Hong Kong
I've noticed a trend while travelling that the more technologically advanced a country is the more useless their internet cafes tend to be. I had problems in Japan, not least with the cost, and here in Hong Kong I have to search around the internet cafe for a PC that isn't running Windows 98 and that can recognise my camera. However once I've found the sole XP PC it's set up so that I can't access the photos on my camera anyway. A far cry from the Korean PCs where people install anything and everything onto the machines. Thus I am currently online but unable to upload any photos, which is a shame because I think I've taken some good shots of the amazing Hong Kong skyline so far.
My first couple of days here have proven fun. A girl from Austria, Elisa, emailed me a few weeks back about travelling to South East Asia and I only got around to replying while in Korea. It turns out her last couple of days here coincided with my arrival, so we've been able to see the sights together and I've had a rare opportunity to practice my German, which has been great.
I've been staying in Kowloon so far which is where most of the cheap accommodation is located, but I've been tracking down some budget places on Hong Kong Island too so I can make the most of having different bases to explore Hong Kong from. To be honest I'm not too sure whether to call Hong Kong a city, country or province. Officially it's a "Special Administrative Region" but that doesn't mean much to most people. It doesn't help that Hong Kong is both the name of an island as well as the whole region. In any case it's been a thoroughly amazing place to explore so far. Much of my forages so far have concentrated around the harbour area which is just an amazing sight, whether you look at the skyscrapers on Hong Kong island, the mish-mash of Kowloon or the absolutely ram-jammed waterway running between them.
Elisa introduced me to the ferries and trams, both of which cost pence to travel on and are fab ways both of getting around and seeing the sights. We went to the far side of Hong Kong island and briefly visited Aberdeen, primarily for the placename and ended up on a beach at sunset which was a unexpected but thoroughly relaxing way to end the day and it felt a million miles from the bustle of Kowloon.
Heading up the Peak might be on the cards for this evening, but if I've missed the sunset I'll do it another evening. My Chinese visa application is in for processing and I should have it back by the end of the week then I can plan heading into China proper. First stop will likely be Guangzhou which is the first main stop on the train from Hong Kong.
There are loads of foreigners here, although the layout of the place I'm staying at the moment doesn't make it so easy to meet people so I'll likely head to some pubs in the evenings to see who I can find. Also I'm moving guest houses to Hong Kong island in a couple of days so that might prove better too.
For now it's farewell from a frenetic Hong Kong!
My first couple of days here have proven fun. A girl from Austria, Elisa, emailed me a few weeks back about travelling to South East Asia and I only got around to replying while in Korea. It turns out her last couple of days here coincided with my arrival, so we've been able to see the sights together and I've had a rare opportunity to practice my German, which has been great.
I've been staying in Kowloon so far which is where most of the cheap accommodation is located, but I've been tracking down some budget places on Hong Kong Island too so I can make the most of having different bases to explore Hong Kong from. To be honest I'm not too sure whether to call Hong Kong a city, country or province. Officially it's a "Special Administrative Region" but that doesn't mean much to most people. It doesn't help that Hong Kong is both the name of an island as well as the whole region. In any case it's been a thoroughly amazing place to explore so far. Much of my forages so far have concentrated around the harbour area which is just an amazing sight, whether you look at the skyscrapers on Hong Kong island, the mish-mash of Kowloon or the absolutely ram-jammed waterway running between them.
Elisa introduced me to the ferries and trams, both of which cost pence to travel on and are fab ways both of getting around and seeing the sights. We went to the far side of Hong Kong island and briefly visited Aberdeen, primarily for the placename and ended up on a beach at sunset which was a unexpected but thoroughly relaxing way to end the day and it felt a million miles from the bustle of Kowloon.
Heading up the Peak might be on the cards for this evening, but if I've missed the sunset I'll do it another evening. My Chinese visa application is in for processing and I should have it back by the end of the week then I can plan heading into China proper. First stop will likely be Guangzhou which is the first main stop on the train from Hong Kong.
There are loads of foreigners here, although the layout of the place I'm staying at the moment doesn't make it so easy to meet people so I'll likely head to some pubs in the evenings to see who I can find. Also I'm moving guest houses to Hong Kong island in a couple of days so that might prove better too.
For now it's farewell from a frenetic Hong Kong!
posted by Daniel at 10:32 am
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