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The first and most important thing to do on the train in the morning was to finish our long running game of Dirty Dozen. This is a card game Carol introduced us to and one I will take with me on the rest of my travels.
The taxi ride from the train station to the hotel was extremely surreal. A city with the layout of Bangkok and then New York introduced itself to me and then evidence of British occupation smacked me in the face. British style traffic lights, driving on the ‘correct’ side of the road and English street names such as Gloucester Road and Winslow Street, even double-decker buses showed how Hong Kong has been influenced over the past century. During the afternoon we walked around the busy streets and shopping centres and then watched the Symphony of Lights from the Avenue of Stars. This is a light and laser show from the buildings of the Hong Kong waterfront that was like nothing I have ever seen before. At 10pm we all met in Frank’s hotel room for a few drinks and some emotional farewells.
Cosmic Guesthouse awaited me the next morning and after 3 weeks of decent hotels through China I couldn’t have had a bigger change in direction. Due to Hong Kong being fairly small and overly populated (it is more densely populated than Manhattan), living space is stupidly small. Saying that, my room had a bed, toilet, shower and TV so I couldn’t complain. And the fact that I could touch all of those things at the same time was a Brucie Bonus in my books. That afternoon Aisling and I took the Star Ferry over to Hong Kong Island. Sure it was impressive but it was no Ferry Across The Mersey. We then took the escalators up the Soho section of the island. These are the longest outdoor escalator in the world and are a genius idea with the roads being so steep. In the evening we met up with the remaining group and rode the tram to Victoria Peak for some bird’s eye views of the illuminated buildings of Hong Kong.
The next day we had an explore around Hong Kong island. More of the British influence showed itself including our beautiful Queen’s head on the back of $1 dollar coins and people actually queuing in shops and at bus stops. This may not be a big deal to most people but if you had just spent 3 weeks in China you would understand. Another thing different from China was that even though the same high end stores such as Gucci, Prada and Rolex clutter the high streets, people here can actually afford to shop in them. Hong Kong is definitely a island for the wealthy, every 5 minutes a different supercar comes roaring past you. When walking through the Harbour Mall that evening I stumbled across a Vietnamese restaurant. I stopped to look through the menu, which was a little pricey, but when I came across Beef in Lot Leaf I was in there quicker than you can say Ho Chi Minh City. The dish again was excellent and added to the superb view of the harbour made me forget all about the price tag.
The next day I caught a bus to the other side of Hong Kong Island to an area called Stanley. This is an area of greenery and beaches, populated by ex-pats and is situated away from the hustle and bustle of the city, thankfully. That evening I had a stroll around Temple Street night market and bought some badges. I spent most of my final day in Hong Kong in my guesthouse room and on my new Samsung Notebook. The city was starting to drag me down and I couldn’t stand being asked every 5 minutes if I wanted a copy watch or suit anymore. Something about me obviously screams cheap! I met Alex (the only other survivor from the group that left Beijing 3 weeks previously) for dinner then caught my flight to Brisbane, Australia.
So the first leg of my trip had come to an end. The two months I had spent in Asia, particularly the four weeks in China had been breathtaking and eye-opening. From the temples of Angkor and the islands of Halong Bay to the Giant Pandas of Chengdu and congested streets of Hong Kong, every experience will be one I will never forget. The culture has been like nothing I have witnessed before, especially in China. Children going to the toilet in the middle of the street in their cutaway trousers and the loud talking and spitting by absolutely everyone. The stares and picture taking by Chinese people amazed at the site of westerners (even though I didn’t quite manage the ‘White God’ status I was hoping for), all have been fascinating. Even communism has shocked me. I didn’t expect to find high end fashion stores and expensive cars, fast food chains and satellite TV in Vietnam and China. However, even though the surface seems glossy, evidence of the one-party rule, restriction and corruption are still there to be seen. What reduces the bitter taste though is that the people just get on with life. Even with the horrific histories of these countries the people are some of the happiest I have ever seen. Throughout their days, even working through back-breaking, low-paying labour they more often than not have a smile on their face.
One final thing to point out; Karl is right, ‘you don’t see many 33 year old Chinese people, but at the same time you don’t see that many fat ones either.’
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