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7:30 am June 12, 2003 (total travel time 24 hours)
My arrival at the Hong Kong airport had me anxious as I looked out the plane. Looking out on the city of Hong Kong, at it’s cookie cutter uniform buildings and seeing traditional fishing boats off the shore line, I really felt like I wasn’t in Kansas any more. As we approached Hong Kong you could tune your little personal TV provided on the Cathay Pacific flight to the channel introducing you to the Hong Kong airport. It stated that if you are staying in Hong Kong, there was paperwork to fill out. Otherwise, you could continue on to the gate for your connecting flight. I was concerned, with just an hour and fifteen minute connection, that I would have to run to my next gate. Once I arrived, and figured out that my gate was just a five minute walk away, my anxiety decreased by about 80%. I had to pass through two health check stations where they took my temperature and one security check point on the way to my connecting flight to Cebu, but I made it through without incident. When I arrived at my gate at the relatively empty Hong Kong airport, I was there a half hour before boarding. I was worried for nothing.
The Hong Kong airport was relatively easy to get around in. Everything was written in both Chinese and English. The arriving/departing flight monitors were a bit confusing, but after a few seconds of staring at them, they give you the info you need. My flight was during the time when SARS was still a big concern with the world, but in the Hong Kong airport, only a small percentage of the travelers were wearing masks to help prevent SARS infection. I was wearing a duck-like SARS mask, but really would not have been wearing one if it weren’t for Niña and her relatives concern about me catching SARS on my brief stopover in Hong Kong. Out of respect for them, I wore my little duck mask. Every few minutes an announcement in several languages, including English, would come over the loud speaker talking about SARS, how it is transmitted and a WHO (World Health Organization) warning. There were also free, full medical inspection stations at the airport. If felt sick at all, not just from SARS, you could be examined by a doctor and a nurse at no cost. I thought it actually was a very good service – unless you have a cough – then I would be worried that you might wind up in quarantine for 10 days. Quarantine in either Hong Kong or upon my arrival in Cebu was one of my main sources of anxiety – if you are put into Quarantine it is a guaranteed visit to the hospital and isolation for a minimum of 10 days. To arrive in Cebu and be put in the hospital for 10 out of the 12 days, or to never make it to Cebu and be put into quarantine in China would … well…. Suck! Fortunately, nothing like that happened to me.
Since I was at my gate early, I took a trek into the men’s room at the airport and brushed my teeth using bottled water that I brought with me. Of course I did have to lower my mask for a minute while I brushed my teeth, but I was careful to sterilize my hands before and after handling everything – thanks Purell hand sanitizer! I figured taking the time to brush my teeth after 24 hours of travel was worth pulling my mask down for a minute. If nothing else, it made me feel about 10 times better, and I knew that facing Niña with airplane breath might not give her the best first impression!
After brushing my teeth, I went to sit near the gate. Looking around, there was a large percentage of Filipino’s here. Not unexpected. I tried to listen in on their conversations to see if there were any words they were using that I would recognize. Of course there were not. Looking over, I saw the same Filipino woman and her two kids that started my travels with me at DFW. It was a comfort to know my guess at us sharing the same travel itinerary was right. I looked around for my young cowboy friend and he was no where to be seen.
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