"Fly Another Day" - CPHHKGBKKARN09

Collection Listing
Click on the "View Now" or "Open Now" links to view or open the file, or on the ""Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?" link to jump to the file's page.

Return to Lobby

Name	Statistics	Comments

gcmapCPHFRAHKGBKK09.gif View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 481 x 241 Size: 7.4 kB Date: 07/23/2009	So, here we are again at the start of another trip! As this map (from the ever excellent Great Circle Mapper Website) we're going to the Far East! Over the years, you've seen Willard and Ken take many trips as mileage or status runs, but on this trip, we're spending miles - taking up the benefit of the various offers we've had in the past, and taking advantage of the old bmi "Cash and Miles" awards in First Class before the prices increase. As you can see, we're travelling to Hong Kong, via Copenhagen and Frankfurt, and then returning, with a loooong stopover in Thailand, via Frankfurt and Stockholm. All with as much First Class as possible - a very Willard trip!
IMG_0124.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 57.0 kB Date: 07/25/2009	....and yet again, just to make it a bit more interesting (and so we can try to keep our budget for the finer thigs in life) we're travelling using BBC Top Gear Challenge Rules, so it will be public transport for connections and transfers. Here is Willard in uncharicteristic mode, waiting for a bus to join Pat for a train ride to Manchester Airport.
DSCN5298.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 47.9 kB Date: 07/25/2009	If Willard looks a little disgruntled here, it's because he's been true to the rules, and taken a bus and an underground train to get to Lime Street station, only to then watch Pat roll up in a car! Oh, well, here we are on the train waiting for our journey to the Airport....
IMG_0125.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 54.9 kB Date: 07/25/2009	After a rather non-premium check-in and security process, here's Willard getting ready to run "the Gauntlet", which is our name for the tight slalom of duty free goods that Manchester Airport has thoughtfully built to slow down and impede the progress of travellers trying to get to their flights.....
IMG_0126.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 44.4 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Willard does seem to have found some distant cousins (what a strange idea, being named after a railway station). After excitedly explaining his travel plans, they do now seem to look a little jealous!
DSCN5300.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 32.0 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Ahhh, Willard's old friends welcome him to the Wilmslow lounge (the Globeground lounge for those fossils like Ken who've been travelling through Manchester Airport for 15 years). The staff always show a special interest in Willard's travels, and make sure he gets the VIB treatment he deserves!
DSCN5299.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 40.6 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Time for a sit down and a rest - Willard would do some planespotting - but there do not appear to be any planes at the moment.....
IMG_0127.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 35.9 kB Date: 07/25/2009	...in which case - time for some drinks from the bar, to ease the wait for our SAS flight.
DSCN5301.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 42.1 kB Date: 07/25/2009	And after a rather hectic boarding process (why don't people look where they are swinging their bags? Poor little Willard is only small, and has to keep ducking to avoid them in his customary perch on top of Ken's wheelie) Willard settles down into the seat that SAS have thoughfully reserved for him. In fact, once they recognise him, he's even brought a pillow!
DSCN5303.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 397 x 640 Size: 35.5 kB Date: 07/25/2009	.....And a new friend! The crew obviously thought Willard looked a little lonely, and so they brought him a SAS-branded travelling companion!
DSCN5304.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 48.7 kB Date: 07/25/2009	.....And Champagne for two, obviously!
DSCN5305.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 12.8 kB Date: 07/25/2009	All too soon, we see the sunset from 35,000 feet as we start our descent into Copenhagen - A short flight, to be sure, but the crew did their level best to please Willard, and helped make up for the rather less than VIB ground experience.
DSCN5311.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 41.7 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Willard's still sticking to the rules, so here we are on the train to go to our layover hotel just outside Copenhagen Airport - the directions say we should be able to see it as soon as we leave the station.....
DSCN5308.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 495 Size: 31.1 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Hmmmm, well, thinks Willard, we're here finally! From a bears eye view, this "public transport rules" thing isn't looking so good about now - whatever happened to chauffeur driven pickups and hotel shuttles? The Zleep Hotel Kastrup Airport, Willard thinks "you're welcome to it!"
DSCN5307.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 29.9 kB Date: 07/25/2009	...at least the room was relatively nice - small but perfectly formed, and quite alright, in this bears opinion, for a one-night airport stopover - if only it was actually reachable from the Airport!
