The Empire Hotel Hong Kong

... a huge dinner for 5 of us, it was 3$ per person. Then we went to Coldstone and paid 4$ for the tiniest bowl of ice cream ever.  They had so many American establishments. Lots of Starbucks, Coldstone, KFC, Wendys, Outback (ya Joanna!!), TGI Fridays, and even Hooters Shanghai--which my guy friends made us stop at. <br><br>Day 6  Woke up and went to a market full of every fake thing you could possibly imagine.  Fake Uggs, Nintendo Wii, watches, purses, Abercrombie ...

... one quarter the area of Manhattan with 7 million people, order is crucial. Without it there is chaos. And one person breaking rank could catalyze chaotic behaviour everywhere. <br><br>So the city works, because everyone accepts the order, and as a result, it is a model of efficiency. More efficient than any city I've been to. The subway gets me anywhere, and its immaculate. Raised walkways keep pedestrians out of traffic, and traffic moving. Escaltors save my ...

It has been another tiring week of sport and exercises for me this week. On Thursday night I played 5 a side football which we won 16 - 1! We play football at the German Swiss school which has these hand ball goals which are tall but not wide, and scoring is not as easy as the score suggests! <br><br>Friday has to be the busiest day for me in terms of coaching. I am up at 7 to start work and don't get into until sometimes 11 at night, this Friday was no exception ...

Arrived into Hong Kong Friday lunchtime after a 6am stop over in Singapore. Didn't sleep much on the plane despite having a row to myself so arrived feeling beyond tired, which was confounded by the 33 degree heat and 90% humidity. Hong Kong is all about shopping, which I found out the last time I was here. Having spent three days in shopping malls before decided ...

... is a big bank of outdoor showers, and indoors is a large communal changing room. I rejected that immediately and looked for a bathroom. Most were squat toliets, but I did find one large handicapped western toilet- score! I changed, and Natalie refused to put on her suit. Lame as usual.<br><br>So, the weather was a little disappointing, especially since the mountains made the sun set earlier than it would have, but I was glad to have an opportunity to give sit around and read with my toes in ...

... and "electronic goods" and that wikitravel said had the best deal on cameras. We were on a mission to buy bike helmets for our trip. Of course, there wasn't a bike helmet in sight. Most "sporting goods" shops sell shoes, shoes and more shoes. Tennis rackets, flippers, and ping pong paddles were for sale in some, but no bike helmets. I continued searching for the perfect camera. For a major upgrade on my 7.1 megapixels.... No luck. We made it ...

... sko derinde, som var helt rimelige i pris. Ida og jeg nøjedes med at købe noget i de lidt billigere butikker i underetagen, jeg en nederdel og hun et par sko. Vi burde nok have afsluttet vores shopping lidt før, for vi kom alt for sent hjem, således at vi kun havde 10 minutter til at gøre os klar, før vi skulle mødes med de andre. Vi nåede det dog. Vi havde ikke på forhånd planlagt nytårsaften, så vi valgte lidt tilfældigt en restaurant at spise på. Jeg var ikke helt ...

... I Did A Funny Job But It Is A Secret.<br><br>We Arrived At 2030.Quite Fast Even We Late For Almost An Hour.Immigration And Bags Clearance Was Very Fast.Efficience And Well Organise.we Straight Back To The Hotel Using Bus.Language Barrier Is A Problem As The Bus Driver Can't Speak English.We Almost Pass The Place We Should Stop.We Had A Trouble Finding The Hotel At First But What We Tought ...

... a few more places I hadn't yet seen. I sent to the flower market and then the Bird Market. The flower market had all kind of flowers, and especially orchids. The Chinese really like their birds. There were men watching their birds, or moving their cages around to see them better, or get them in the sun or out of the sun... or maybe just taking them for a walk to give them some air, or a different view?? Then ...

... 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 ...