What are those crazy Cohens up to now?

What are those crazy Cohens up to now?
Champagne on the Beach!

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Update through today, minus Singapore

HONG KONG TO SINGAPORE (December 5)

I'm sitting in Business Class on Singapore Airlines, listening to Christmas carols, in English. How far and wide our American influence is on the world. Ohhh, Indian Electronica?? I don't know what this is…interesting. Ahh, classical. I love violins.

There is a lot to write about, but I should start where we are. Eric and I are on a flight from HK to Singapore, aboard Singapore Airlines. It's a Business Class flight, which offers much more room, seats with electronic foot rests, and private tvs. We picked our meal online days ago…and my glass of Riesling just showed up! ßour attendant took our drink orders before taking off. Looking out the window I see ocean, clouds, and more ocean. We'll be flying over ocean for the next three hours. Or maybe it's a sea. I don't know what the difference is!

I am a tad bit disappointed with this configuration. We are on an older fitted plane, so we aren't able to enjoy the new upgrades to business, but on the next leg this afternoon we will get the upgrades, I hope. Riding in Business on Singapore was one of the highlights to our trip. But seriously, everything has been amazing so far, so this is nothing to really bitch about! (Eric just hit his funny bone!! Not so funny, eh?)  He's laughing as he reads this.

Oh yum…Riesling is PHENOMENAL! I thought it was going to be a more acidic and harsh from the description, but it's sweet. I love sweet…Oh look…a bag of nuts just showed up. Nothing beats the warm nuts we ate on United yesterday, though. You have to laugh when a guy offers you warm nuts!!

As I reread this, I think of Robyn, telling me that reading my writing is funny because it hops from topic to the next. I SEE IT , ROBYN! You were right! I am an ADD writer. Damn it. J

The cute airline lady is taking orders again. Hmmm, I wonder what treat will show up next? After this glass of wine I am having a  Singapore Airlines exclusive cocktail. Should be intoxicating. There are three cocktails I want to try. Eric said I am going to have to work out for four hours just to burn the calories. Yes, indeed.

CONRAD HILTON (December 4-5)

Last night, after our long trip from SFO to HK, we boarded a train from the airport to HK Station, where we caught a free hotel shuttle to the Conrad. We weren't sure if we wanted to keep our reservations since we were delayed (more on that later) on the flight from SFO to HK, but we decided to enjoy however much time we would have. Our thought was that we could take a shower, take a nap, and see the hotel before our return trip when we will stay a few days. Upon arrival, our bags were taken from us and brought to our room. We were put on the 56th floor, in an Executive Harbor View room. It was beautiful.  Walking in, there was a nice sized bathroom with a huge tub, and crazy travel amenities (which I LOVE!!). 2 full toothbrushes with toothpaste (toothbrush kits), a full pair of nail clippers, dental floss thingies, nail file and cuticle pusher, soaps, lotions, q-tips, and a clothing mending kit.

Walking into the room we immediately saw that our view was  of the harbor and the skyline at night. Amazing. Being so high up, overlooking the Harbor will forever be a photo in my mind. The view was out of tall windows (was it floor to ceiling---I'll have to look at the videos!), and when the curtains were open, was an expansive view of beauty. We took videos and photos, but we didn't get my favorite view…being in the most comfortable hotel bed ever, with the softest sheets, looking out in the dark , watching city lights bounce off the harbor water. Off in the distance a giant sign flashed a company's logo.  The bed was perfect, but we found out later, it was made especially for Hilton, so not sure if we can order one or not!

 In addition to a spectacular view, we were greeted with a teddy bear wearing a Conrad t-shirt (and another one came with the tea service)….oh wait, lunch is about to be served. Gotta go!

Ugh. That was a 12,000 calorie lunch! For "starters" (course 1) we had seared tuna with Chinese coleslaw topped with green fish eggs (ick) and soba noodles with some tasty  miso-soupy broth. Eric had wasabi and it burned the hair off his chest…so to speak. J Said it was the best wasabi EVAR!. ;) (course 2) This was followed with fresh garlic toast, a multi-grain bread bun with butter, a sirloin steak with brown wine sauce, the most delicious "pont neuf" potatoes (whatever that means), carrots and green beans (crunchy green beans on a plane—amazing!). (Course 3) And if that wasn't enough food, we got to choose between lemon sorbet with lemon sauce and tiramisu ice cream, both topped with a chocolate heart. (Course 4) And then if THAT wasn't MORE THAN ENOUGH food, we were then served a cheese plate (which we tried to only take one to share, but they insisted wee each take one), with crackers, drief fruit, grapes, nuts, a wedge of blue cheese, a wedge of swiss, and a wedge of brie. These were BIG wedges!!  AND THEN we had to pick a fruit! A full sized piece of fruit. Eric and I shared a piece of Chinese fruit that we have never heard of before. It was orange and pretty. The airline guy prepared it for us. It was decent. Kind of tasteless, but the texture was awesome. Very crunchy and watery with a thick skin. So that's all the food we had. I'm going to be stuffed for days, and in 7 hours we'll be on another flight, eating much of the same thing, again. Then it was time for dessert drinks..coffee, tea…but I wanted a cocktail, and it just arrived. Yummy. It's called a Singapore Sling. Gin, Cointreau, cherry brandy, bitters and grenadine, with lime and pineapple.

HOLY COW! The super cute airline guy just brought by a tray full of truffles! NO WAY!! GO  AWAY! NO MORE FOOD, at least for a few hours! Damn.

