再見 香港 - Goodbye Hong Kong!

After two relaxing days in this amazing city, we are now heading back from Hong Kong to Incheon...

A display in one of the MTR passages, and that has important financial lessons...

The BMW ahead of us has a license plate "THE CEO"...

And there it goes...

We chase the CEO through the streets of Central...

These vanity license plates are quite a rage in Hong Kong and are often auctioned off to the highest bidder after a wait period, which could be incredibly long!

Checking out the 1881 Heritage in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon...

The 1881 Heritage was the headquarters of the Hong Kong Marine Police from 1884 to 1996. The site has since been restored and besides several buildings and artefacts of historical interest that have been preserved and restored, and the site also features a shopping mall, a heritage hotel and an exhibition hall...

The 1881 Heritage is a combination of Victorian colonial and neo-classical architectural designs...

At the airport and ready to depart, I must say, it's always a treat to visit Hong Kong!

The Culinary Pilgrimage...

We're in Hong Kong, we love being here for many, many reasons. The vibe and energy of Hong Kong is instantly energizing. The frenetic pace of the city reminds me that no matter what, life has a purpose...

And today we had a purpose, a larger than life, an irresistible urge, at least for the moment to visit Din Tai Fung again. And we made a dash for the MTR to head to Causeway Bay...

Water spinach with garlic...

Waiting for our xiaolongbaos...

Don't get me wrong - I was so hungry that when xiaolongbaos finally came I gulped them down without even taking a pic...

And Din Tai Fung is quite my idea of an ideal Michelin-starred restaurant - simple yet flavourful, focused and unpretentious...

The story of Din Tai Fung...

And thankfully, there was no kimchi today!

And the prophecy for a delectable 2017 seems to be coming true, the juggernaut rolls on with this culinary pilgrimage...

Hong Kong, Here We Come!

Today we are heading out to Hong Kong to meet and bless our new born nephew...

And as we left Songdo, the sun was setting on Incheon, making for a wonderful view...

This will be a short trip to Hong Kong - we will be leaving Hong Kong on Sunday night to get back to Incheon on Monday morning. And we will be travelling on Korean Air Boeing 747-8i - the newest version of the Jumbo Jet! This is my third flight on the Boeing 747-8i and is Neeti's first and are eagerly waiting for that!

Hong Kong, here we come!

Over The Pacific...

The second leg of this dream trip to the South Pacific began in Hong Kong last evening, when I boarded Fiji Airways' "Island of Yasawa-i-Rara"...

I was warmly greeted, Fijian style with "Bula" by a friendly middle-aged stewardess as I boarded the aircraft. She resembled my adorable primary school teacher Mrs Noreen Peters a lot...

As I found my seat, I expected to see Bula on the screen, instead the screen beckoned me to enjoy the "Fiji Time" - a synonym for spending time at an idyllic pace, Pacific island-style...

And the boarding music was very interesting and catchy - the music kept ringing in my ears long after we took off from Hong Kong. And I am sure this amazing tune will stay with me, etched in my mind forever, reminding me of this epic journey...

And just then I spotted the Prime Minister of Fiji, Frank Bainimarama and his wife, Maria Makitalena, being escorted in by security personnel into the business class cabin. So, with a VIP on board, we should be in safe hands!

The flight path would cover 8,228 kilometers and would overfly Philippines and Palau, crossing the Equator...

I strategically chose my seat to view the sunset...

The golden rays of dusk over the Rova motifs make for an incredible sight!

A cloudy evening over the South China Sea...

Fijian immigration cards were distributed...

It's a full moon night...

And the meal I had onboard was by far the best inflight Indian meal I ever had - generous portions of spicy chicken curry and aloo-mattar gravy served with paratha and rice. The gravies were perfectly spiced and absolutely delectable. After the meal, the lookalike of Mrs. Noreen Peters graciously gave a me a cup of hot chocolate as I watched the George Clooney starred The Descendants, before dozing off...

