"Wanna buy a suit?"

Trip Start Mar 14, 2006

374

Trip End Mar 15, 2007

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Flag of Hong Kong Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Friday, April 7, 2006

Waking in a small, windowless, hot room the first thing on my mind was to find somewhere else to stay, anywhere. Being Hong Kong however the options were limited at the budget end of the scale in terms of quality cheap accommodation with the infamous Chunking Mansions being the main alternative, which from reports was not a favorable option.

Walking down Nathan Road, Hong Kong appeared even more crowded than Tokyo which would have been hard for me to believe just a few weeks earlier. Signs and neon advert hoardings hung over the sidewalks in abundance, think Blade Runner at ground level rather than roof top level, either of which though I was keen to see.

"Wanna buy a suit?"

I turned to see a guy flaunting his tailored suits just to the side and made my first mistake, acknowledging a tout, heck even making eye contact with them will see them trailing you half way down the street

Bruce Lee

. After freeing myself from one I immediately bumped into another then another, "Cheap watch, Rolex". At least I now know what the earth would be like if overtaken by mindless zombies.

Once past the lower end of Nathan Road (they tend to swarm around just outside Chungking Mansions with enough shady characters hanging around there to dim even the lights of Hong Kong harbor at night) they eased off allowing me to reach the Star Ferry Terminal and cross over to Hong Kong Island. The short and very cheap (1.7 HKD) crossing gave me my first full view of Hong Kong harbor and it did not disappoint. The mass of skyscrapers filled the opposite harbor side with the huge IFC building towering over all.

Back on the Kowloon side I took a gamble and checked out a hostel in Mirador Mansion on the 12th floor. It was better than expected and certainly better than were I was so I checked in before heading out to try some Cantonese food.

I found a little restaurant serving mainly noodles and dumplings and after following my nose inside the tempting smell wafting out I was soon tucking into some tasty chicken noodles with pork dumplings which came steamed in a little bamboo basket.

Feeling pretty stuffed I went for a walk along the waterfront and again was picking my jaw up off the floor on seeing Hong Kong island at night across the harbour.

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