From Asia to Europe: 7 cities in 7 weeks

[N_Architect]

More Athens northern suburbs







I have a few more shots but I have not uploaded them to Photobucket, so the ‘Athens northern suburbs’ tour will have to end here, I’m afraid.

In a few hours, I was at the check-in desk of Qatar Airways (QR) at Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” ready for my long trip to Asia. I would fly Athens (ATH) to Doha, Qatar (DOH) in business class, then in Doha I had a 50 minute transit time before taking my Qatar Airways connecting flight to Shanghai, China (Pu Dong airport, PVG). Then in PVG I would transfer in the airport for my Asiana Airlines (OZ) flight from PVG to Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN) in Korea. Finally, at ICN I had approximately 15 minutes after arrival to pick up my luggage and go check-in for taking the Korean Air (KE) domestic flight to Pusan (PUS)…


Onboard the QR Airbus A321 to Doha, Qatar in business class.






Apologies for the poor quality of pictures, I feel kind of uncomfortable taking pictures in the cabin when other passengers are looking, so I rush and don’t take my time in making good shots.

Aircraft from Doha to Shanghai was an A330-200. Business class cabin was about 1/3 full. Service was good, but not up to Singapore Airlines (SQ) standards. As this flight departed a while after midnight from Qatar, it was a very good opportunity to take a good sleep, as far as that was practicable. Sleeping on a plane was never my favorite activity but I admit that flying business class gives you that necessary opportunity to stretch and relax, and that comes particularly useful if you have other flights to take as well (connections, etc.) All in all, I discovered that flying business is what makes the difference, and not whether it is on SQ or QR or whatever else. If the schedule fits you and the price is reasonable, then any flight on a good carrier is fine. In the same way that ‘First is First’, I’d equally say that ‘Business is Business, and always better than Economy', mainly if you fly long haul with additional connections.


Qatar Airways Airbus A330-200, business class cabin.








Legroom shot again here.

Next: Arriving in PVG; taking OZ to ICN.

[N_Architect]

Reaching Asia


Less than a minute from landing in China. Captain of the aircraft was of Latin American or Spanish origin, and the same was on my PVG-DOH couple of weeks ago.


Just landed.

QR check-in agent at Athens International Airport (who I think was also the Greece QR ground staff supervisor) told me I would not have to pick up bags at Shanghai’s Pu Dong airport, and had printed the self-adhesive luggage tags with DOH / PVG / ICN on them. In other words, my two pieces of checked-in luggage would go directly to Seoul. Hard to believe but great. Then he told me that as I did not have an entry visa for China I would only have to transfer within Pu Dong airport and get a boarding pass (BP) issued at a transfer desk there. Fine.


Shanghai’s (huge) Pu Dong airport, view of a departures area.

So I land in Shanghai. My Asiana Airlines flight was leaving in two hours. I knew I did not have to have an entry visa, a transit visa could be granted as I was only to stay less than 24h in China. I try to stay inside the terminal and go through ‘transfers’, as was originally told in Athens by QR staff, however this was not true. Upon disembarking the aircraft, I visit a ‘transfer’ desk, ask for information, two ladies tell me “no transfer, no transfer.” Ok, get it, have to go through immigration, just as I had originally thought. Go to the immigration queue, hand in my passport and OZ flight details, they tell me ‘please wait’. After 20 minutes waiting, an officer comes out asking for my Korean visa and I.D. Once I show these, the way opens. Free to go, I am able to exit through customs, in order to head to Shanghai’s Terminal 2 3rd floor, where the Asiana Airlines check-in counters are located.

Before exiting, I think of my checked-in luggage, which was ‘supposed’ to be going directly to ICN. Being sure that a mistake or mis-information can easily be made, and not trusting anyone, I go to the baggage claim before exiting through customs just to see if something had gone wrong and my luggage had come out at PVG instead of ICN. OZ is Star Alliance, QR is not, how can you leave things in luck? Less than 30 seconds go by, and I see my two checked-in items going round in the carousel… Thank you very much… Pick them up, go through customs, take the elevator for upstairs, check-in at OZ counters, off to immigration (no fast track line) and immigration (through fast track line).


Pu Dong airport, view of our departure gate.

Not in the mood for any duty frees, no need to go to the lounge, yes, Budapest changed me (at least I hope so). Walking to my departure gate as I am thinking that I don’t really need all that s***, it really means nothing if you don’t have a person to share your life with. I’d fly with her (or with any ‘her’, [and it's best if I refrain from always referring only to her – to be fair I need to move on and stop fairy-tailing myself unless I am given a real indication to do so] ) even in Economy class, and I’d be much more happy. I really don’t give a damn about all these things any more. Yes, they’re nice, they make your life easier, but they will never alleviate the pain you feel, or the loneliness, or make your life equally meaningful, period. I’d love to have my whoever ‘one’ and go with her to Paris for a good long few days, or to the Greek islands, or have her visiting me here in this remote and isolated place. This is what matters and can make a fundamental difference in one’s life. All the rest follow this.


The OZ bird that would take us to Seoul. Next to it, a lovely bird of ‘our’ SQ.

Boarding commences on time for flight OZ 366 to ICN. Flight time to Seoul is 90 minutes. Aircraft is an Airbus A330 and business class cabin load is 3 (three) passengers. Economy class is fairly empty as well. Crew is very polite and helpful, food is better than QR’s, coffee is great, the glasses are indeed not good as they are too small for drinking (I think somebody else mentioned this as well in this forum about a month ago but can’t remember who it was.) But who cares. I have to read seven chapters from Kotler’s marketing book (or should I say ‘marketing bible’), as I have a marketing quiz pending for Monday night, and it is already Sunday evening. Now I’m in Asia, in it’s heart, far away from Europe. No matter what I think or where my mind wants to be, I’m here. And I don’t think my mind should be back there, for a number of reasons. At least yet.


