Marlboro Hostel Hong Kong

AirCanada flight went fast - 14 hours - although the seat controls didn't work. The steward had to lay on the floor and bang some gears to get it to recline. Roughing it in Business Class, so wasn't too shook up. 7 hour layover in Hong Kong. Bought the $14 ticket to train into the city from airport. Decided to get off in Kowloon and take a ferry over to the Hong Kong Island ...

... dwellings. Still, most buildings are high rise and the views from some of these places are just breathtakingly magnificent.
We had traveled by bus from the airport, to our next place of rest which was located in Tim Sha Tsu or just TST for non Cantonese speaking travelers. On our way we had noted the very beautifully sculptured monuments and the tunnels that British engineers had left for the Chinese Government and the population in ...

... in the west long time”, and advised me to go to Central if I wanted to see Hallowe’en celebrations (he didn’t really dig the importance of Disneyland).

My hostel was an even short** distance from the bus stop in real life than it is on the map, but th**e w**e gates and lifts and corridors and doors and buttons and phones and ev**ything imaginable to press before you got to reception. It’s like Get Smart, I swear. Your Shangri-La ain ...

... at first. But we soon discovered the diving board and caused distress to the lifeguards for a full half hour. Practically alll the swimmers were male, so we left thinking we had been to a gay swimming pool.

We also spent most of our time trying to find some table tennis tables. We eventually ended up in a Private Sportscentre one night and just asked for table tennis and he directed us straight to them, no payment or anything. It was quite odd. We then ...

... small fishing town on that side of the island: Apparently a lot of ex-pats live there. It was nice to see a smaller town- Still packed with people b.c it was a Saturday- but nothing like downtown HK. The fishing markets were the craziest- The pictures have more stories there.

People in HK really like their fresh fish- So fishermen will go to the fishing farm pick up a collection and sell them from the boats to ...

... sound and light sound show which occurs every evening on the building of Hong Kong Island ...

... the gate and we both fell asleep waiting. We kept waking up and seeing a long boarding line. I finally woke up and saw no one, so we sprinted/hobbled to the gate. We were the last ones on! We were on our first 747. It is a pretty cool plane (some business class get to sit upstairs). I think this plane has seen a few flights. There were some things that looked a bit dated and we had tons of leg room! I read for 2 seconds and was asleep again. I woke up to have some ...

... change to YMCA but so nice to have a little luxury!! Had laundry done in luxury, felt like home washed! chilled by pool and then went to watch lightshow! Had high tea at the Peninsula hotel which was pretty savage and then ate pizza over looking harbour! More chilled night as wanted to make most of amazing room! Off to Oz next... yippeeeeeee! We are looking forward to getting back to the beach. Really nice city and soo glad decided to visit. Xx

... most school-related week of my trip. As I was fighting a case of food posioning from Monday nights uncooked chicken (Thanksgiving Dinner BBQ), I spent four days in my room writing essays and studying. Then yesterday Kassia, Robyn, Helen and their Swedish friend all arrived here from Bangkok and we went out for a night of epic proportions. Last night was also a time of giving: In my first act of kindness this semester, I jumped out of the cab last night and ...

... blur, memories take on a significance they don't deserve. It's a significance that's enhanced by the soundtrack of the hypnotic tapping of passing stilettos. I think back to the heat of the Persian Gulf, and the long sweaty day in Dubai. I think back to Pyongyang, looking out from my hotel room with the cool breeze in my face and the unlit streets of the city beneath me. I think back to the Great Wall snaking over the mountains and into the mist. I think back to ...