And So That Was Christmas!!!

So everything was going along swingingly. We had booked some more hotels to ensure Peter kept his Accor Silver Status. We were planning on getting a turkey in for Christmas dinner, even though we knew the meat would last us for a week. I had worked out what Christmas displays I was going to see and when. I knew what I was getting Peter for Christmas. We had plans, and then everything went wrong.

Peter got sick first: vomiting, high temperature, sore throat, cough. He was convinced it was flu. Then I got it. I had pretty much the same symptoms as Peter. It started with me throwing up in the night, my temperature shot up, my body ached everywhere and I had a thumping sensation going on inside my head. We were both weak and spent all our time coughing and sleeping. We both had COVID.

Basically we stayed at home and isolated for about ten days. We were also at home isolating on Christmas Day. I had ordered a chicken to be delivered. The shop contacted us on Christmas Eve and told us that they had run out of chickens. I ended up making pork for Christmas dinner. Peter likes pork, but nowadays finds it hard to eat. I marinated it, so it was actually very tender. I hadn't been able to get out and buy Peter anything for Christmas. He bought me a new phone with a better camera.

Christmas dinner. We were on the mend but very tired. Only our pet bears were willing to share our COVID filled table.

Christmas dinner on the mend but very tired.

Schnitzel, garlic roast potatoes, Brussel sprouts, carrots and peas. At least I had bought the Christmas crackers before we got ill.

Eventually, of course, we started to test negative for COVID and we could resume our lives, all be it still feeling rather weak.

When I could go out again, I had a look at the Christmas displays in Discovery Bay near where we live both by day and by night.

Christmas in the North Plaza, Discovery Bay.

Christmas in the North Plaza, Discovery Bay.

Christmas in the main plaza, Discovery Bay.

Christmas in the main plaza, Discovery Bay.

Christmas in Discovery Bay.

Christmas in Discovery Bay.

Christmas in Discovery Bay.

Discovery Bay at night.

Discovery Bay at night.

Discovery Bay at night.

Discovery Bay at night.

We had had to cancel the hotels we had booked earlier, but now we decided to try and fit in a hotel break before the end of December to see if we could get the Accor points we needed, but to be honest our hearts weren't in it. It actually felt like COVID had taken away our interest in being alive, hopefully this will only be temporary and as we get stronger we will also feel happier.

We returned to the Silveri in Tung Chung which had always been good before, but this time it was not. It started with us having to wait for two hours to get allowed into our room, which got us off on the wrong foot and resulted in us getting angry and complaining to everyone. Our room, when we eventually got it, faced the opposite way from the way we had faced previously. We had a view over the empty swimming pool we normally like to swim in, rather than the airport. The room was fine. It was clean and comfortable.

Our room.

Our room.

View from our room.

Some rooms have their own plunge pools and jacuzzis.

Peter had really liked the fact the executive lounge had ice-cream on his previous visits, but this time the ice-cream had been removed. I asked why and was told the mini fridge they stored it in had broken.The food in the executive lounge was not as good as before and the place was grubbier as tables were not being regularly cleaned. There seemed to be too many guests and not enough staff this time. Added to that at breakfast the next day we asked for a second coffee and were told: "No you can only have one." We were not pleased. When we complained, we got coffee but by then I would say the Silveri had just lost two customers. It makes me wonder why they would be so petty. It's the equivalent of £200 a night to stay here, but by the way, you can only have one coffee at breakfast. Pathetic!!!

On the balcony of the executive lounge.

On the balcony of the executive lounge.

The hotel was quite nicely decorated, there were some colourful Christmas trees in the lobby.

Christmas tree in the hotel lobby.

Posing with the Christmas tree in the hotel lobby.

Posing with a Christmas tree in the hotel lobby.

I also had a wander around the hotel garden in the dark when it was lit up. It was quite pretty there.

In the hotel garden at night.

In the hotel garden at night.

In the hotel garden at night.

Anyway after eating in the executive lounge on the Wednesday night, I went out to West Kowloon Cultural District to see their Christmas displays. There were great views over the harbour from there. The lights on the water were lovely. There was so much colour.

ICC, tallest building in Hong Kong and the M+ Museum.

The harbour certainly looks colourful from West Kowloon.

Lots of people had tents up on the grass.

Sitting on the lawns at West Kowloon Cultural Centre.

The harbour at night.

Colourful harbour.

The main feature of the decorations was a huge Christmas tree which constantly changed colour. Some pretty reindeer were arranged around the tree. Lots of people had come to see the decorations. Some had even set up tents on the lawns. I wonder if they sleep there overnight.

Huge Christmas tree.

Colourful Christmas tree.

Views of the trees.

Colourful tree.

Close up of tree.

Close up of tree.

Close up of tree.

Close up of Christmas tree.

Reindeer.

Reindeer.

Reindeer.

Reindeer.

Reindeer.

Reindeer and tree.

There were also some decorations in the Elements Shopping Mall which I had to walk through to get to West Kowloon Cultural District.

In Elements Shopping Mall.

Back in the hotel, we actually used our voucher for a free drink in the bar which we have never bothered to do before, as we could not be bothered to take a RATS test to get in. The bar, I thought, was really quite nice.

In the hotel bar.

In the hotel bar.

In the hotel bar.

In the bar.

Anyway, on the Thursday, after we checked out, we still were not going back home. We took the MTR to Wan Chai to stay for one night in the Aki Hotel. We think these two stays together should be enough to get the points we need.

We have never stayed in the Aki before. It's actually just across the street from the Novotel where we have stayed a few times. We arrived half an hour before check in time and were given a room straight away. The room was fairly small but had everything we could need, a bed, toilet, shower, safe, fridge, kettle, iron and so on. The only negative thing about it was it was not well sound proofed and we had noisy neighbours who sat up and talked and laughed all night. We could also here the traffic outside despite being on the eighteenth floor and music from nearby bars.

Our room in the Aki.

Our room in the Aki.

View from the room.

I took the lift up to the top floor to look at the rooftop gym and its views. The gym was quite nice. No-one was in using it when I went there.

Roof top gym.

We had a welcome drink in the little lounge next to the reception. I noticed there was a tiny garden with fake trees and fake snow here!! This was all lit up and sparkly at night, which was quite pretty.

Welcome drink in the lounge.

The garden by day.

The garden lit up at night.

Me in the garden.

I went for a wander around Wan Chai and went off to Lee Tung Avenue to see their Christmas decorations. They had gone in for a giant disco ball and lots of Christmas trees. I returned here later to see it lit up at night. The ball projected colourful psychedelic patterns across the street.

Lee Tung Avenue.

Lee Tung Avenue.

Lee Tung Avenue.

Disco ball by day.

Disco ball by night.

Disco ball by night.

Disco ball by night.

More interesting than this though was just wandering the streets looking at the markets and the street art. I found a little tea shop I liked the look of, too. The market stalls had moved on from Christmas and were already selling stuff for Chinese New Year.

Market stall.

Market stall.

Market stall.

Market stall.

Market stall.

Tea shop.

Reindeer.

The best street art was down a very seedy looking alleyway with some dodgy people hanging around. There are some parts of the world where I wouldn't have wandered down there, but Hong Kong is generally a pretty safe place.

Street art.

Street art.

Street art.

Street art.

Street art.

The Aki offered a choice of freshly prepared breakfasts in the morning plus a few things you could take from the buffet. I had eggs Benedict which I expected to be warm but it was freezing. Peter had the classic breakfast with omelette. His was much better than mine.

Breakfast in the Aki Hotel.

Breakfast in the Aki Hotel.

After breakfast we just relaxed, packed, then headed home and so that was Christmas.