Bishop Lei International House

Quaint hotel in Midlevels HK. Retro cool abounds. Lifts from the 70s or 80s.The pool was closed for winter. Exercise room was mainly aerobic machines. Rooms fitted around the bed and this is standard for HK. You have to key on your electricity. Easy 30 min walk from HK train station. This is where the airport train unloads on HK island. Follow the elevators till you get close to Robinson rd. Lots of bars, European eats and western knickknacks around. Not so easy to get a HK bowl of noodles but pasta, tortilla & pizza easy to come by. For HKD 1500 per night this is good value.

Orion Mall Bengaluru

Finished meeting at the Vivanta Taj Yeshwantpur. Lightning grab for family gifts by my colleague A before jetting out on SIA at 11pm. Our host who drove us around the sardine flotsam traffic took us to the Orion Mall. A shopped till drop. A drawing screen for son. How to do business books in India. Kid's cloths at the GAP. Easy parking with color coded lights for vacant parking. Helpful shopping assisstants. Worldwide branded outlets. Food, retail all here.A nice oasis from the maddening throng of  Tumkur Highway. Nice to stretch the legs after a day long meeting. It started with a business breakfast in the Palette restaurran. A visit to People Tree across the road. Followed by a meeting in the Vivanta Taj Courtyard. Then lunch at the Palette restaurant. Followed by a visit to Prakriya. Then debrief in the couryard of the hotel again. Before heading to the air conditioned blanket of Orion Mall and shopping therapy.

Aerotel Changi Airport T1

4am off plane. Droopy eyelids seeking sleep in Changi airport T1. Easy check in. Quiet hotel & passage way. Almost heaven! Smooth thousands stitch sheets. Shut eyes. The air conditioner hums & hums. Ear plugs & pillow over the head don't entirely muffle it. Some sleep but couldn't have been alot. Large screen tv. Wading pool to freshen up. Hot coffee. Fast check out. $55 for 6 hour block. Relatively large rooms.  Check the aircond in room 9. Wifi is airport 3 hour free wifi.  Could have been perfect.

Broadwater Beach Resort Busselton

We were in Busselton for the 1/2 Marathon in Oct. 3 of us stayed in a chalet with 2 rooms and an upper deck. Actually sleeps 6 for $300 per night. Kitchen, washing machine and dryer were available. The heater worked and was a savior as there was a cold winter blast. We got up at 5 to get ready. The microwave was handy for the sweet potatoes before the 1/2 marathon run. There was ample parking and the reception was nice. We did not eat in the restaurant on site but ate out most times. There is an indoor swimming pool and BBQ area but we did not swim.

The route for the run below. The hospital above just in case we needed treatment from hypothermia. 

Brisbane Convention & Ehibition Centre

We had 900 registrants at our annual society meeting. Can hold up to 9 times that number on the very large location.

Also had the latino themed conference dinner there. It is a large meeting place and sometimes if not well sign posted can get lost on the way to there. The acoustics were good. Staff were efficient. The food was ok. The music for he conference dinner was too loud so we were not able to stay and chat. I stayed at the Ibis Styles on Elizabeth street about 1.1 km away for $110 per night. It was next to the casino and I enjoyed the morning walk there every day. Weather was good in Oct.

Langham Place Mongkok Hong Kong

We were in Hk for a festival with the two teenagers and the "home affairs" chief. Wanted to get some sports shoes and clothes for the teeeners.

Walked here after filling the wallet at the local bank in Jordan. Pleasant day. The multi story super long escalators are a hit with the family. We toook them right up to the top then window shopped down.

Also had lunch here. At Chee kei restaurant. There is also a restaurant on site. We took the train to Causeway bay to get the G shock watch fiexd.

Sama Sama Express KLIA

Arrived at 930 pm in KL international airport. Had a domestic flight at 930 in the morning to Kota Kinabalu. I read all the instructions carefully and noted that I could not leave the transit terminal to get into the hotel. Only could enter with hand carry. Check in was easy. It was busy even at 1030 pm at night when I got to the hotel lobby. Prior to this I did some shopping and bought some cigars as a gift for my host in KK. Room was small but had all the amenities. After a shower had a good sleep. Even though you can see the aeroplanes the hotel is well sound proofed. In the morning after getting up I went to the domestic transit area. Had breakfast in the MAS lounge and got on my plane to KK. On the MAS flight to KK we had an economy class passenger come up to the business area and delivered air rage to the air steward when he was asked to return to economy. Must have had a bad night of sleep. Obviously did not stay at the Sama Sam Express. A little pricey as you pay by 8 hour blocks but worth it for the sleep.

