friends in Seoul that used to live in Alaska and whom Patti and I have known for over 25 years. All of my Hong Kong friends totally 100% support this decision to SKIP Hong Kong. The YMCA most graciously honored my request to cancel my reservation.
GOOD TO GO
Yet still, just a tad sad .. Cap
Post Script :
This is amazing. Get this all of you (especially Gord 48025 and Patti and Gullible and Andrej and ‘Zilla and.. ) I received the above videos on my Samsung A10 Smart Phone. I then watched them on my smart phone, a feat in and of itself. Then I e-mailed them from my smart phone to myself. I retrieved the e-mail and I downloaded the videos. So now the videos are in my laptop under Downloads. I then added them to my Media Library here on dot.net and voilá I have uploaded them into this post. Amazing Captain!
What’s truly amazing is this : No one has tutored me on how to do these things. I’ve had to figure them out for myself.
- NOV 17, 19 .. THE PERFECT STORM? .. THE WORST BUS RIDE EVER?
- NOV 19, 19 .. LOTS OF DETAILS TO ‘TEND TO’ ..
6 thoughts on “NOV 18, 19 .. DECISION DAY .. HONG KONG? .. SEOUL?”
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Yes, the time had come to make a decision, a decision prompted by the ever escalating situation in Hong Kong IN the neighborhood where we generally stay and ride the MTR (which, by the way, has been shut down in that neighborhood for the past few days according to news online). With advice and heartfelt caution from our good friends there in Hong Kong, you decided to return to the USA through Seoul rather than Hong Kong. I can breathe easier now. This IS a sad, but prudent, decision. I treasure your safety. Love, Patti
As I just answered Gullible, the decision to SKIP Hong Kong became a ‘no brainer’. When our very closest friends, long, LONG-time Hong Kong Residents are themselves becoming extremely concerned, it is time to listen to them. I am tickled to be staying with Terry and Kathy in Seoul. I am slowly beginning to ‘know’ Seoul. November 2018 and back in February 2019, both quality visits, seeing a lot along with you at my side last February, and now the third visit. Much Love and as always, in-all-ways, thank you so much for your support. Love Cap
Good choice. Too bad about missing lovely Hong Kong, but she is in a turmoil these days and not at her best.
Maybe someday. So, where after Korea?
SKIPPING Hong Kong basically became a ‘no brainer’ Gullible.
Where after Korea? Seattle, Washington. Smiling .. Cap and Patti along with me.
[sigh of relief]!!!
Yes! Me too Linda. Truly a relief. Smiles Cap and Patti (who is also relieved).