Day 1 - To Hong Kong

T: Our flight is at 8.55am and we arrive at the airport just before 6.00. The Cathay Pacific check in desk is all but deserted. Check in goes fine and we get our invitations to the Cathay lounge (through Wayne's friend at work). All comfy couches and we lounge around reading the papers and making raisin toast. Wonder what the velvet ropes are for and then realise we're sitting in the First Class bit. Nobody seems to be bothered through. Must look like we belong.

Spend the flight watching Little Britain and Monk and a crazy HK version of Family Feud. The individual entertainment system is neat although the games are very pissweak, the hangman game only seems to have one word.

Coming in to land at HK, even the oil tanks and apartment tower blocks don't really take away the feeling of a misty Chinese landscape, mountains rearing straight out of the sea with smaller islands on the horizon.

Getting our Airport Express tickets is a little confusing because we are directed to the wrong desk, but eventually sort it out and we're on the train which is super fast and super smooth. We're both spellbound by the scenery while a bored CX flight attendant across the way sorts through her handbag.

After 15 minutes of mountains and coastline we pass through a distinctly unpromising industrial landscape before we emerge at Kowloon ("nine dragons") then onto the shuttle bus and we're in the Hong Kong I remember.

W: The ride to our hotel in Kowloon is crazy. Traffic, people, shops, lights, absolutely mad, possibly crazier a ride than anything at HK Disneyland. Checked in at the Salisbury YMCA Hotel, overlooking the harbour and right next door to the ritzy Peninsula Hotel but a fraction of the cost.

Freshened up, checked out the local TV (Channel [V] - familiar yet different, Star World - a bit like FOX8 with Angel, Whose Line Is It Anyway, on other channel there were fun Canto game shows and soap operas).

Walked up Nathan Road. Immediately start getting hassled by hawkers selling "fake Rolex" (I don't even want a real one) and reflexology which interests me but looks suspiciously sleazy. Kowloon Park, follow signs to the Sculpture Walk which show a Moai (Easter Island) statue on the signs but there are no Moai statues to be found. Enormous carp swim in the large Geneva style fountain below signs that say don't put fish or tadpoles in. Seems no one was listening.

Found the first of a long strip of upmarket shopping centres which eventually led to Harbour City with more reasonably priced shops. Found a food court (good veg dinner) and an incredible Page One bookstore. Walked back to Tsim Sha Tsui (which we, at that stage were mispronouncing as Sim Sha Swee) and the HMV store which has an amazing DVD selection. People everywhere. No wonder all the shops are open until 10 or later.

Next > Day 2 - Hong Kong - Snoopy's World