DSCN5309.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 600 Size: 61.2 kB Date: 07/25/2009	On our way out from our "Airport" hotel, Willard thought you might want to see the easy access to the hotel for guests with luggage. We didn't realise such a budget hotel would have such extensive workout facilities...
DSCN5321.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 32.1 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Willard checks in at the SAS lounge, where the staff break the news to him that the upper level, the exclusive Scandanavian lounge, is closed this week for cleaning, so he will have to settle for the Business Class lounge - oh well.....
DSCN5314.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 634 Size: 49.7 kB Date: 07/25/2009	....there's still plenty of smoked salmon for breakfast!
DSCN5313.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 31.8 kB Date: 07/25/2009	SAS have just added a quiet room for sleepy bears to rest between flights.
DSCN5320.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 26.7 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Since we have so long in the Airport, Willard decides to take his Priority Pass card (ahem - my Priority Pass card I think you'll find!) for a bit of lounge hopping. We find ourselves at the Novia lounge, just to see how the other (mostly non-Star-Alliance) half lives.
DSCN5316.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 621 Size: 47.1 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Hmmm, overall, not a bad lounge - nice selection of drinks and snacks....
DSCN5315.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 36.7 kB Date: 07/25/2009	.....lots of comfy chairs to relax on....
DSCN5317.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 53.1 kB Date: 07/25/2009	...and a great view of the Shopping Mall, sorry, I meant Airport, below....
DSCN5319.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 46.7 kB Date: 07/25/2009	.....Oh, and which Airline has it's hub here, Willard wonders......
DSCN5323.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 603 Size: 61.7 kB Date: 07/25/2009	As we reach the gate for our flight to Frankfurt, the inner planespotter in Willard is very pleased to see that we are flying the Airbus D-AIRX today! This A-321 was specially painted in the original Lufthansa livery to celebrate 50 years of the post-war incarnation of Deutsche Lufthansa in 2005. Willard is proud to be flying on this little bit of airline history today.
DSCN5324.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 38.7 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Normally, this middle seat in Business Class is converted to a table for passengers drinks, but the staff immediately recognise Willard's VIB status and re-convert it into a seat for his comfort. But wait, what's this? Willard seems to have acquired another travelling companion! The crew have found Willard yet another friend! At this rate, we'll be checking in at the group travel counter soon....
DSCN5329.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 29.7 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Willard checks in at the Sheraton Frankfurt Offenbach for another short layover before his Lufthansa First Class Terminal experience tommorow.
DSCN5326.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 27.1 kB Date: 07/25/2009	It's nice to be back in a Starwood Hotel! Not only was the arrival at the hotel somewhat more comfortable than last nights budget experience (no stairs! no long wait at the reception counter for the night staff to finish their cigarettes!) but Willard can't deny that the bed is somewhat larger and more comfy! Why with the friendly welcome and gifts, you might almost think Willard still had a Starwood Platinum card!
DSCN5330.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 61.9 kB Date: 07/25/2009	After a great nights sleep, Willard waits in reception the next morning for todays luxury......
DSCN5332.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 489 Size: 37.0 kB Date: 07/25/2009	....a taxi to the airport! (OK, we admit it, we engaged rule C! but really, you've got to arrive at the FCT in style haven't you?)
DSCN5333.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 38.6 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Willard is whisked through the private security and check-in of the FCT and settles down in a private corner whilst our PA sorts out our boarding passes.
DSCN5335.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 21.7 kB Date: 07/25/2009	The sleeper rooms are currently available, and if Willard hadn't had such a sound sleep at the Sheraton last night he could happily curl up for a few hours here!
DSCN5336.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 30.0 kB Date: 07/25/2009	...but since we skipped breakfast this morning, it's time to take up Lufthansa on their kind offer of lunch, in the FCT restaurant.
DSCN5339.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 29.7 kB Date: 07/25/2009	....and after a nice lunch, what more could a bear ask for than to relax in an easy chair with a nice XO cognac!
DSCN5340.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 36.2 kB Date: 07/25/2009	...from his perch in the far corner, Willard can survey the whole of the lounge area.
DSCN5341.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 32.3 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Willard thinks the Cigar lounge makes a nice quiet spot, even if you don't actually want to smoke, as it seems to have very few other occupants whilst he's there, and, of course, a nice selection of Malts and Cognacs!
DSCN5338.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 38.8 kB Date: 07/25/2009	....but not, Willard thinks, quite as extensive as the main bar! Time for a bit of whisky tasting, now, where did Willard leave off last time?
