Phew, it has taken us a long time to work out how to get photos from the camera onto our blog using our new notebook as well as how to get WIFI to work ! When we look back over our year of travel we have certainly learnt a lot about blogs, and digital cameras!
We expect to have problems with our blog here in China but can email our postings to Kerri but have also been experimenting with proxy servers- more things to learn!
We left Macau after 3 days taking the comfortable fast ferry to Hong Kong.
The main reason for going to Hong Kong was to see the Trans Siberian Travel specialists-Monkey Business. We have booked our Trans Mongolian and Trans Siberian train trip through them. We could have done it ourselves but would have needed a lot more time in Hong Kong and had more headaches than we need to organize such travels without being in our home country. Our double entry China visa and our Russian visas have been organized and we will get our Mongolian visa in Russia ourselves.
Accommodation in Hong Kong is pretty expensive because real estate is expensive so we booked a hotel online through hostel world-it had very high ratings and was Hong Kong's top hostel for 2007!
The hostel was like a cupboard it was so tiny. There were 2 narrow single beds with a tiny fridge between them and a huge TV above the foot of my bed. The staff told us we had the A1 room as it had a window opening to the outside. We had our own bathroom and were able to do our laundry and hang it out of the window. Only one of us at a time could stand and get un/dressed!
Everyday the staff argued with their guests as they had no real office- just a chair and table in the hallway- and no decent systems in place. The floor had many different hotel names but seemed to be managed by the staff in the hallway so even though we booked at a specific hotel we were just put where ever there was a vacancy!
Sometimes we had problems getting in and out of our building because there were so many touts. Everyday we were pestered with 'copy handbags', copy watches', 'good tailor', or 'foot massage'!
The tourist office was great and had so much information and maps - being a tourist in Hong Kong is very easy. As we had to spend 9 days there we did all the walking tours, saw the sound and light show, visited all the lovely free parks and temples and got to know how to use the metro and buses.
After Malaysia it was so cold we had to buy some thermals which we will need in China and also in Europe as we will probably arrive there in winter.
We will remember Hong Kong for its warning signs and advisory advertisements.
While walking trails where tree branches crossed the path there would be a laminated sign on the tree saying 'mind your head' and one on the rail saying 'don't climb'. Everywhere were signs showing smoking and no smoking areas- so many places were smoke free which was wonderful after the rest of Asia.
Government TV advertisements covered warnings about using licensed registered travel agents, about investing on the stock-market.
Bus stop billboards warned against idling your engine and pollution, and showed good coughing manners!