So, back to Conrad (ahhh, the warm towels just arrived!). We walked in the room and there was a cute little teddy bear on the bed…fluffy house slippers beside the bed, a fresh fruit tray, four pieces of chocolates in a beautiful bamboo circle tray,  and the extremely beautiful view and comfy bed. As Diamond members we received free wireless internet, which is always nice. We had 10 minutes before the executive lounge closed, so we went up to the 59th floor to check it out. That's where we would eat breakfast the next day. As we approached our room on the return, the nice bellhops were bringing in our luggage. Not long after that, we heard a knock on the door, at 11pm at night. "Your Welcome Tea Service is here." Seriously? Am I dreaming? A nice looking young man walked in, carrying a beautiful tea pot holding free leaf tea steeping in hot water, two glasses, and another little bear. I guess each guest gets one. How they figured out from the front desk to tell the tea guy that he needed to bring another bear is beyond me. This is how it goes, though. The service at the Conrad is beyond compare.

The tea was great. Eric drank his while in the big bathtub and I had mine while talking to him in the bath (which I jumped into after he got out, and cranked the hot water!). After midnight we decided to sleep, since we'd be getting up at 5:45am. We laid in bed, in the dark, in the comfy beyond belief bed, looking out over the city. What an amazing moment, to realize you've flown half way around the world, and are laying in bed, in a foreign place, far away from anyone  that you know. Having said that, the Conrad, where we were staying, was very much like a nice hotel in the states.

After a decent 5.5 hours of sleep, it was time to get up and get ready for a new adventure! (Eric just showed me the price to use the phone on the plane--$6 for the first minute, $.60 for each 6 seconds. Needless to say, we won't be calling anyone from 37K feet in the air!) We got up, took a shower, packed our bags, and headed to the Executive lounge for the complimentary buffet. Thankfully it was complimentary—I can't imagine how much it would have been!! Once we picked out our table, draped in cream colored linen table cloth with matching napkins, the nice gentleman in the lounge took our drink orders. We headed over to the buffet. If you are a "foody", as Eric calls it, then you would have been in heaven! They had multiple stations…a fresh fruit section with little cut up pieces of fruit (watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, dragon fruit, honeydew melon, blueberries, strawberries, fresh whipped cream)…a meat station, with cold cuts, smoked salmon and smoked trout…a cereal bar…a bread bar (with jams, cream cheese, and some other stuff I can't remember)…a hot bar (with miso salmon, bacon, ham, eggs, potato cakes, veggie dumplings, congee (porridge type stuff), and a bunch of other stuff that was more custom for the area. They also had fresh shakes and the most delightful swiss yogurt. The miso salmon is one of my favorite dishes ever now, and I'm trying to figure out how to get Eric to make for me every day for breakfast. Who needs bacon anymore, when there is so much fish to eat? As with everything in our stories, we went big—and ate a ton. But it was so good.

Breakfast was also awesome because we were harbor side and got to watch the sun come up, through the massive windows. I saw two big birds flying around, high in the sky, and wondered what they were. The server said they were eagles. Hmmm…I didn't know whether or not to believe him. Are there really eagles IN Hong Kong? Maybe, I guess…but I need to do research. I felt silly not knowing if he was just telling me what he thought I would buy or if he was telling the truth!! 

After breakfast we checked out and waited for the shuttle. Once on the shuttle, Eric started video recording the experience. These shuttle drivers are CRAZY!  The shuttles are little buses with no seat belts, but each seat has it's own on shit bar—for a reason. I was nauseated, as was Eric, after about 5 minutes in the vehicle.  Sooo glad to get off of there! The shuttle dropped us off at the train station, which  we would soon discover, allows you to check in at the airport, and you check in your bags there! (Again, not sure how the happens, but it must be magic!) Some nice man from Sweden filled us in on this little secret of checking in at the train station. Thanks!!

After we checked in, we went downstairs to the train, got on, and went to the airport. The trains are nice, clean, and comfortable.  I even felt safe, unlike how I feel in Denver on the train, or public transportation!

Hong Kong airport is huge! Seriously huge. There must be three malls in there, or so it seems.  Once we figured out how to read the departure board, we headed off to the Executive lounge, which we had access to because of our business class tickets. Wow, the lounge was unbelievable! SOOO BIG! Walking in there was a whole room full of computers to use, in little cubes. The next room had a small buffet (with a stocked bar, cooler full of different kinds of drinks, an espresso machine, a bar full of mini sandwiches, and hot tea. That was all very cool, as each lounge is a little different. I had not been to one with alcohol before…and I wished I would have had a drink! Maybe this afternoon in Singapore!).  There were many little sub areas with chairs and coffee tables, flat screen TVs, and free WIFI. Very nice! 

But the best was yet to come, for wow factor at least. I walked down another little hall to get another section of the lounge, and I walked into a restaurant. Well, not a real one, but another full buffet with restaurant style seating. MORE FOOD! WHAT!!!!!! I wasn't hungry, but there was such interesting food, that I had to try it. Let's see…pan fried rice stick. Yuck. Prawn balls. Decent, kind of a weird texture. Chicken congee with onions and grated ginger. Interesting. Looks like white rice soup, but tastes like chicken! ;) Hmmm…I think that's it.

The voices over the loud speaker just told us that it' about 90 degrees in Singapore. We are starting our descent. Eric jut said that drug offenses in Singapore are bad, so we have to stay away from that kind of fun.  ;) Just kidding. (Jumping rope is good, drugs are bad! Remember Penny, from Saturday morning cartoons, when we were little (you 30-somethings!)).

Looking out, all I see is ocean still, but we seem to be going down a little in altitude. …we're getting closer to the clouds and it's getting bumpy.

I still want to write about Business class in United, but that will have to wait until later. Time to get the computer put up and get ready to land in the next half hour. The pretty lady just came by and stole my fruffy cocktail. L

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