7th July 2008

• Lydia, Charlotte, John and I woke up earlish and made our way to the Avenue of Stars
• Fell into the Pacific Coffee Company. Mocha, ham/cheese croissant, coffee.
• General chatting and free internet use.
• Picked up laundry from Chumpking mansions.
• Sorted my toiletry situation, though shop had nothing that men could use to clean themselves. VO5 shampoo it is.
• Back to hotel. Lauran's group there. They crammed 9 in 2 taxis, but we put 6 in 3! Lunacy.
• MRT to border. Bust through border control, though Charlotte was held at passport control for ages.
• Waited a while in train station, then we were in China!!
• On train. Very nice. Frilly. 6 bed. Chat to guy who let David have the bed near us.
• Lights out at 10! Had surprisingly nice pot noodle alternative. All got caught out by lights off time.
• Kids crazy. I had the middle bed and could stretch legs out partially into the aisle. Very comfy duvet.
  

Sunday 6th July 2008

• Ellen & Harriot said goodbye.
• Bust out and bumped into Lauren outside lift.
• Both starving so we hit up Irish pub
• Underground, uber nice. Guinness and steak pie!!!
• Got my local payment. Max out bank.
• Taxis avec Charlotte and Lauren to new hotel @ 12.
• Very swanky. TV, Sofa, Awesome. Roommate not there yet.
• Walked in rain quite a distance down Nathan street to find Toilet cafe.
• Awesome.
• Seats are toilets, urinals on walls a decoration, food came in toilets, yummy and cheap.
• Humourous poo lights and souvenirs. Great find, courtesy of Charlotte's cafe 6th sense.
• Afterwards I found crazy hairdresser, not much English, had hair washed and not too crazy cut, with layers apparently. Only 90 HKD.
• Tried to meet Charlotte in Temple Street, drowned. Very wet, Hotel. Watched American Dragon. Met John. Safe.
• Met group, cool, meeting, David is our guide and seems good
• Went for dinner. Yummy Udon noodles again.
• Wandered streets a bit, stock up on food, slept.
  

5th July 2008

• Faffed loads in the morning.
• Took metro to Admiral, got lost.
• Went in the posh Palace Shopping Mall, where there was a tuxed out guy on the piano
• Walked to and through the very nice Hong Kong park, which had many a water feature.
• Got to peak tram station, skipped the huge line with my octupus card.
• After the insanely steep train ride, got to the top, scampered up loads of escalators.
• Amazing views of Hong Kong and surrounding area. Very hot.
• Generally wandered around Central and the IPC.
• Went back after food and failing to see a film at the cinema, so admired my blonde hair, which is crazy and slept.
  

4th July 2008

• Up. Internet. Food.
• Wander to dock
• Offered drugs as normal.
• Nice dock.
• Walked along the Avenue of Stars, enjoying the skyline of Hong Kong Island.
• Went in the art museum, a bit empty, but was a cool exhibition on modern digital art and I scammed the woman into giving me a student admission.
• Carried on along Avenue of Stars, cool statues related to film and Bruce Lee.
• Lots of famous Chinese and Hong Kong movie stars, and cement hand imprints. Jet Li, Jackie Chan, John Woo, Chow Yung Fat.
• Pacific Coffee Company!
• Mongkok. Wander around. Got a bit lost.
• Crappy computer shopping centre
• Buy cool dual sim phone. K-Touch D770
• Meet girlies, and went to a Cat Cafe. Took forver to get cookie and hot chocolate, not great and expensive. But there were cats all over the place, scratching up the leather furniture.
• Went to get visa. Woo! Got it. So did Charlotte.
• Met others for a beer on Avenue of Stars. Sunset.
• Wedges. Light show to music. Okay, and little band playing on the front.
• Went to crappy restaurant.
• Soho for a drink or two.
• Slept.
  

3rd July 2008

In an unsure state of mind (slightly panicing), I got up early and found the internet again, possibly booked a flight and my accommodation, though visa website scared me with no same day visas. Checked out and then tried to find some way to get to the ferry terminal. The hotel guy was my saviour once more, and after failing to get a taxi he took me to where the casinos have free shuttles to their locations, so I hopped into the Sands bus. After a medium boiling walk to the terminal past a number of amazing casinos, some in the shape of volancos and castle, I grabbed some sarnies and bought tickets to Kowloon. Waited in the “departure” lounge after being allowed through passport control. The ferry was quite fast to Hong Kong and I was on the top deck, mostly to myself, though they food people wouldn't take Macau money.

Arrived, with slight confusion, and took a taxi to Chumpking mansions. Urgh. Apparently I didn't have a reservation, and was giving some form of converted janitors cupboard in Tom's Guesthouse not much wider than my armspan. Stormed out, eventually found a net cafe to print out all my Chinese details, including a possible forgery of my departing flight confirmation. In the Visa agent I had to pay £156 to get my visa ready in time, though I did help her with her LG viewty, so I think she thought I was alright after initial reservations. Grabbed the awesome tube system to central, and ate Pret a Manger. mmmm. Met Holly and Lauren, had drinkies and got to finally relax after a large amount of stress and anxiety. Said bye bye, went to a big shopping centre called IPF or IPC. Shops, food and Pacific Coffee Company. Faffed, I regret I had Maccy D's, went back home to sleep and die a little bit.