It's a business trip, but we are hoping to do a reasonable amount of sightseeing as well. Neither John nor I have been to Hong Kong before, so we are particularly looking forward to this leg of the trip.
I have no doubt that the usual packing fiasco will take place the night before the flight actually leaves, but that's not really too much of a drama. I have given up trying to be organised more than a day or so out from anything. I have also travelled enough over the years that I have what might be termed a fairly minimalistic approach to what will end up in my bags. Many, many moons ago I lugged a 20kg backpack around Europe participating in what New Zealander's call 'The Big OE' and I have long since decided that I am no longer 20 and don't need that sort of backstrain anymore.
As this trip is to modern cities and we will be staying in hotels, there is no need for extensive 'just-in-case' items. If I forget to pack the toothpaste, I guess I'll find the nearest supermarket and try a local brand. The only thing heavy will be my reading material for the 10 hour flight. So far I am having trouble deciding on which books to leave behind and how low my boredom threshold will be.
The whole concept of sitting captive on an airplane for 10 hours always produces interesting quandries. Will the movie selection be worth staying awake for? Will I be able to sleep? How long can I do crosswords before my eyes feel like they've been roughed up by 80 grit sandpaper? Will playing travel Scrabble result in an ugly news headline regarding 'air-rage incidents'? And can I manage to while, whittle or generally waste away a couple of hours playing computer games on the in-flight entertainment system? (Bless Singapore Airlines' little cotton socks for providing the modern equivalent of visual chewing gum.)
Have you noticed that the only thing I am planning to get off the aircraft with is eye-strain ?! Note to self: remember the eye-mask and ear plugs.
If you really are a list-oriented person you should check out my friend Bruce's packing list suggestions. He's managed a pretty comprehensive list, just take a look for yourself.
So, what's your travel packing style?
- You throw random items into the nearest available bag and run for the door.
- You make sure you have enough clean underwear for the journey, and that you have soap, toothpaste and deodorant. The rest looks after itself.
- You have all your clothes washed, dried and ironed the week before you leave. You tissue wrap all items to discourage wrinkles. (You saw that the Royal Household do this for their guests, and you've never looked back since!)
- You look puzzled and say: 'Packing? What's that?'
Come on, 'fess up!
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