Vertigo
Trip Start
Sep 14, 2010
1
59
61
Trip End
Feb 18, 2011
Where I stayed
Hong Kong, China
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
I left New Zealand and Leanne, Chris and baby Jack with tears streaming down my face and even after landing in Auckland my eyes still kept filling up. I had only left them 2 hours ago and already missed them terribly and the thought of not being able to smell New Zealand air for a long time made it worse. Can't wait till I'm back.. until we meet again: "Thank you so much again for being such an amazing friend Leanne and putting up with me for such a long time. It has been so amazing living with you and your family!"
The journey to Hong Kong was rather stressfull as it turned out that the curry I had for lunch that day didn't agree with me too well. So there I was, having the shits on a 12hour flight, sitting in a window seat with two rather overweight people squeezed in next to me.. the first time in 5 months I muttered something close to a prayer. After waht seemed to me as an eternity on the toilet I managed to sleep a few hours - sort of. The guy next to me jokingly said I'd have to pay toll tax for every time he has to get up. In my defence I made them only get up twice during the whole flight which considering the circumstances I think wasn't that bad. I paid him with my portion of early morning (3am Hong Kong time) scrambled eggs and sausages and he was happy. I couldn't eat anything anyway.
I hung out at the airport after my arrival as it was only 7am, cold and check in at the hostel not until 2pm. I got my Octopus Card (like our Oyster card) at the Airport Express Counter in the Arrivals Hall and went off to find my bus. The bus ride to Hong Kong Island was very impressive, although my eyes kept falling shut, I was so tired and hardly had any sleep in the last 35 hours. The skyline was amazing. These absolute massive skyscrapers and high rise appartements were built into sheer rock and hills and elevated roads were weaving in and out if them. I stayed in the Yesinn Hostel near Fortress Hill MTR Station. My room was on the 15th floor and it wasn't too hard to find either. A much better choice than staying in one of the numerous Hostels down Chungking Mansions in Kowloon. There was always space on the lift and the area felt really safe and transport was fantastic. Pretty easy to walk around from there as well. Apart from crossing over to Kowloon, taking the bus to and from the airport and using the tube when my feet were too tired, I walked everywhere. Also during my research into Hostels a lot of the reviews of Chungking Mansion likened it to 'New Delhi rather than Hong Kong' due to all the Indians and Arabs pestering you at the entrance to try and lure you into their Hostel. I did go there the next day to check it out and yes there's a mob of guys trying to talk you into staying at their Hostel but it ain't that bad really and I'm sure the Hostels are nice once you're inside. Don't be fooled by the outside of the building.. there aren't that many lifts though so I heard from a guy staying in my dorm that it can take up to 30 minutes until you can get up to your room. So I was glad I chose the Yesinn in Hong Kong Island.. so much calmer and Hong Kong Island has so much more to offer than Kowloon in my opinion.
The first day I ran around like a headless chicken, dizzy and with a stiff neck from looking up and up at these endless skyscrapers. I just went wherever it looked great and interesting which was pretty much every side street and corner, changing my mind constantly. I must have walked over 10km that day. There was just so much to see and explore and the good thing was that it was just so easy to get around and there was no way of getting lost either, not with the hills on one side and the sea on the other. The next day I felt like a local already, recognising the streets and places and finding my way round without my map. I still was full of amazement how man can build such structures and how many people you can cram into such small spaces and right in the middle of it are the Botanical gardens and Hong Kong Park.. an Oasis in the concrete jungle and I had absolutely magnificent views over the city from there. The weather wasn't great, well even luck struck people like me have to run out of it at some point so a long sleeve top, jumper and fleece jacket were doing the trick and lots and lots of walking to keep me warm!
I went to the Mid-Level-Escalators which run from Central up the hill only a few meters away from people's windows and through SOHO. Seriously it just felt like being back in London's SOHO. Lot's of English bars and English speaking people and I have to say the whole Hong Kong trip turned out to be a slow reintroduction into London life. Hong Kong has still got a very British feel to it and I keep forgetting that I'm in China. I also have to admit that I haven't had any local food yet, just didn't feel like it. Instead I came across a restaurant called Nepal and just had to go in. To be honest all I had wished for was a plate of Dhal baat but the restaurant was rather on the posh side, well for backpacker standards anyway. It was still cheap though so I treated myself, this was going to be my last restaurant meal for a very long time!!!! While I was tucking into my Kukhura Himalayan Style and slurping my Ghurka Punch my eyes fell on the big screen in the bar across the street.. my heart jumped with excitment when I saw the 'All Blacks' playing rugby. Now I haven't got the faintest idea about rugby but that very moment I decided that to keep my ties with beautiful New Zealand I'd be an 'All Black' supporter for life! Bring on the World Cup.. haha!
It was a rather emotional moment. Here I was, an Austrian sitting in a Nepalese restaurant in SOHO in Hong Kong, surrounded by English people, watching the All Blacks play and listening to Resam Firiri. The ultimate moment and the whole 5 months cramped into one hour.
Photos will follow once I'm back in London.. no way of uploading them here..
Comments
What an amazing journal entry. It sounds like you had an intersting flight. Glad you enjoyed Hong Kong. Love you and Miss you heaps. Jack can't quite say stef yet, but we're working on it.
You write a wonderful blog! Fun to read and interesting - hope you get home safely ans see little Teddy soon! x