Hester's Head

Ok, I didn't really turn around and go back to the ship that last afternoon in Hong Kong. I jumped the train and went to China. Shenzhen, China, to be precise. It wasn't the MTR - it was a real, above-ground train. It took me through Kowloon, the New Territories and then to China. $6 and 45 minutes is all it took.

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The train ride was uneventful; the rest of it was not. After getting off the train you have to go into the country. There are no choices - you can't turn around. There are "No U-Turn" signs hanging from the ceiling. They are meant for me and other pedestrian traffic, not for vehicle traffic. To get into the country you need to get in line and show your passport, etc, of course. There are locals, Chinese, foreigners, visitors, and they each have their own lanes. I couldn't decide which one specifically applied to me so I went to the far right (I don't remember what it was, but line 50 something seemed right.) Let me tell you, though I suspect it is quite obvious, that in the thousand or so people going from Hong Kong to China that this kid stuck out.
"YOU!"
"Me?"
"OVER THERE!"
He points to the far FAR left - aisle 9 - "Foreigners."
Ok. I get in line and it moves fast. I'm asked for my passport and then my ID. He asks me what I'm doing in China. I'm just here to visit and kill a couple hours. Do I have a leave pass? No, I'm just here to visit and kill a couple hours. I have to follow him.
I end up in an office, seated in the corner and get asked a couple questions. There are four of us in the office - two Chinese ladies and a third lady that... I don't know... looks kind of Eastern European but with darker skin. She has a very long coat on, but it has a very deep neckline and a furry collar. She kept nervously looking at the clock.
The...

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I'm home. It's over. I got to fly home from Tokyo. I fly out the day we arrived so I didn't get to see any of Japan, 'cept for what I could view on the way to the airport. I didn't see very much though. I got a ride to the main gate and then a ride to the bus station. The guy who was to give me a ride to immigration to get my passport stamped was getting a cheeseburger at the greasiest smelling place ever. He drove me from Yokosuka to Yokohama to go through immigration. They checked their in-baskets, a pile of ships coming and going. There was no "Ottawa" in the "O" basket and no "HMCS Ottawa" in the "H" basket. Figures. But they got it figured out, I filled out the forms, got the stamp in my passport as well as something stapled in it. Then we were off to the bus station. I didn't ask my driver his name, but he liked talking to me. We talked about Canada and the US and he compared it to Japan and Korea. He said when he goes to Korea it feels like he is at home it is so similar to Japan. It's hard to tell Canadians from Americans just by appearance, Japanese and Koreans are the same way. His English was very good, he told me that when he was learning to play guitar in high school he would sing American songs. He had no idea what he was singing, but it helped him to learn to speak the language.
He was doing a very good job of looking after me, I didn't have to do a thing - he got my bus ticket, even paid for it and loaded me on the bus. I had looked at a map - the airport in Narita was on the other side of Tokyo, so I figured the bus would either have to go through Tokyo or around. I'm not sure how it happened, but the bus scampered up the east side and stayed out of the city. It was only a 90 minute ride and I expected it to closer to 3 hours. I saw more farmland than I did of the city.
The line-up for the flight was incredibly long. Then I realized I was flying business class. There was nobody in that...

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We arrived in Hong Kong in time for Chinese New Year's. This is my third time in Hong Kong and we have usually secured to a bouy smack dab in the middle of the harbour. Not this time - this time we were a mile or so outside the harbour. It might have been for our own safety as the New Year's fireworks were to be set off from a barge in the middle of the harbour. It also meant a 30 minute water taxi ride rather than a quick 5 minute ride. I didn't have a lot of plans for Hong Kong, but I ended up doing a few things and seeing a few things. Almost too many things.
Most Canadian ships arrange a visit to the Sai Wan War Cemetary with the Consulate. I had never visited it so I volunteered to go this time. I had also studied the fight for Hong Kong during World War II for my ILQ. There was a very small Allied contingent in Hong Kong as it was undecided whether to put enough forces there to defend it or to just provide a deterent. The Canadians, Indians, and Hong Kong Police lasted far longer than they were supposed to but they were still overrun. Many died during the fighting and many more died as prisoners of war in Japan.

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As you can imagine space is at a premium in Hong Kong. The Sai Wan Cemetary is set out very nicely along a hillside. Most other cemetaries are rows of vaults set on terraced hillsides. We conducted a very simple service with the Consul and his wife laying a wreath and our Commanding Officer and Coxn laying a wreath as well. The weather seemed perfect for the ceremony and I left feeling that this was the best thing I had done on the trip.

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Our trip home continues. There are a few port visits on the way home 'to achieve some DFAIT objectives' but also for some rest and relaxation. Did I mention our fuel stop in the Maldives? I was duty there so I didn't get ashore to do anything. It looks like a beautiful place with beautiful resorts that I want to go back and visit. The place is all islands - the airport is it's own island. There are Airplane taxis to take you from island to island.



Our latest stop was in Port Klang on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula.

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HMCS Ottawa left the CENTCOM AOR a couple of days ago and we just left the Maldives this morning. There should be some foreign ports ahead and therefore something new to blog about.

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