David in Hong Kong!

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Welcome to my travel blog!

In this blog I intend to keep whom ever is interested up to date on my Hong Kong activities.

Let the games begin...

6-7/10/09 (pasted from e-mail)

Well I've arrived to the 'Paris Guesthouse' in one piece & what a journey it has been!

If I'm honest I cant really remember most of it.

Flight to Dubai was easy, comfortable & nice. Flight from Dubai was good, sat next to a couple from South Africa who come to HK often to buy precious stones for their jewelry business. They chatted lots & set me at ease.

Arriving to HK was mad. Speed train to the city (bags weigh a ton!), Taxi to the guesthouse. I see the skyline. Was it real? Did I dream it? INSANE.
Pulled up outside the 'mansion' - Indian people everywhere, talking to me, ushering me, its hectic, its colorful its HK. Quite rude to one guy who actually was trying to help. After navigating a maze of stalls, people, smells I arrive at a lift with randoms looking at me left right & center. Get in lift to 7th floor, turn right then right again & I'm in a small doorway with a desk, 8 rooms, an Indian man & a brightly colored shrine dedicated to some God. After several worrying minutes trying to figure/suss things out, everything seems cool. Pay for two nights stay and am led by nice Indian man to a TINY (with bags in struggle to close door) room with a shoilet & bed. After thinking - CRAP - I actually look around & see clean sheets, mattress, pillow, aircon, hot water & free internet. PUCKA.

Things are Dandy. Had a shower, got changed, writing this then off to buy a beer, come back - pass out.

Meeting landlord at 1pm tomorrow to look at flats. Maggie e-mailed to check I'm coming - I said I'm coming in on Fri. All good.

Not even touched the city but I know its gonna be insane. I'm loving looking at the cultural differences etc.

8/10/09

Emotions, aren't they jarring, suffocating, intoxicating, morbid, magical things!

Last night was/will not go down as my favorite 10 hour stint in any room. I think it's fair to say I have had the briefest of glimpses inside the world of the criminally insane. Not only was my room so small I felt like a lozenge forcefully plunged up a whales ass (the smell wasn't a million miles away either), I also had to contend with a air-con unit close to suicide. The sound was something like a warthogs death throws.
That & my pretty much sleepless night in hell aside I've had a good day. I think.

Once up (thank the lord) I took the plunge into the big smoke.

Without going into detail (I'm so tired the last paragraph nearly killed me) I got the star ferry to the main land, eventually found my landlords property, viewed 5 places & put down a deposit on one 😊

The flat is small (ALL flats are tiny), tidy, well positioned & most importantly, seems to have nice tenants. I only met one. She was a Mexican student & seemed really nice. Her boyfriend was moving home so I am taking his room. There are also two other male students who I didn't meet. One is German & the other is American. I really hope I like them. I move in tomorrow.

I've managed to change rooms at the Paris Guesthouse & this room is much, much nicer.
It's funny, I complained allot about that room, but I know for sure that its probably in the top 50% of accommodation in Hong Kong (well, maybe). I'm WAY too used to Tolleton Lodge. In my hallucinatory delusions last night I convinced myself to pay through the nose for a nice hotel tonight - I'm way too weak!

Once this jeg lag lifts & I get to know a few more people I'm sure I'll start feeling more at home.

Right I should head out again & be among the people before I pass out.

No camera so photos & video will come shortly.

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Comments

[Ma Stewart]

Exhausted just reading!
Hey sunshine, that's some descriptive language you've got going there....don't quite know whether to laugh or cry....maybe both methinks! Clearly things at Tollerton Lodge will have to change on your return!Miss you xxxxxx

[Rich Hemsley]

suck it in
Glad things have gone well so far, other than the suicidal air conditioning unit! I am interested to know what does go down as your favorite 10 hour stint in any room... actually, on second thought, i'm really not. Look forward to seeing some pics from your journey. Much love and respect Rich

[Mike]

Chunking Mansions
Haha! Thats funny dude, was reading your post and though...hmmm, paris guesthouse, wheres that? I bet its in chunking mansions...did a quick look on the old google maps, bingo! That place looks like a shithole! Danny's friend suggested me and Laura a room there and after looking (no offence Danny, you're lovely :P) we thought, sod that! I thought for a minute that may be where you were staying full time until I read your full post, thank god for that dude :) We never went in, but I can imagine it was proper shit and not what you want after arriving in such a crazy place. Those indian guys piss you off, we just ignored them after a while. Whereabouts is your flat? The Star ferry is cool :) go up victoria heights! The view is amazing! Also, go to the big buddha, he is..er...very buddha-ish. Sorry didn't get chance to meet before you left but will have to after your back. Woop!

[Mrs B]

Hey Dave, so good to hear that you have made it there in one piece. You should be a writer as I luv reading your version of events - sounds mad and certainly not dull! xoxo

[Pete]

Hi-larious!
Mate, Im loving the progress reports! The whales ass analogy was particularly entertaining. Dont let your Mum discourage your graphic descriptions (I know shell be trying!).