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Published: September 6th 2010
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So after my last entry I left The hostel and actually managed to order a bowl of noodles! I know it sounds crazy, but it felt like an achievement, I am officially a food wuss! So early night for me.
The next day I woke up really late at around 11am HK time, dropped off the bag at reception and off I went, a first, full day of proper sightseeing and boy does it look different when you have slept! I felt excited again and not so terrorfied. I had a train to catch at 5.50 from Shenzen but otherwise, the day was mine.
So the first goal was breakfast, here I go, it can't be that hard. I tried to find that magical mango place again to get another smootie but for some reason, this time I couldn't find it, what a shame. Plus it's really hot today, it really doesn't help the decision making process, maybe that's why I decided to skip breakfast and hopped on the MTR to go up to the peak.
I got off at Central, the business centre, very swish, high rise beautifully designed skyscrappers everywhere, curves, lines, glass, metal, very nice
Mr Hong Kong architect! Anyway, my destination was the Peak Tram. A fabulous funicular that takes you all the way to the top of HK where you can catch a view of the whole city. On the way I grabbed a startbucks. It's 30 degrees today, I felt a bit whoozy, so I ate my only bit of food, the emergency banana!
Anyway I found the Peak Tram, got a ticket and then basically felt really ill and weak. I told myself off for not looking after myself better, it was 2pm and all I had consumed in the heat was a big coffee and a nana - I promised myself that when I got to the top, I was going to eat whatever I found!
The top of the peak was amazing, such a great 360 degree view, check it out. Plus there was almost a semblance of air up here, and the humidity eased (90% today apparently). There were may shops, lush gardens and a scenic walk back down, but unfortunately I didn't have time. So after scoffing some french fries in Burger King (yesss, I know, it's pathetic, I despise myself too, but there were
easy, plain and had salt which I needed), I headed back to the hostel to pick up the pack, only a light 21 kgs to carry, so looking forward to it!!
So mission China, here I come! I went to Ho Humng and caught the HK quivalent of the tube to Lo Wu which is the gateway to mainland China. I got through the first boundry and literally in an instant, everything changed. The atmosphere, the tone, the signs, the way people looked at me. I wasn't ready for it to be so different so quickly. A lot of people wore face masks which freaked me out a little. On the way to immigration, two foreign guys asked me if I wanted to go to Tibet. I said I already had arrangements and wished them luck, half wishing I could bust into Tibet the hard and unofficial way, but hey ho.
Having cleared immigration and carrying what felt like a dead corpse on my back, not knowing where I was going, I got a real sense of what I had let myself in for. I was in China! I didn't speak Chinese, I didn't know what I was
doing... shizers!
Anyway, after walking past people with face masks, people carrying brown boxes with string around them and a whole array of parlours where people were semi naked, and were being massaged by massuses and massueurs (that had cigerettes hanging out their mouths), I found Shenzen station. Hardly any sign in English. People push in front of you here and stare at you like you are insane or maybe they just see me carrying the pack. It was a decent station acutally, had a nice waiting area and good electron boards showing the trains (it just didn't have English). Anyway, I was about to embark on a 13 hour train ride and I didn't know if I could buy any food or drink on board so I hit the shops. I have no idea what I bought, it looked like cerial bars and biscuits so I just hoped for the best.
I made it on board, found my sleeper, some nice guy offered to put my pack up on the top bunk (I certainly wasn't going to manage it). So,mission accomplished! I had made it to China, made it on the train, found the right sleeper!! Whoooo!!
I was doing little summersults of jubilation inside. I was really lucky too. Everyone in my carriage was nice and so friendly, 5 of them were women so I was quite relieved. I had a broken conversation with a sweet student that was in the middle bunk. The girl oppoisite me on the top bunk was called June, she was sweet too, asking me questions and giggling whatever I said to her. Most people seemed to have bought these pot noodle jobbies on board for their dinner. I had some biscuits and a cerial bar! I'm getting used to being hungry by now, who needs food, I have adventure to keep me going!
Soon the train settled down and around 8pm everyone settled down to sleep, lights went off, and the train lullabye of rattles and jarring noises and train tracks below put everyone into a rhythemic sleep, including me...
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Mike
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Wooooo - joys of delight...
Hi Serpil, How is it going. I guess you are now in mainland China and difficult to come across internet connections... Hope you are keeping well, eating good nourishing oodles of noodles and enjoying your self. Wishing you a happy bayramlar and lots of fun... M. XXXX