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What up everybody!!!!! Its raining like crazy out here so I figure its a good time to blog. Apparently it rains alot in the rainy season, go figure. My flight over to Hong Kong wasnt bad at all it was like 16 hours for some reason I though it was 20 so it wasnt too bad. There were on demand movies and TV shows show I spent most of my time watching season 4 of Entourage. I didnt have a window seat so I dont have any pics of flying over the artic which sucks but maybe on the flight back. Arriving in Hong Kong was kinda weird almost surreal. I dont know whether it was because of jetlag or what but it was weird walking around the airport and not knowing where to go and seeing everything in a different. My first night was very uneventful just pretty much settled in and went to sleep. The next day was really the start of my adventure. On Thursday Marco (my host) and Guime, and Charlotte, (2 college kids from France) went to Lamma Island and went hiking. It was really beautiful there with lots of crazy trails and nice senery. We
Lamma Island
More of the beautiful Lamma Island ended up hiking to the other side of the Island where we ate some of the local food. We then took the boat to Aberdeen and made our way back to Kowloon. Kowloon is so different than anything ive ever seen before. All of the smells were overwhelming. They are making different foods on every corner and its just a madhouse because they have so many people walking around. They even close down some of the streets during "peak" times because there are so many people walking the streets. Around Nathan road in Kowloon there is so much bootleg and fake stuff that you can buy I didnt get anything yet cause its so hard to think about the prices. I mean you see that something cost $80 and you immeadiately get put off, but in actuality it is only $10 american dollars. This whole time its been strange getting use to the currency but im finally starting to get use to it. The stores around Nathan road kinda reminded me of when I went to Miami on Lincoln road because Every store sells the same stuff (cheap electronics(that dont work), shoes wrapped in plastic, crazy foods ive never seen
Lamma Island
Thats Gium, Charolette, and Marco before, Bootlegs, knockoff clothes. It is very easy to get lost because of this and the fact that many of the tall buildings look very similar. After that me and Marco went back to his place in Tuen Mun which is like a suburb of HK where his mom offered us some tea and we just chilled.
On the next day (Friday) it was a very rainy day and Marco just showed me around Tuen Mun and all of the local hangouts. Later in the day Marco, his mom, and I went out to dinner. The dinner was a FEAST with so many different dishes, it was very delicious. Friday night I was switching places because Marco was going to Macau on Saturday with some friends and I needed another place to stay. So again through couchsurfing I found someone to stay with and couchsurfed with Nick a very cool Aussie thats an Art teacher and sings in a band out here. On the way from Tuen Mun to Central Hong Kong Island I actually fell asleep on the bus and didnt know if I had missed my stop or even where I was. It was pouring like crazy
Lantau Island
Just a part of the long walk back to the next bus stop outside and i just got off at some random stop and tried to navigate my way around without an umbrella. My phone for some odd reason didnt work and I couldn't call anyone. So there I was walking aimlessly through Hong Kong without an umbrella with my huge backpack amist a bunch of skyscrapers trying to find my way around. After walking around for a good half hour I finally found the place that I planned to meet up with Nick. Nicks place is right in the thick of Central Hong Kong. Lan Kwai Fong is not even a block away. That night we went out to a english pub and watched Aussie Rules, a crazy austrailian game that looks like rugby/soccer.
Saturday it countinued to rain but I decided to not let it ruin my time in HK. So I went to Lantau Island to see the big budda. When I was waiting in line on lantau Island waiting for the bus to take me to the other side of the island, the bus driver approached me and told me that the Big Budda is unaccessable because of mudslides from all of the rain blocking roads on the
Lantau Island
Hike back to the next bus stop mountain. They said you can on get to halfway across the island and thats it. I was pissed off because thats the only reason I came there in the first place and it was a half's days trip. A local Chinese man saw this and told me that I could get off the bus at the farthest stop and take a 2 hour hike across the island. The Bus driver said no but I was very stubborn and would not be turned away. So I took the bus halfway there and got off and started hiking down the road. trying to find out where im going. After walking a bit a police man on the side of the road stopped me and wouldnt let me go any further I was very insistant that I can walk and I understand the roads were closed but I could walk on the grass. He still turned me away and I had to take a long walk back to the closest bus station. I had to walk even further because since the side of the Island I was on was essentially shut down I had to walk a ways to get there. There was
noone even around that area because Lantau is one of the least populated areas in HK. I made it back alright but very wet from all the rain and frustrated that I could not see the Big Budda.
Today I went to the Peak Tram and took the tram up to the top. It was a alright view, very cloudy and very touristy. Anyway Im sitting in Pacific Coffee over here (free internet) which is just like starbucks and my timer is about to run out. They dont have any USB ports so I cant load up any pics yet but Ill get to it later. Im headed off for my 24 hour train ride to Beijing.
Random things Ive noticed on my trip
1. Traveling alone is great Ive met so many people from all over mostly Brits and its really easy to strike up a convo.
2. When I tell people Im from Chicago the only thing they know about it is the Chicago Bulls
3. Barack Obama's face is everywhere on newstands, TV, and everywhere. Everybody knows and loves him out here its crazy.
4. Hong Kongs youth relate alot more to Japanese
culture than Chinese.
5. The Octopus Card is King and if anyone is going to HK then definetly get one. You can buy everything with it.
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Michele
non-member comment
Surviving the Rain
Hey Chris, Well I am glad you survived the rain! Sounds like you have had some challenges... especially with the authorities as you try to reach your destinations! Just don't create enough of a ruckus to end up in a foreign prison!!! Looks like you are having quite an amazing trip with the people you are meeting and the places you have seen. And you are still alive after sleeping on quite a few different couches! Good for you!!! Hope you don't run into any more obstacles upon attempting to see all your planned landmarks! Wish you all the best!!!