DSCN5342.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 52.6 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Sadly the 21 year old Glefiddich Cuban Rum matured special edition seems to have dissapeared from the bar (perhaps Willard should stop publicising his recomendations?) so Willard will have to start again! Quel horreur!
DSCN5344.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 469 Size: 36.7 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Willard manages to keep the measures reasonably-sized, and thus remains upright (unlike last time!) and his results are as follows.... Most dissapointing: Mcallan 18 Year old Fine Oak edition (not a patch on the previous Mcallan 18 YO). Biggest surprise: Milford 10YO *New Zealand* Whisky (For a colonial brew, this really is very impressive, with depth and complexity that belies it's age!). Strangest Brew: Reetbauer 7 YO Austrian, erm, Whisky, definitely brewed to appeal to drinkers of Aquavit and bitters (shudder). Best Overall: Glenfiddich 18 YO (but, bear in mind that Willard likes Lowland and Speyside Malts, if your taste is for peatier blends, you may disagree!).
DSCN5347.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 23.0 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Oooooh! Bath-time for Willard (in Germaaaaany!) The FCT provides a few well appointed shower rooms and one very luxurious bathroom - but, isn't there something missing? Willard has heard much of the famous Lufthansa rubber duckies? Have they been downsized from the FCT bathtime service?
DSCN5348.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 32.6 kB Date: 07/25/2009	....just time for a light dinner for us all before it's time to board our flight (however long you schedlue to spend in the FCT, it never seems like enough time, Willard has decided!)
DSCN5351.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 527 x 640 Size: 33.4 kB Date: 07/25/2009	As there were two other passengers in the FCT for our flight, we all shared a Mercedes minivan for our private transfer to the plane.
DSCN5352.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 40.9 kB Date: 07/25/2009	....but this time, as we arrive, we are taken up in a lift from the apron, and arrive in true VIB style to our 747 flight!
DSCN5353.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 27.4 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Willard had selected the, universally agreed, best seats on this 747-400 upper deck First Class cabin, 83 A,C, with the additional leg/paw room afforded by the emergency exit, and the jumpseat that folds up out of our way once we have taken off. And very glad he is too, as this flight that was showing only 5 seats taken last night is now completely full in First Class!
DSCN5354.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 38.3 kB Date: 07/25/2009	....but Willard only really knows he's sat down in First Class once he's got a glass of champagne in front of him!
DSCN5355.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 40.7 kB Date: 07/25/2009	But as always here on WillardBear.COM, it's safety first, and so Willard must be securely strapped in for take off!
DSCN5357.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 27.7 kB Date: 07/25/2009	....and once he's safely in the air, Willard can sit back and take a leisurely read of the menu for todays flight, containing special dishes from Star Chef Thomas M. Walkenstiener (who, Willard must confess, he's never heard of) of the Sclhoss Fuschl.
DSCN5360.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 29.9 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Having considered his options carefully, Willard has selected his choices (having been one of the first passengers, and definitely the first bear to be asked for his selection, as befits his VIB status) and allows the table to be set for dinner.
DSCN5361.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 26.5 kB Date: 07/25/2009	But of course, as a seasoned frequent flyer, Willard knows that it's best to change into your First Class sleeper suit before you eat (you'd think dry cleaning would be cheaper for teddy-bear sized tuxedos, but for some reason, it just doesn't work that way!) Whilst Lufthansa does now stock sleeper suits in First Class (yay!), but they don't yet stock them in Willard's size, however, it is nice to know that 83A,C comes supplied with a handy bear-sized clothes hook!
DSCN5362.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 29.2 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Caviar downedin true Willard style (sadly, no seconds on this *full* flight), Willard has selected the pork balls with rice for his main course, getting his tiny ursine digestive system ready for the next two weeks of chineese and thai food, no doubt!
DSCN5363.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 37.1 kB Date: 07/25/2009	So, after a full meal, it's bedtime for Willard on this long flight to Hong Kong.
DSCN5364.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 512 x 640 Size: 30.3 kB Date: 07/25/2009	....nite nite!
DSCN5365.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 36.3 kB Date: 07/25/2009	After a refreshing five hours sleep, Willard changes back into his day clothes and gets ready for landing. Why oh why do these flights never seem to last long enough?
DSCN5366.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 32.7 kB Date: 07/25/2009	After a quick zip from the Airport on the Airport Express, Willard is waiting for the (relatively) newly introduced free shuttle busses provided by the Airport Express management. These provide a connection to the local hotels and thus are intended to "bridge the gap" in the weary travellers transfer process.
