Hong Kong + Macau

Hi everyone,

sorry for the impersonalness of this, but I just don't have the time to write individual emails im afraid. I've only been gone 5 days now, but it seems so much longer!

Arriving into Hong Kong reminded me so much of New York, I think the skyscrapers are the biggest parallel, but also this will probably be my biggest adventure since then. So far it's gone pretty smoothly with only a couple of hiccups. I've really enjoyed the sense of freedom, especially yesterday morning when I had no idea what I was going to do. I had thought about going to Macau, a former Portugese colony just 65km west of HK. But I hadn't had any luck in finding accomadation, there was practically nothing online. I had been recommended the San Va hostel, but it didn't even have a website! My guidebook said, try to avoid going to Macau on Saturdays and Sundays as its much busier and prices double! So if I wanted to go to Macau, do I pack my daybag and leave the rest of the stuff in my grotty HK hostel and miss out on seeing Macau at night. Or, do I check out and just go to Macau and see what happens, I ended up doing the latter - just grabbing my bag and getting the ferry to Macau. It was one of the best days so far, got 3 new stamps on my passport, and after half an hour of lugging my huge backpack around I found the San Va hostel and it was absolutely charming! Had a great full day of sightseeing. The Island of Macau is a Unesco world Heritage site, so there was lots to see. The food was fantastic, the Macanese blend eastern and european styles,. and there were plenty of outside stalls with free tasting, so i walked up and down several times and got my dinner!

I'm really glad i started the trip in HK, I think it was a bit daunting at first because my hostel was in the Chinese part and I tried to eat as much chinese food as possible and just ignore the McDonalds etc., hoping to get eased in to chinese culture - I'm going to China today, to the city of Guangzhou and I read that nearly everything is in Chinese, including the subway. i do have a hostel booked this time thankfully!

anyway I'm afraid thats my time up in this internet cafe, my bus is due pretty soon,.

Just to say I'm safe and well, I'l try and get some more photos uploaded. heres a few from my first day.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=32160&l=14981&id=223002516


Regards to everyone back home, hope your all safe and well.,

Cheers,

Andy

---

---