Geoff Brock & Bruce Gamble
         
     

Day 5: Typhoon in Hong Kong

 
 
 

Thursday, 16th September 1999

Typhoon signal no. 10 - stuck in Hong Kong!

   
 
We were woken up at 3.00 am by rain lashing at the window. We got up at 6.00 to pack ready for our trip to Guangzhou, to be told at breakfast that Hong Kong was under typhoon signal 8 and that 180km/hr winds were expected. We sat in the lobby, waiting for further news...
 
Three hours later, the news was that the typhoon signal had been raised to number 10, the strongest for 16 years. We waited. We watched the torrential rain blowing up the street, down the street, sideways and upwards. We watched bits of trees, signs and umbrellas bouncing down the streets. We watched the motor-bikes parked by the hotel being blown over. But mostly we waited. Later, a very valiant Ricky arrived in a sou'wester over a lime green shirt, to inform us that we would be going nowhere today as there were no trains, planes, MTR, or buses.
 
 
At 1.00 pm, Lizzie said that Kuoni would pay for lunch, so we all trooped in to the hotel restaurant. Afterwards, we waited some more. We watched the television in the bar. 1 dead, 300 injured. Cranes collapsed, houses and offices damaged. At 5.00 pm, Lizzie said that Kuoni had authorised another night's stay in the Stanford, with evening meal and breakfast. But she would not know our travel plans from the various organizations with which she had to liaise, until tomorrow.
 
We had an indifferent supper and went to bed. We wondered what new surprises tomorrow would bring?
 
 
 
©Geoff Brock and Bruce Gamble