DSCN5370.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 42.1 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Willard was a little worried when the first thing we saw on arriving at Hong Kong airport was a "Level 8 Typhoon Warning", and, now that we're on the bus, the weather outside does look a little inclement!
DSCN5374.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 34.7 kB Date: 07/25/2009	After the less than First Class exit from the shuttle bus (left by the side of the road in the pouring rain!), the staff at the Sheraton Hong Kong rescue us and guide us to the tranquillity of the Towers Check-In on the 16th Floor, where Willard is checked into the Towers in comfort.
DSCN5373.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 42.4 kB Date: 07/25/2009	And after a quick Bear-nap, Willard is back to his favourite seat in the Towers Lounge, complete with great view across the Harbour, and glass of sparkling wine.
DSCN5417.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 36.6 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Not much time for rest and recuperation for Willard, just time for a little lie down before we tackle the night market and our chosen dinner destination.
DSCN5379.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 43.4 kB Date: 07/25/2009	...but just enough time for Willard to express his thanks to the hotel that even though this is nominally a "city view" room, it's rear corner location means that the room still has a very acceptable harbour view, in this bear's opinion!
DSCN5375.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 44.2 kB Date: 07/25/2009	After a few hours trudging through the Temple St Night Market (and marvelling that, after all this time, we can still find our way from the MRT station to the Night Market), Willard settles down in one of Kowloon's little institutions, the Spring Deer restaurant, one of the few real Beijingese restaurants in Hong Kong. Willard arrives just as the table behind us is doing the "Beijing Duck Ceremony", but we've vowed to eschew the tempations of a whole duck carved at our table (Willard's done that before in his younger days), and try some of the other delicacies this time....
DSCN5377.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 43.2 kB Date: 07/25/2009	...Ahd here is our small order: Hot & Sour Soup, Deep Fried Chicken with Walnuts, Crispy Shredded Beef wth Sesame Pockets, and an order of their homemade noodles with vegetables and Prawn (to be delivered!). I would note that this is the only time so far we've been to Spring Deer and not been laughingly told "You order too much!!!" by the host, but, nethertheless, we still seemed to have far too much, even with Willard's healthy appetite!
DSCN5381.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 50.7 kB Date: 07/25/2009	After rolling back from the Spring Deer, and collapsing into bed, we're up next morning bright and (relatively) early for our Towers Breakfast in the Zen Restaurant on the 18th Floor (with yet more harbour views!)
DSCN5382.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 42.9 kB Date: 07/25/2009	After a quick zap over to the Central side using our trusty 3-day MRT pass, Willard boards the 6X bus (semi express) to Stanley, and we're on the top deck and making our way out of the City!
DSCN5390.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 54.4 kB Date: 07/25/2009	So, a slightly abbreviated run to Stanley (via the Aberdeen tunnel), but Willard remembers his last, fur-raising trip on the Stanley Bus!
DSCN5400.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 33.5 kB Date: 07/25/2009	And a beautiful day looking out onto Stanley bay, especially here on this new promenade that seems to have appeared since Willard's last visit!
DSCN5401.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 43.4 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Since our favourite restaurant in Stanley appears to have moved/dissapeared (Saigon Vietnamese restaurant appears to have moved from it's location on Stanley high street), we've settled for a snack here at the Bayside Brassiere, which has an eclectic "we serve any cuisine" menu, and a nce location on the front.
DSCN5433.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 33.2 kB Date: 07/25/2009	And so, after another fun bus ride, Willard returns to the Sheraton and wizzes up the side of the building in the express "scenic" lift back to the comfort of the Towers...
DSCN5419.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 40.0 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Who are, co-incidentally, serving drinks and hors-d'ourves in the lounge at the moment. Willard grabs his customary glass of fizz and gets to it on his new bear-sized netbook using the complimentary WiFi in the lounge, this bear always has one eye on pleasing his readers!
DSCN5426.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 38.4 kB Date: 07/25/2009	"Look at me, Ma! I'm on top of the World!". OK, so Willard is no Jimmy Cagney, but here we are on the very top of the Peak Tower, enjoying the nighttime view from the Sky Terrace (with Pat acting as his safety anchor, naturally). The view of the whole of Central Hong Kong and Kowloon arrayed below us is breathtaking.
