Hong Kong

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End of the China trip

With five nights of Hong Kong ahead of us we had our farewell group dinner near the markets in Kowloon Bay, Paul ordered the chicken's feet and by the look on his face afterwards I think he wish he hadn't. Food faux pas aside we departed the following day for our home for the next four nights, the monolith monstrosity that is the Chung King Mansions. Don't let the mansions thing fool you, the decrepit old building was full of touts, crooks, immigrants and probably most worryingly Al Qaeda grafiti, only the best for us... The first night we stayed in one section of Chungy Mansions and our hostel was literally like the Shining, a long dark corridor, bed bugs, cockroaches and fusty damp air. The second night we moved to another block in the building to a tiny little room overlooking the main road in Kowloon but it was clean and bedbug free so a bit of a step up.

Our first full day we spent at the Science Museum (quite odd, there was a virtual wheelbarrow game and a bed of needles amongst other random things) and the evening down at the bay to watch the free sound and light show that featured all of the buildings on Hong Kong Island all lip up in time to some odd oriental music, pretty bizarre but they seemed pretty proud of it.

The 7/11 Challenge

Hong Kong was every bit as expensive as we imagined so it came as no surprise that to enjoy a night out (where to be honest the nightlife was really good) we would have to do a bit of conservative or cheap drinking, so after a few drinks at the hostel (the hostel of death) we came up with a cunning plan on how to maximise our alcohol consumption which basically was to buy a beverage at every 7/11 minimart that we passed on the way to our destination of Central in Hong Kong Island. Turns out there's an awful lot of 7/11 in Hong Kong so a good night was had by all, especially Paul who ChungKinged on Chung King Mansions.

Our final few days in Hong Kong we spent recovering and sorting out laundry and the like, we also decided to buy a laptop seeing as they were so cheap so after buying that we had a cheap couple of days (lots of walking and seeing things that didn't cost any money) before preparing for Vietnam.

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Photos

Downtown Kowloon
Good to be a neon sign salesman in Hong Kong

Science Museum
Paul had a go, he wasn't overly enthralled

Chung King Mansions
Lovely

HK by night
Great sound and light show

HK by night again
None of my night photos came out that well

By the river
You get the idea

View from the peak
It was quite hazy

Chilling in the hell hole
Pauls only happy because he can see again

Pre-night drinks
Worst hostel ever

Our second room
At least was clean

HK by day
After about three days we realised we had taken hardly any photos

Start of the 7/11 Challenge
One of many

Sweaty man
"Someone placed my hand there I swear"

With Jamie
Our travel companion for the next month or so

HK Island
Such a hot day

Great framing
Paul is a novice photographer at best

Street eating
Only place we could afford to eat

Comments

[Jane Murray]

THANK GOODNESS
Hi - I cannot imagine how you coped in the HK hostel Suzanne knowing what you are like with creepy crawlies. I'm just wondering if you slept at all!! Anyhow that has long gone now and at least you've had good accommodation in Vietnam. I guess it's not all going to be good but when you are doing what you are doing you have to take the rough with the smooth. Loving the pics especially the halloween one. Cant wait to see Vietnam pics. It will be interesting to see how Cambodia compares to Vietnam. Until the next time Happy Travelling. Take care of each other. Lots of Love Mum xxx

[bettybeel]

travel
High Chicks.tring once more to get through had a lot trouble getting on line .Have read that it is expensive in usa of the credit crunch as the dollar has gone down so just whach your pennies in readiness hope this reaches love to both nanny god blessxxxxxxxxx

[betty beel]

travel
Hello chicks Cannot grt on line georgehas checked but says theres nothing wrong with the computer so am trying onthe blog. Hopefully your tummies are a lot better now.What a trip going by bus to Laos Dared think of the sort of terrain that you must have gone through.At least you made it. Love miss u very much stay fast with each other take care.Will keep trying my email. Chat laterxxxxxxxnan

[mush]

wish i was there
Hong Kong looks so amazing always wanted to see the light and sound show and climb the peak god i have to go. If i no longer have my job i may be joining u what do i have to loose hhaa! looks like u ahve met some great mates on the road, that hostel looked vile do u think i could manage travelling the 5 star way would it really be that expensive hahaha xx