Hong Kong

Well chapter two begins on the wednesday morning waking up in a bed far too small for one person let alone sharing it with the monster that is barry mcg. I horrible moment of realiastion that not only did it feel like my back ws broken but it also felt like i had slept fo roughly about 2 minutes all night. Anyways the groupe regrouped to discuss the antics and experience of the night before - this included an irish bar in which the majority of the guys ended up, chatting up some german girl, running to the safety of taxis with hands in their pockets to avoid those pesky prostitutes pick pocketing them - jamie burns encouraging everyone he'd be able to handle himself without their protection and Daly arriving into our room and panicing when he discovered myself and the lendawg hdn't got home to the safety of 83 Argyle street. The night previous we had discussed to hit the horse racing track the next evening with Jamie and John Burns so with time to kill and hangovers to over come we headed down through Mong Kok to the markets where i discovered a new hobby - haggling with people till they give into absurd prices for goods they were selling. A few things bought and a micky d's lter we met jamie and off to Hong Kong centre to the race tracks. Stoped in for a quick pint and then across the street where Sean leo's only vice kicked in and we were having a punt or too. A great night's craic, some people up (barry never shuts his f-ing mouth about it and how he could have won more) some like myself down. Then following that we hit LKF - the main party street for bars etc in Hong Kong. A shock came at the price of drinking and a night out here so it was a quick stop at the 7/11 and a can or two on the street and following a quiet night, apart from lenny trying his hand with a curvy black woman who turned out to be after his wallet and not his heart, back to the hostel.

Thursday woke us all up with the unpleasent thought of having to move rooms again within the hostel as we were booking each morning instead of in advance for a few days for myself mccarry ciaran and sean leo hit the tenth floor and then joined the other boys - who had found their permanent home in 614 - in the bakery for a pizza and then we made our way to the tube station in Mong kok to travel to the buddah. We ascended up to ear popping heights in two differing cable cars myself graced with the presence of barr, ciaran and a mischievious Mully who had tried to get the attention of passing cable cars by mooning, waving and giving the finger to see the reaction. We walked up to the top of the buddah and after a good 15 minutes of photos hit the road again, Mully having to behave slightly on the way back as we were joined by a chinese couple.

Friday was unplanned so we headed into city centre to check meet Jaime once more for his last full day in the city. A tube ride, micky d's again (lenny again claiming that it was to be his last of the trip) and a mad dash for ciaran to find a toilet later we met jamie and headed for the peak. This involved a tram ride as steep as you can imagine up to a tower where u climbed to the roof to look at hong kong as a whole. Awesome view and a few touristy photos gained by the majority of everyone there an back down again we went. As had been decided earlier in the week friday was to be our last nite out as on saturday we were to stay in the airport to save on money on accomodation. So we got a carry out and a quick dash to and from a 'anything other than micky d's' restaurant for Sean leo and I and we started celebrations. We also had the company for the first time in a week of 3 females that by chance were on the same floor. AK and (for the life of me cant rmember the second one's name) from Denmark and Sophie from France. The music was in full flow with ciaran and mully taking on the form of DJ, a quick row about Conan being born 80 yeaars too late and before we knew it, it was back to a busier LKF having picked up Jullian, Sophie's roommate on the way. We arrived and immediately hit the irish bar for a couple of drinks and a rendition of back home in Derry with Consey leading the singing with a voice that would make Christy Moore weep. We headed on and enjoyed a night out untill it hit around 2.30ish sort of time and Barry, Ciaran and myself headed home. A quick stop in the 7/11 and a couple of Neurofen for Barry and off to sleep we went.

Next day it turned out Mully and McCarry were a bit worse for wear the previous night and Sean Leo the stallion had been the first man to 'curt' and in his words 'get off the mark' with Sophie who had apparently been the target of many a horned up irish man that night. We vacated the hostel as we had to check out by 12 and went to the football pitch near the hostel where we thought we would wait untill we had to go to the airport. Decided that to get rid of the toxins from the night before a kick about would help and so we bought a football and kicked about a bit. This didn't last long cause in 30 degree heat with no shoes on you start to get a tad warm and the aul feet blister. Myself, lenny, Daly and Ciaran hit the markets once more for a bit of haggling - to which now we were becoming experts, lenny particularly enjoying trying to get as low a price as possible and still not buy anything. A bit of grub and "firrrteen dolla" at the internet cafe later, we head back to the pitch where we watched football being played by the locals. A long day for everyone and in between heading to the markets and wondering around we head back to the hostel to collect our bags we made our way to the airport. We got a tube to Tsing Ye and discovered that it was more expensive to get the airport express than a taxi so jumped into a couple of taxis and got to te airport. We decided to check our bags in to avoid carrying them around only to discover that our itinery telling us our flight departed at 8.05am was wrong and that it was actually meant to leave at 2.25 meant a long long long stay in the airport that night. I so after a few games of poker and a disgusted Sean leo trying to find sweets to stop his hunger cravings the lads hav all hit the sack and it is now 5.03am and i'm fiishing off this blog...great week, better than I expected Hong kong to be and glad we came

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