Ibis styles Brisbane Elizabeth St

Smooth as silk check in. Great location. Close to eats & short walk to convention center about 1km away across river & bridge.  Right on CBD so easy to have meetings with offices in CBD. I didn't have breakfast as has breakfast meetings. Continental breakfast included. Extra $15 for hot breakfast.  Didn't use car parking and this by third parties. I did catch the bus from airport & would suggest the train due to the traffic delays at office hours if u don't have a lot of luggage. I used the gym twice but needs aircond and bring your own towels. Small rooms with all the basics. Nice bright colours.

Novotel Nathan rd Kowloon

We stayed 3 nights over a long weekend in Kowloon. The hotel lobby entrance was by a long escalator so there was a large waiting space at entrance with concierge & gym entrance. The rooms were small but had most necessity even a pack of condoms and adapter. Breakfast was good given it was complimentary with chef to cook & serve eggs & omelets. Fruits and traditional foods like beef or chicken congee and stir fried vegetables! Gym was well equipped but we were not able to change tv channels. Good air conditioning to keep you cool during work out. Free drinks on arrival including alcoholic beverages. Free wifi. Close to Jordan MRT 10 min walk. 5 min walk to A22 direct bus to airport on Corner of Cox road. Generally a tidy travelers package. We will be back!

Malaysia Airlines Business Class

Satay at 30000ft. Wow! who doesn't love satay. Lovely thick peanut sauce and caramelized BBQ meat on skewers.

















Selection of chicken or lamb. I had both.

Look at the magic sate. Washed down with spicy tomato juice.

Salad to start the meal.

Steak with potatoes and asparagus.

Lovely creme brulee to finish. Malaysian Airlines you surely know how to treat a guest.

Broadway Pizza with Japanese Xchange student

2 large pizzas before night out with two girls. One from Japan the other from Aust.

The busy cooks and chef. Serving and cooking

The menu we had two large pizzas.

 Busy night being Friday. We are waiting to go to a play. We ordered pepperoni and seafood. Large pizzas. On classic menu at $16.9 each. Good value and fast. Not a lot of seating. Something to take home and enjoy. Bit of a queue. But settled after a while. Crust was crunchy and light. Pepperoni was spicy and hot. Seafood was tasty.

Seafood. See the sand and waves in the mingling smell of the hot crusty pizza.

Pepperoni. See the European landscape with tomatoes and long peppers in a rustic setting in your mind and travel there as you savor the taste.



Friday was rest day from training for the city to surf in Aug 2016. Both knees hurting. Worse on the right from the anserine bursitis. Working on strengthening the quads to counteract the hamstrings.

Crowne Plaza Canberra

Working weekend - wrecking weekend? Had to work the weekend in Canberra. We had 2 rooms in the Crowne Plaza Canberra.

 A single room for me and a room with 2 double beds for my parents. The room with 2 beds was spacious and clean.

 Working space in the single room.

Check in was quick and the wi-fi in the room was adequate for social media and emails. We had the buffet breakfast every morning. I was surprised they had chia seeds, dried fruits and other healthy foods. The omelette chef was also very obliging. There was a 24 hour gym which had not 1 but 2 rooms. The pool unfortunately was not adequately heated to use. On Sunday morning 29 May it was -4 degrees centigrade when I went to the gym to use the rowing machine and treadmill. There were plenty of apples around the lobby and reception for a healthy snack. We were able to get the red bus which had multiple sightseeing destinations 3 blocks away in front of the YHA Canberra. $30 per day for multiple stops at all the tourist attractions. Hotel staff were friendly and even brought toothpaste and electrical switch adapters for us to use in room. What we really appreciated with the cold weather was the in room hot chocolate. Certainly the place to stay in central Canberra if you are on a working weekend with your family. With the up coming elections we also managed to shake hands with a minister out campaigning in Canberra at the old parliament house. Hotel is next to the national convention centre. If you use the short cut from the hotel you can even drop by the casino.

