Day 2: It's Hong Kong, baby

When our captain announced that we are approaching Italy, I opened my eyes and remained speechless. I saw splendid mountains, black and their peaks covered with snow. All around mountains it was covered with snow as well. It was thick and clean and you could see no horizon, I thought we flied so low. Mountains were just huge, and the plane was almost touching them. It was only when we went down I realized that it was not snow, it was clouds.
And it was Alps.

The first thing I have noticed in Italy was the smell. I can't explain but it just smelled like back in Altay. Strange indeed :)
We arrived to Milan early in the morning but the sun was already so strong that I immediately realized for the first time that it's going to be eternal summer from now on.

An Italian guy at the customers put a stamp when I left Europe. Dramatism of the moment was highly appreciated.

While waiting in the line to go to the plane I was worrying to be the only white person on board. But worries, unfortunately, were groundless as my "old friends", two drunk guys from Helsinki not only took the same plane but also had their sits next to me. Every single minute of almost 12h flight I envied people who were sitting next to crying babes :)

It was the longest flight I ever had, we basically left Italy at 12 pm and arrived to China at 7 am, mind time difference, of course. Well, it didn't feel that bad in the end, even though I couldn't sleep in the sitting position almost at all. The crew was Chinese, and they tried their best to keep us satisfied. Food was European and very tasty, there was drink-as-much-as-you-want service included, which was much used by my neighbors, of course :)

As a Russian citizen I had a big advantage in Hong Kong, I could leave airport without visa and look around in the City. However, I left by accident the right zone from where you can leave and return, so I stayed in the house, which was not a bad move in the end.

The international airport in Hong Kong is very huge and the staff has an interesting habit: if you ask location of a place and they don't know it, they will always guess it in the most random way. Given that the airport is REALLY huge, it makes your life much more interesting. Just think about it, I spend first 6 hours busy and it was just enough to find a manicure salon (they couldn't make my nails because it was an only-massage-day today, very strange), buy an adaptor for electronics and eat very fast. Sounds impressive, right? :D

Also funny indeed, an old Chinese woman at the shop where I stopped to ask for a manicure salon immediately guessed I was Russian.
I'm hopeless, my dear ;)

It's not wise, of course, to judge a place based on the airport, especially an international one, but somehow it just felt very good and safe here.
I saw green mountains from the window, must sound like a mountain freak already, but it was such a view.
Honk Kong, you must know, you are on my priority list to visit ;)

P.s. Saw Finnish buddies around in the airport, another 12h of drinking games I suppose?