How long is the flight?

This is a question that I am often asked as I prepare to leave the States and return to China. It is a long and tiring but fun trip. To save a bit of confusion, I will tell everything in United States EST time. Here goes:

August 2
8 am - wake up and spend a last day at home, saying goodbye to family and friends and my beloved cat. The last day at home is always sad, no matter how much I am looking forward to the upcoming trip.















7 pm - leave Wildwood for the Atlanta airport
 


















9 pm - Visit with Grandma in Atlanta.

12 midnight - board the plane - 12:30 - take off.

Eat "supper" at 1:30 am (now August 3) and sleep as long as I can, until about 6:30 am. From there, I am awake the rest of the time, since I have a very difficult time sleeping on a plane or in public places. I alternate between reading Harry Potter and watching movies on the plane.

We arrive at the Incheon International Airport at around 3:30 pm. Since it is actually the wee hours of the morning in Korea, nothing is open at this time in the airport. However, let me take a side trip here just to tell you how much I like the Incheon airport.
 


















These handy little carts make all the difference. You can easily push around your carry-on luggage. You would have to pay for something like this at the Atlanta airport.


















There's lots of flowers and live plants everywhere. Beautiful orchids.

 
The smoker's room has a wall of live plants to help filter the air. There are several playgrounds for children and internet cubbies for adults. My favorite, though, is the Korean Culture Center (there are actually several located around the airport). When these are open, you can have your photo taken in a traditional Korean costume and do arts and crafts Korean-style. Best of all, I really love the parade of performers who are dressed in Korean traditional clothing and reenact a wedding processional. They were sadly but understandably not parading at 3:30 am, Korean time.



My next flight left Incheon at 7:30 pm and arrived in Hong Kong at 10:50 pm. After buying a ferry ticket and exchanging some currency, I had nothing to do but wait - sipping hot coffee and reading Harry Potter to stay awake until I could catch my 3 am ferry.

August 4
3 am - caught the ferry and took an hour-long ride from Hong Kong to Macau. This is the Hong Kong-side ferry dock. I couldn't see much out of the ferry windows, and again, resorted to Harry Potter to stay awake.

4 - 5:30 am - arrived at the Macau Outer Ferry Terminal and waited for my turn to go through customs. I finally got through the line, and...my contact person (Carol) is nowhere to be seen. I look at every person holding a sign - make eye contact - smile - no recognition. I try to use the payphone to call Carol, and fortunately, cannot get the phone to accept my coins, because Carol hesitantly appears behind me. I think she was running a little late.

5:30 am - 9 am - drop off luggage at the apartment and (from experience) do not let Carol out of my sight until she has helped me get a cell phone, shown me where the nearest supermarket is, and helped me secure a bowl of noodles for dinner. 9 am - collapse from exhaustion and fall soundly asleep. It is now 9 pm August 4, Macao-time, and I don't know which way is up. That's how long the flight is. :)