A380 LA to Melb Business

The flight to Melbourne from LA on the A380 was bumpy as it was delayed by 45 mins and the captain tried to make up for lost time. I had the Korean steak and it was moist and delicious. We had the free pajamas and promptly changed to get about 7 to 8 hours sleep on the flight. I tried to get the air-hostess to hang up-my blazer but she never came back so I put in the overhead bag compartment that was huge. The reclining seats went flat and there were cotton blankets almost like thin quilts. We had toilet kits by "Jack Spade" apparently the male equivalent of "Kate Spade" brand. Breakfast was to order. I had the salmon with eggs on Brioche. It was light and just right for the 8 hours. There 4 young children in the business lounge who kept some people awake. I did some relaxation exercises in between bouts of 2 hour naps to get to sleep so I could get the 7 hours to overcome the jet lag. My companion on the window seat was a seasoned traveler and a regular on the flight. Andy slept for almost 11 hours and regaled me with stories about the cross pacific flights on the A380. When I got to Melbourne I had missed my connecting flight due to the delay. However, we got an express pass through immigration and customs. Melbourne international airport is terribly chaotic after 8 am. Try to avoid this if possible.
On the departure side in LA arrived early at 5pm from the Hyatt Regency on Long Beach via Karmel Coach. Flight was at 1015pm but departed at 11pm -late. Some passengers failed to show. The traffic going the opposite direction from airport was clogged most of the 40 minute ride. The security queue was long. But apparently gets worse after 6pm. Used the priority lane. Initially missed the entry. There is a restaurant in the lounge that serves food to order. Several clients commented it served the best food in LAX. Wow! I had the seared Bass and was hoping to order the steak but never got around to it. Enjoyed the seating and had a shower in the huge bathrooms. The queue getting onto the plane was long but use the priority lane. The path to the upper deck is closely monitored and requires navigation through several stairs and attendants.

 The cabin on QF 94 business LA to Melb

 Business seat

Seat controls

Leg space +++

The passegeway

Korean Steak and spicy tomato juice

The lemon tart cold.

Breakfast of eggs, salmon and brioche.

Los Angeles Airport Qantas First Lounge

Arrived early at 5pm from the Hyatt Regency on Long Beach via Karmel Coach. The traffic going the opposite direction from airport was clogged most of the 40 minute ride. The security queue was long. But apparently gets worse after 6pm. Used the priority lane. Initially missed the entry as it is tucked away in the corner. There is a restaurant in the lounge that serves food to order. Several clients commented it served the best food in LAX. Wow! I had the seared Bass and was hoping to order the steak but never got around to it. Enjoyed the seating and had a shower in the huge bathrooms. The were the cleanest and brightest lounge showers I had been to in my travels. The service was excellent and the manager approached me to see if my sea bass was any good. It was excellent. They also asked me if I wanted service in the non restaurant area. Sadly as I was travelling on a 15 hour flight I avoided alcohol. This lounge is much better than the business lounges I had been to previously in LAX. Definitely worth travelling AA or Qantas to get a peek in here. We loved the chocolate brownies.

The amazingly long bar

The roomy and bright showers.

What a sink!

The spotted menu

My seared sea bass cooked to perfection

Hyatt Regency Long Beach Ca

2 days at a meeting with beautiful weather in Long Beach. 20 degrees centigrade and sunny. Hotel rooms were modern minimalist. The pool was outdoors and good for lying around. Gym was adequate as there were better running tracks outdoors around the hotel. Hotel next to convention center. So the place to stay if you're meeting there. The cable tv was good and working so managed to keep entertained when in the room. Hotel service was good. Staff were friendly & helpful. Gave me xtra paper cups for coffee. The computers in the lobby worked & we were able to print our boarding passes. Free wifi. Hotel 7 minutes from El supermarket which sells local produce. 99 cents for large packages of tostadas. Missed out on conference pricing so paid almost double the rate at around four hundred & fifty USA dollars per night. It was worth it for the convenience and location plus the great views from my hotel room. For some reason I didn't qualify for the special shuttle rate of $20 to LAX with Karmel shuttle arrangements. Despite paying  $40 one way or $80 return (or $100 including tips) was still a great deal for the convenience. One tip get to LAX early - really long security queues.

Hilton Melbourne South Wharf

Wharf-side retreat south Melbourne docks. Nice wooded paneling in lobby.

Many indigenous paintings in lobby. From the Kimberley

Generally decent & kind staff who provided great service. The room service was good. I had club sandwiches and chicken caesar salad on the night I arrived. The gym was neat and tidy with good views. Glare of the morning sun gets into the treadmill and bicycles but get the screens down. Couldn't find a pool in the hotel. Decent sized rooms and near the convention centre for those attending meetings. Short walk about 20 minutes to the Southern Cross station and the Sky bus to the airport. Previously I had shunned the 20 minute walk and stayed closer to the CBD but this has changed my mind.