When I woke up, we had already crossed the Equator and we were slightly eastwards of New Britain island of Papua New Guinea...

Free SIM card at Nadi airport!

Approach into Nadi International...

The Rova-styled cowlings look amazing against the clouds...

I heard the Captain say that there was a probability of storm brewing over Nadi later today...

One hour to Nadi and I am catching up on Hong Kong news with front page news on the troubles that the Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive faces...

Overall, this was a wonderful, restful flight, great food, good entertainment - Vinaka vakalevu, Fiji Airways!

Plane Spotting at HKG ... Part 14

There's never a dull moment Plane Spotting at Hong Kong's Chep Lap Kok airport. And the best part - spotting begins even before you touch down...

I spot a rare bird - Cathay Pacific's quadjet - Airbus A340, which is on the verge of retirement...

And there's one exotic bird - an Air New Zealand Boeing 777 parked in between a few Cathay widebodies...

A Jet Airways Boeing 777 being towed to its parking bay to resting before flying back to Mumbai later tonight...

And I spot an Air Seychelles Airbus A330...

A South African Airways Airbus A340 and an American Airlines Boeing 777...

It's a dull morning here...

The whale from Bangkok - Thai's Airbus A380...

Air China Boeing 737...

And this is the first time I have spotted an Aeroflot Boeing 777 - I love the Aeroflot livery...

ANA's Boeing 787 Dream)liner parked next to a China Eastern Airbus A320...

That's my bird - the very beautiful "Island of Yasawa-i-Rara" of Fiji Airways with a registration DQ-FJV...

The "Island of Yasawa-i-Rara" has been in active service for Fiji Airways since November 2013 and will fly me into Nadi on the Fijian island of Viti Levu in about 10 hours...

The livery of Fiji Airways is amazing isn't it? One aviation livery expert called it "a 'Marmite/Vegimite' of liveries. You are either going to love it, or hate it"... 

I first spotted this lovely livery here in Hong Kong this August, when I was on my way back from Melbourne. And I so wished I could fly on this exotic airline. God has answered my prayers today...

Fiji Airways was previously called Air Pacific. And it owes its origins to the Australian aviator Harold Gatty who in 1931 had been the navigator on a record-breaking round-the-world flight with Wiley Post. Gatty moved to Fiji after World War II and registered the airline in 1947 as Katafaga Estates Ltd., after the coconut estate Gatty had established on Fiji's eastern island group. Gatty renamed the airline as Fiji Airways in September 1951.

After Gatty's death in 1958, Fiji Airways was acquired by the Australian flag-carrier, Qantas. Initially, Qantas tried to develop the airline a multinational, shared, regional airline with the governments of Tonga, Western Samoa, Nauru, Kiribati and the Solomon Islands as shareholders.

After Fiji gained independence in 1970, the Fijian government acquired the airline and the airline was renamed Air Pacific to reflect its regional presence. With time, Pacific island governments sold their shares and created their own national airlines, leaving Air Pacific under Fijian control.

Air Pacific was rebranded in 2012 (in conjunction with the fleet renewal plans) to reflect its Fijian origins. Alongwith the rebranding came the lovely new livery we see today - traditional tribal motifs usually used in the ‘Masi’ cloth - a fabric made exclusively by women from the bark of the mulberry tree.

The distinctive Teteva symbol which had been designed by the Fijian Masi artist Makereta Matemosi, is featured on the tail, representing the friendliness and caring nature of the Fijians. The Rova motif featured on the engine cowlings, symbolises the warm greeting Fijians extend to visitors, while the Makare motif, which appears around the border of the Teteva on the tail, evokes the allure of clear water flowing on a white sandy beach.

With a beautiful cowling like that, the Qatar Airways Boeing 787 Dream)liner, the British Airways Airbus A380 and the Star Alliance liveried Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 get virtually no attention from me...

And it's time to say "Bula, Fiji"...