DSCN5428.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 40.5 kB Date: 07/25/2009	...almost as breathtaking as the prices in the Kyo Hatchi Japanese restaurant. A good idea to eat at the Peak, but, sadly, a very bad choice of restaurant, hence the happy smle (not!). It's not the prices we object to, you understand, nor the food, which was very good when it arrived, but the service was pretty hopeless, takng over two hours to serve a simple two course meal. However, Willard does these things so you know not to - we will not be returning to this restaurant!
DSCN5429.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 50.7 kB Date: 07/25/2009	....and a packed ride back down to Central on the Peak Tram, followed by a slightly worried wait for the last bus back to civilisation, as it was now getting on for 11PM, and the area around the Peak Tram station doesn't look quite so inviting that late at night!
DSCN5431.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 27.7 kB Date: 07/25/2009	...but the bus comes and our magic tourist/octopus cards (suitably loaded with some cash) get us on it without problems, and a quick train from Central MRT later, we find ourselves back at the Sheraton, in the Sky Bar, just in time for a nightcap!
DSCN5435.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 36.0 kB Date: 07/25/2009	After a mornings shopping (with Willard sad at seeing so many empty shops in the Star City complex, once a hive of commerce) and a quick pack, we decide to eschew standing on the road with our luggage wating for the shuttle bus (no, we don't know why it doesn't actually stop at the entrance to the Sheraton either!) and took a txi instead, so here is Willard ready to go back to the Airport at Kowloon Airport Express station.
DSCN5438.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 37.4 kB Date: 07/25/2009	After a "too eventful" (you can read the trip report on Flyertalk for details!) trip through the airport, Willard arrives at the Thai Airways Lounge......
DSCN5437.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 459 Size: 45.0 kB Date: 07/25/2009	....and immediately knows he's a VIB! On seeing our First Class boarding passes, no less than three staff are girded into action, putting barriers in place, and, as you can see, even installing a bouncer to protect us from the hoi-polloi in the business section of the lounge, rather than the rarefied enclave of the First Class section, which we had completely to ourselves!
DSCN5440.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 508 Size: 38.9 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Willard demonstrates the (slightly limited) bar facilities available, but, in truth, this was as close as he was allowed to get, since as soon as we even looked in the drection of the bar, a member of staff came over to ask what we would like served to us.
DSCN5439.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 33.9 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Willard even started to enjoy the private massage chair, but unfortunately, before he knew it, they were calling our lfight!
DSCN5441.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 35.4 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Since there are only 4 passengers in this 10 seat F cabin tonight, Willard can experiment with moving around a bit to see which seat he likes best...
DSCN5442.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 35.4 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Always nice to have a seat to yourself, but this is a little isolated.....
DSCN5443.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 21.5 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Willard likes his customary perch on the Ottoman in 1A, but there does appear to be a safety issue, as Thai Airways do not appear to have gone for the seatbelt option for the ottoman (unlike Malaysian Airways, who seem to use the same seat in F)
DSCN5444.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 35.9 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Not the most dignified seat for Willard, to be sure, but probably the safest for Take-Off!
DSCN5445.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 422 Size: 25.7 kB Date: 07/25/2009	And before you know it, we're in the air, and set up for dinner for two, mixed hors d'oervres, and a glass of bolly (absolutely fabulous!) each!
DSCN5446.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 42.1 kB Date: 07/25/2009	It seems we are turning into www.airlinemeals.net (and we're upated about as often!) at least for this flight, but this starter of balik style salmon was very very nice!
DSCN5447.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 40.5 kB Date: 07/25/2009	Deep-fried Pork with Zhenjiang style sauce and a nice glass of St. Emillion Grand Cru, and Grilled Sea Bass with a glass of Santernay Premier Cru for Pat - not a bad meal for a 2.5 hour flight!
DSCN5448.jpg View Now "Fly Another Day" - Ahh, so good to see you again Mr. Bear, would you like your usual suite?	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 40.0 kB Date: 07/25/2009	And as we exit the plane, Willard really knows he's a VIB! We are met by someone from Thai Airways as we exit the flight, put on a buggy as we pass various incredulous passengers taking the more pedestrian route to arrivals, led through the diplomatic passport channel (a first for even Willard!) and handed over to another member of Thai staff who retrieves our baggage from the carousel for us, and then wheels it out and right to the front of the taxi queue for us. If this isn't the best arrivals service ever, we don't know what is! the only problem is we're having problems fitting Willard's enlarged ego into the taxi! .......to be continued......