Asiana Airlines Airbus A330 business class cabin.







Next: The end of my journey; a summary with interesting miscellaneous pictures.

[N_Architect]

The end of a long journey

I arrived in ICN approximately 15 minutes before my KE (Korean Air) flight was originally scheduled to depart for PUS (Pusan, Korea). Managed to get out of the plane as quick as I could, immigration was fortunately a breeze, picked up the two checked-in luggage items from the baggage claim area, went through customs (although the ‘officer’ tried to stop me and asked me a couple of questions while looking at my four pieces of luggage), went upstairs for the KE check-in desks, reached the counter, ground staff says “hurry, hurry”, paid the 25,000 Korean Won for the upgrade to business class (it’s only a short flight but had originally paid a very high price for the ticket, so with the weight [books] I was carrying I thought I should better upgrade as the last thing I want after three flights and two days flying is people who moan about excess kg), rushed through security, boarded the plane.

Reached PUS after 9pm, took the car and yes, after 2 days traveling and 4 flights, drove 2 hrs to ‘home’. Unpacked, checked email, etc. and went to bed late. In some ways it is good to be back, in others it is not. It was a long journey, but I saw, felt, experienced many more things that I could have possibly imagined. Change is upon and within me, this is clear, and this means I have a great opportunity in hand.

I hope you have enjoyed the writing and the pictures, and I am looking forward to my next long haul trip in order to have more stories (and pictures.) Many thanks for reading and for visiting this thread.

N_Architect

Here are some pictures from the whole journey, pictures I have not posted so far, as they were taken with my Canon 40D, and I only downloaded them a couple of days ago.


Leaving Korea, at the start of my journey. The temperature is minus 1.8 degrees C (and 44% humidity) outside, and around 20 degrees (20% humidity) inside.


The traffic control girl assists passengers to cross the street outside the terminal; Seoul, Gimpo airport, domestic terminal.


Taking the KAL bus from Gimpo airport to Incheon International Airport. The ride is 40 minutes long and the cost is KRW6,500 (about 4 euro).


Wide angle view of the cabin, KAL bus.


Snowy Seoul, and we approach Incheon.


A shot in the new Incheon International Airport Terminal.


As per description in previous picture.


The classic shot in the inter terminal train; Incheon International Airport, Seoul.


SQ609, mid-January 2009, ready to take us to Singapore. Aircraft: 9V-SVE.


Jumeirah Emirates Towers hotel, Dubai; standard room.





Next: The finale, by simply more pictures.

[N_Architect]

The finale, with some more pictures


Jumeirah Emirates Towers hotel, Dubai; standard room.


















The late night view from my room at Jumeirah Emirates Towers hotel, Dubai.





Next: The finale continues, more pictures.

[N_Architect]

Again the view from my room at Jumeirah Emirates Towers hotel, Dubai (22nd floor.)










Hotel lobby.











Next: The finale continues, even more pictures.

[N_Architect]

Final shots


Flying SQ in a period of low loads – Boeing 777-300 business class cabin, en route to Singapore from Dubai, two days before Lunar New Year. Nice kebaya girl figure.




Shanghai, downtown, from my room at the JW Marriott (54th floor).




As above though this time night shots.






A minute after midnight, Shanghai welcomes the Lunar New Year of the Ox; 26th Feb 2009.



That was it, once again, thanks for reading this far.

N_Architect

[Kyo]

I loved this TR! Hopefully you can try to get in a couple of exotic S. Korean destinations before you leave the country.

[Ex-SIN]

Bravo on the excellent trip report. Thanks!

[StarG]

Excellent pictures as usual, N_Architect.
Thanks for sharing the TR with us.

[kapitan]

I loved this TR! Hopefully you can try to get in a couple of exotic S. Korean destinations before you leave the country.

He lives in Korea.....

[kapitan]

I love going to Greece, had an opportunity to spend a Greek Easter with a family a few years back.... it was a wonderful experience..... all the wine and of course the roasting of the goat.....

[Kyo]

He lives in Korea.....

Yes, but it sounds like he's leaving Korea in the very near future... maybe for good. What better time to go everywhere then before you pop the parachute?

[N_Architect]

Yes, I live here in South Korea (I think Kyo knows it) and I may get to visit a nice couple of places before I leave. Original plan is to leave this summer. Destination yet unknown. We'll see. To be honest, most (or all I should say) of my available/free holiday time I use it to go to Europe (if it is more than a week or 10 days) or usually Hong Kong & Japan (if it's, say, only a weekend). Have been to Europe for a week or more few times so far, never done a Europe weekend trip (but anything is possible with me).

Greece during Easter is simply fantastic, before coming here in Asia I used to go to a particular island every year, an island that is full of churches and the religious element is quite strong there. It is the island where St. John the Apostole supposedly wrote the Apocalypse. This island is called Patmos and has incredible energy. I do have pictures from previous Easters there and although I will miss Easter once again this April, there may be a chance I'll visit the island in June for a week... I was hoping to visit Santorini (not alone) this summer but now I can see more clearly that reality is perhaps different. That's fine, what will come will come, and till then one should take and count on what is sincerely given at any moment from anyone and not more. This is what my recent trip to Budapest taught me.

I forgot to write about the gypsies in my TR (or tsigannis, as they call them in Hungary, and we also call them the same in Greece) so I should write something about that too soon.

Thanks guys for your good words, I appreciate it.

[KeithMEL]

Brilliant effort mate, with the usual fantastic photography.

And v proud to be mentioned in this esteemed TR!

[hsf]

Wow, fantastic report.
Thank you so much.