Hong Kong. Mostly.

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Hello!!!

Apologies for the delay of the first update but I didn't have an opportunity to go on the internet in Hong Kong, and we only arrived in Sydney this afternoon and obviously exploring was the first priority!! Anyway, having had a very nice, but painfully early, journey down to Heathrow, I met up with all the other Bunacers and we soon checked in etc and were seated at the very back of the big Cathay Pacific 747. And we remained sitting there for quite some time. Stationery. And then far, far longer whilst moving. We found out that the hour delay was in fact due to a 'technical issue'.......but presumably it is a tried and tested method to tell the passengers this upon arrival at their destination and not before. So, we were met in Hong Kong and taken to the Imperial Hotel. The rooms weren't ready so they sent us away for a few hours and our guide, Lyona, recommended we go to see the giant Buddha on top of a hill. All the way back at the airport. We got changed, because it was 30 degrees and verrryy humid, then hopped on the subway (which is approximately 10 million times more efficient, cleaner, faster and everything better than the London tube), and got a cable car 900ft up a mountainside and looked at the Buddha. Then when back to the hotel, walked in the harbour, got food, I don't remember what, then I went to bed because I hadn't been to sleep since 3.30am the previous morning.

The next day we began our organised tours, but I will need to look at the pictures to remember exactly where we went. It was very humid though. I remember the last day because we went to supposed ly the nicest beach in Hong Kong, went up a big peak thing, went on a sampan (water taxi) and a few other things. It will be more understandable when I get round to putting the pictures up. However, I have to say that Hong Kong was nothing like what I expected; it was bright and colourful, ridiculously clean, and a very interesting city with a complicated history.

Then we all went to the airport six hours early because the New Zealand group had a flight at 9 and ours wasn't til midnight. A group of us played Extreme Snap - a very loud and extended and basically more fun version of the original - then eventually we got on the A330 to Sydney. We had also kept ourselves amused during the long wait by trying to guess the seating formation of the plane to work out who had the window. All our efforts proved in vain though, because there was no seat B, apparently because it gets confused with seat D.....I suppose you had to be there to find that particular bit interesting!!! The flight to Sydney was a little under 9 hours and through the night so I had planned to sleep but I was seated in the very back row aisle seat - or in other words, the kitchen!. It was the only seat that didn't get dark, it was freezing, the call lights shone in my face and sounded an alarm in my ear ever time they were pressed, and there was horrible turbulence, but I didn't really care in the end because this morning I landed in Sydney!!!! It was slightly disappointing to come from a 30 degree beautifully sunny Hong Kong, to a slightly dull 24 degree Sydney, but it can only get better from here.

We checked in to the 5* YHA Sydney Central Hostel where we have all been split up, but we managed to group together somewhat and make our way to the bank to get cards for our account, and a bit further up to see the bridge and the Opera House. We decided to save the climb for a day with better weather though. Originally it seemed that most people planned to stay in Sydney for a few months, but having experienced how expensive it is, have reconsidered and are probably going to head north to some beaches in a couple of weeks. Tomorrow morning we have our official Orientation, a jet boat tour the next day, and off to surf camp the day after that.

Have to run now, but I'm aware I have missed out an awful lot that hopefully I can relay in due course. Lots and lots of love x x x x x x x

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