Ok...carrying on from Yangshou (China)....

*Said goodbye to Dries and headed off on my own to Hong Kong by overnight bus. Walked across my first border crossing...not much fun with the brick of a bag I have!lol. Not like its hard in HK...but figured out the train system and got myself to the hostel in Fortress Hill (HK Island). Everything in HK is very compact...but i think i managed to find one of the only hostel's that let me swing my bag around.

*Met an American guy called Cliff, who was being filmed by a Chienese film crew about backpackers and tagged along with them for a day to Victoria Peak. Nice view from the top...if you like skyscrapers.lol. Got my 5 secs of fame, free lunch and to see some of the city i probably wouldn't have seen. HK is a wicked city, very easy...very British!...even had a M&S.lol

*I've been dying to get to HK ever since I'd got the thumbs up to by a notebook....only problem is that we all know I'm completely clueless when it comes to boys toys...so in the end it took me 6 hours in the computer store to buy one.lol. The experience reminder me of when I needed to buy oil for my car. ( for those of you that have heard the story.lol). I'm now the proud mummy of a little LG though! When people initially suggested taking a i-phone or laptop with me, I just laughed it off...thinking who's stupid enough to take that stuff with them?!...but apparently...EVERY backpacker is that stupid. There's free wi-fi in 99% of hostels and if not...Starbucks, so far, is worldwide and they have it for free.

*During my travels...people keep discussing a site called Couch Surfing ( You basically can crash on someone's sofa for free or meet them for a drink/go around the city etc)...so I decided to give it a go in HK. It's a bit daunting at first, but once you get into it I can definitely see the appeal. I met a local girl called Laeitita for a drink...which later turned into meeting some of her friends for some sushi (all you could eat of the best sushi for a tenner!)...followed by some sight seeing the next day in Kowloon, with the Ladies Market and Goldfish Market...a NICE hot pot dinner...where I eat a chicken's ball (yes it popped in my mouth)...and some yummy cocktails finally to wash away the ball taste.lol

*Bumped into Jaime (guy i met in China)...think he's stalking me (kidding Jaime!lol)...and decided to venture away from the hustle and bustle to Repulse Bay on the other side of HK Island. Picture perfect beach! Tried to do some sun bathing, but got too distracted with the floating platoons you can swim to. Treated ourselves to a Pizza Express dinner in Stanley...tatstes so much better on the other side of the world!

*Went to see the world's largest outdoor seated Buddha.lol...there's LOTS of "the world's" largest Buddha's....had my own private cable car up the mountain, with a see through bottom...pretty scary when it's windy.

*Took my first flight from HK to Bangkok...didn't get the best first impression of the Thai's...as the bus driver dropped me of in the wrong place and the taxi driver refused to put the meter on....I can tell you though, that was the last time that i was "had"....from then on...there was no messing with Ashley!

*Bangkok was beyond crazy...what happened in Bangkok...stays in Bangkok.lol. But to sum it up...It involved drinking, drinking, going to bed at 7am, ppl holding my head and force feeding me booze, lady boys, ping pong, strippers, rescuing the boys from hookers, getting the boys to rescue me from hookers, crazy tuk tuk journeys, being chucked out of a tuk tuk, banana pancakes, squeezed in the Grand Palace, had my card swallowed by the ATM machine, fish eating your feet therapy and laughing so much you nearly pee.lol

*After dragging my hung over self away from Bangkok...I headed north to Sukhothai...but not before getting stuck in Bangkok train station for 6 hrs, being stranded in Phitsanulok at 2am and finding what i think was a brothel as a hotel to crash in until i could get the first bus...and to top it off being eyed up by some old geezer in reception...needless to say i double checked every lock that night.

*Upon finally arriving in Sukhothai, i was happy to be one of the only westerners there...so no temptation to party. Chilled out for a few days with the gecko's, rented a bike to go round the old city and de-toxed.

*Next was Chiang Mai...nearly on the same scale as Bangkok.lol........tbc