Up early for luggage pick-up and our last breakfast with such an array of choices. Our flight is United - non-stop - Hong Kong to Newark at 10:25 am -- 15 hours in the air.
Meeting in the lobby with Sherry and Frank (also on our flight) we get in a cab with Alex, our local guide. Arrive at the airport with plenty of time to spare -- check luggage --- through security --- pick up incidentals for the plane ride --- board well ahead of time ---- move away from the jetway --- we're on our way. Shouldn't we have taken off by now?
The pilot makes the dreaded announcement that we need to go back to the gate because something is wrong with our water system. We get that sinking feeling -- but the issue is resolved within an hour or so --- off we go. It just means that we are on this plane for 16 not 15 hours.
It is a Boeing 777 so each seat has its own screen with many choices of movies, tv series, games, documentaries, etc. I watch "Philomena" again --love that movie. I finally get to see "Gravity" and am glad I didn't pay to see it -- no plot. I discover "Ray Donovan", a series on Showtime which I don't subscribe to at home -- watch five episodes. I read "Emperor of All Maladies" (a very long book I've been reading off and on for several months). We eat a couple of meals. And --- amazingly enough touch down in Newark, N.J. a little early.
Breeze through Immigration and Customs -- recheck our bags and after a wait at the gate we're off to Boston.
We usually take the subway home but treated ourselves to a cab --- arriving home about 7:30 pm Sunday 30 March 2014.
We feel great -- perfect timing -- unpack have a bite to eat and we're back on EST time.
Not so fast -- we both suffered from jet lag like never before. Of course the waking up several times during the night is expected but after ten days I wondered if I'd ever sleep through the night again. We both had colds -- Laryngitis knocked me out for three days at the end of the first week -- I couldn't speak a word. Phil's cold started getting better then he had a relapse. But that is all behind us now.
We are home just over three weeks --- feel good and so pleased that we took this trip to China.
Thanks for Reading!
Pat
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