Hong Kong? Phooey!
Thus endeth my first day in Hong Kong. I couldnt blog in the aiport or on the plane so I went back to the somewhat crude and archaic methods of.....pen and paper. There were so many things I needed to capture about the mood and everything..
When I hit Hong Kong, I got a bus from the Airport, over Lantau Island and Kowloon to Causeway Bay, and wandered around for a while getting my bearings....It's so bloody busy here - like nothing I've ever seen before....nowhere seems to shut and there are always people. I've set my alarm for sunrise (6.47am) so I can get some photos and I would imagine it will be as busy as it was when I went out for a cig at 2.30! One thing that strikes me though is how clean it all seems....even though there are posters stuck to closed shops, there are bins every few yards with cigarette bins too....theres no chewing gum on the pavements, unlike the closest comparison I have of London, where the streets are paved with Wrigleys.
The staff here at the Alisan Guest House are lovely, and really helpful. The place is a little run-down looking, but for no-frills accommodation it does the job! The security looks good here too, which was my main worry. I want to feel safe in my room at night, but theres a reception desk clerk, then 4 floors up to my room in a lift, a lock on the main floor door and then the lock on the room. There are no windows in the room itself, but for £18 per night you get what you pay for....and wireless net access is included (hence me sat in my room at 4am blogging). A communal fridge and microwave are just outside the room, and thats where they keep the complimentary bottled water.
Theres a pub next door too that looks like it does good food (lots of local types were eating when I went in). Might give it a whirl tomorrow.
The main thing that's shaken me is the politeness of everyone. Asking police for directions was an absolute pleasure when I got a little lost earlier today. I made the mistake of using familiar stores as landmarks to use as a "trail of breadcrumbs" to get back.....bad move. Do you have any idea how many MacDonalds there are in the Causeway Bay district? Nope, neither do I, but there are too bloody many. Theres also the tendency to get swept up in the crowd and carried in a specific direction whether you like it or not which complicates matters, but a friendly policeman on a pushbike sent me off in the right direction..
When I went into the bar next to the Alisan it was nice to get taken to a seat at the bar, then have my seat pulled out for me. I confused the barman by trying to give him the money straight away for my Jack and Coke, then he confused me by charging me $60HK (about £4!) . Starting to feel a little nostaligic for the prices at Gatwick. Basically it looks like Hong Kong is cheap for fags (about $25HK - £1.75ish) and food...but booze is off the menu. That said, not seen many places to just drink here either. Thats an extremely apparent difference in the cultures. How far do you have to go in Britain to see another bar/pub/off licence....not far. I've walked miles today and seen 2 bars, while restaurants are every few feet.
Anyway,time for the last fag of the night, then its bedtime.
Thursday 21.30All in all the flight was good. 11 hours exactly, with a choice of movies, bearable food and really nice, friendly staff. On the TV screens in the headrests you can even track the planes geographical location which was pretty cool....an hour in we were over Amsterdam, then spent a hell of a long time over Russian Airspace.
I got on the train at 11.48 this morning with Kate and Ashi waving me off from the platform. I cried until I arrived in Leeds.
I have to say Gatwick Airport is a bizarre place...like Meadowhall with planes, pretty much. Stopped at a Frankie and Bennies for a beer or 2, and felt like the barman should have been wearing a mask and holding a gun to my head.... on the bright side i'm now no longer lugging English currency around with me...
Further drama happened at the departure gate. It seems that my plan to sort out a flight to Oz when I got here is not acceptable to HK customs.....tip to any travellers reading this - HK will NOT LET YOU IN if you don't have travel arrangements in place to leave again. Unfortunately Oasis didn't tell me this, but have a nice little waiver in their terms and conditions that says:
"Passenger shall comply with Government Travel Requirements and present Entry and Exit documents as well as all other required travel documents"
I was close to missing my flight as I tried to shop around to get a flight on to Brisbane and eventually had to convert my existing ticket to HK to a return, costing me an extra £270....to say I'm very pissed off is an understatement, as the tickets are non- refundable......buggeration! I will be raising it with Oasis as soon as I get a chance. Think i'll be buying some SkypeOut minutes this week to make shouting at people in the UK a little cheaper.
When I hit Hong Kong, I got a bus from the Airport, over Lantau Island and Kowloon to Causeway Bay, and wandered around for a while getting my bearings....It's so bloody busy here - like nothing I've ever seen before....nowhere seems to shut and there are always people. I've set my alarm for sunrise (6.47am) so I can get some photos and I would imagine it will be as busy as it was when I went out for a cig at 2.30! One thing that strikes me though is how clean it all seems....even though there are posters stuck to closed shops, there are bins every few yards with cigarette bins too....theres no chewing gum on the pavements, unlike the closest comparison I have of London, where the streets are paved with Wrigleys.
The staff here at the Alisan Guest House are lovely, and really helpful. The place is a little run-down looking, but for no-frills accommodation it does the job! The security looks good here too, which was my main worry. I want to feel safe in my room at night, but theres a reception desk clerk, then 4 floors up to my room in a lift, a lock on the main floor door and then the lock on the room. There are no windows in the room itself, but for £18 per night you get what you pay for....and wireless net access is included (hence me sat in my room at 4am blogging). A communal fridge and microwave are just outside the room, and thats where they keep the complimentary bottled water.
Theres a pub next door too that looks like it does good food (lots of local types were eating when I went in). Might give it a whirl tomorrow.
The main thing that's shaken me is the politeness of everyone. Asking police for directions was an absolute pleasure when I got a little lost earlier today. I made the mistake of using familiar stores as landmarks to use as a "trail of breadcrumbs" to get back.....bad move. Do you have any idea how many MacDonalds there are in the Causeway Bay district? Nope, neither do I, but there are too bloody many. Theres also the tendency to get swept up in the crowd and carried in a specific direction whether you like it or not which complicates matters, but a friendly policeman on a pushbike sent me off in the right direction..
When I went into the bar next to the Alisan it was nice to get taken to a seat at the bar, then have my seat pulled out for me. I confused the barman by trying to give him the money straight away for my Jack and Coke, then he confused me by charging me $60HK (about £4!) . Starting to feel a little nostaligic for the prices at Gatwick. Basically it looks like Hong Kong is cheap for fags (about $25HK - £1.75ish) and food...but booze is off the menu. That said, not seen many places to just drink here either. Thats an extremely apparent difference in the cultures. How far do you have to go in Britain to see another bar/pub/off licence....not far. I've walked miles today and seen 2 bars, while restaurants are every few feet.
Anyway,time for the last fag of the night, then its bedtime.
posted by Roachy at 3:26 am
2 Comments:
the pics have just appeared on your last entry, and its good (i think) to see my fat ass on them. #Glad to se your first encounter was good and it made great reading
live the dream
and keep on dreaming!!
C
sounds like you are having a very interesting time babe! i get my skype headset today so hopefully will be able to chat in the next day or two( if you can fit it in!) xxx kirst
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