Advertisement
Published: March 18th 2009
Edit Blog Post
Soo, nite bus in Japan: beautiful, effecient, clean, lights off and tucked up by 8.30, arrive on time, well rested the next day.
Nite bus in China: get told several different times, so we ran to the bus station to be told that there was no bus for 1hour, only for the girl from our hostel to follow us to say that we should have stayed at the hostel as they would collect us!! (The last journey had to be tricky to be true of our travel in China!)
Anyway, get on the bus to find that we have floor level beds, and the spaces between the beds are sold (read 'backhander' to driver) to those who cant afford tickets: Tom and I end up with a rather stinky dirty chinese man in the approx. 1 foot gap between the two of us!! (who had the audacity to wake me to tell me my knees were in his way!!!! i paid full price for my bloody ticket- ill put my knees where i want!) Of course being China everyone is shouting at each other, and we stop several times in the nite for the 'cheap' tickets to get off, skirt
round police check points and then get back on! When asking why it is like this, I am told ""Its China!!"' Sleep didnt happen, and we are very tired/ grouchy on arrival in Hong Kong!
You can see the difference immeadiately on entering HK! mix of China, England and Americanisms! Money Talks and this place seems pretty well off! We head out to Kowloon, looking for a guesthouse, but at our budget the best of a bad option seems to be a windowless cell, with 'bespoke' miniture double bed, standing in the centre of our room Tom could touch all walls, and this was the best pick- at least there was no cat shit in the lobby as there was at one place!
We get out and about ASAP, its so warm, explore Kowloon, find some Bars and Markets, so many people trying to sell you fake watches and tailor made suits! Head back to our windowless cell and sleep for the afternoon to make up for the nite bus.
In the evening we met up with 3 swedish Girls that we have pretty much followed round china, so headed to the ladies Market, as I have
been a little deprived of shopping without any other girls! So much fun, although even after a month of China I am still the worst barterer- there is no touristy crap out there that I want to buy enough to argue about it- give me a fair price and ill think about it!! this attitude has pretty much stopped me spending much at all!! Had some good street noodles, before heading out to a few bars with 2 guys we met at the hostel, and the swedish girls!! few drinks, so nice to sit outside ( and not freeze) but HK is expensive!
Amazed to have slept at all in our hot little shoebox, but as we are up we do the touristy thing and get the Star ferry over to HK island, have a great walk round the sights, to the HSBC building, Check out all the architecture, see the Cenotaph, the Botanical Gardens, the Avairy, and head to Soho for lunch! Shop, it is soo like England here it is unreal- even have M&S, and the most amazing (Expensive) shoppng centre- Pacific Mall! -- geeky moment : best designed toilets ever! StarFerry back to Kowloon, but got
a little longer than the expected 8 mins on the boat as the docks were full, and the waves from another larger boat sent us rocking back and forth, we were pretty glad to get back on dry land!
Time for a little more shopping, brought a new camera as mine died pretty much as soon as we got to China, and i feel a little lost with out it!
Meet up with the Swedish Girls again, to go on the Starferry at Dusk, Soho for dinner, and then the SkyTram up to the Peak in the Dark! Amazing view of all the bright lights! back to another market, but all the same! (check out Toms new glasses- so cute!) so we quickly give up shopping and have a beer!
Hong Kong was hectic but fun! A good Stop over, althougth on route to the Airport we saw lots of the islands around HK, and think we may need another trip!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.091s; Tpl: 0.01s; cc: 15; qc: 48; dbt: 0.0397s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb