Airport Idol: Battle of the Asian Tigers

Passing through an unseemly amount of Asian airports in a very short space of time does permit me, I think, to do the Simon Cowell on them all. But the thing is, I can't find any complaints - they just keep getting better, and better. First there was Japan - wow. Then Korea - totally space age dude. But Hong Kong, whilst not necessarily as glitzy and glamorous as Seoul's brand spanking new strangely artistic effort, beats them all in slick efficiency. I was off the plane, through immigration, picked up my bag, straight out of customs into the waiting arms of…the Airport Express lady. Ticket bought, Hong Kong Dollars withdrawn, and onto the train. This is no word of a lie - from plane to train in less than 25 minutes. It was mindblowing. So, my sense of smugness (refer to initial Seoul entry) returned and I thought to myself, 'Cor blimey I am getting the hang of this travelling on my own thing. I'd say I am pretty much a master of it. (Buff fingers against slightly grubby travelling t-shirt) Well done me.' Error number one. I should should should have learnt by now that there is always going to be some little adventure waiting round the corner for me, especially if I start getting too pleased with myself.

It was waiting for me at my friend's flat. 'No key for Alexia miss, no, no key'. Ah. Problemo numero uno. Hm, what to do. Friend on business, no way of getting in unless she has left key. I head straight for the apartment members' free internet and start scrolling my youth hostel options. Names clutched in my sweaty paw, I went back to reception where the kind, if somewhat dim-witted, receptionist girl asked me if I wanted to ring my friend on her mobile, bless her. So I did, and woke her up at some horrendous hour back in the UK. Oh the guilt! However, she assured me that she had left a key, so after a slightly more diligent hunt by the porter, we found it and hurrah! I was in. It is amazing how much more you appreciate the little things when they look like they are turning into a mission, and then suddenly and unexpectedly turns out for the best.

Hong Kong Ping Pong

Fact: Honkers is bonkers. I deliberately chose the city as a brief interlude on my trip not because I am a glutton for punishment and determined to add yet another skyscraper city onto my already towering list, but because in spite of extensive global travel to date, I had not yet been to/seen/experienced Hong Kong. 3 days is quite enough. I can understand why there is a huge ex-pat community here and why they all love it so, but I have quickly determined that it is not for me at all. Stinking humidity, bustling, heaving, jam-packed, consumer-crazy, frenetic, frantic, full of hawking chinamen, top to toe buildings screaming their wares at you, shopkeepers screaming their wares at you... No thank you. Yet another city which allows me to conclude that space is sacred.

I am writing from the, get this, 39th floor, where my friend's apartment is. It is so high up that when I come up from the street in the lift my ears pop. I think I have altitude sickness as well (or that may be the cocktails I was drinking last night). On the plus side, I am in what is known as Old Peak Road - which looks straight up onto 'The Peak', the mountain above HK. My bedroom window is a floor to ceiling mural of bright, luscious green, looking out onto the practically tropical rainforest that covers the mountain. With all this RAIN, I am not surprised it is so vibrant! It is a little like being in a rainforest, only instead of towering trees and vegetation above you, there are towering apartment blocks and congestion. Spaghetti junctions abound, taxis (dirt cheap, so I have made the executive decision not to bother with public transport whilst here) will chuck you out back onto the street if they decide that the hill is too steep to climb. The first time, I was terrified that the coughing spluttering cab was going to go hurtling back down the hill if the driver for one second took his foot off. So, that is a brief description of the tropical metropolis that is Hong Kong. Back to my general antics.

My General Antics

After settling myself into the flat, my tummy started to rumble, and I realised that it was 3pm and I hadn't eaten all day. Good gracious, however did that happen. So I caught a cab into SoHo, and pottered around. Most restaurants had closed so I popped into the nearest open doors, which turned out to be Yung Kee. Unwittingly I had walked into one of the oldest, and whilst not necessarily most expensive, certainly more extravagant than my poor wee budget allows, restaurants in Hong Kong. Instead of rushing out in horror though, I decided I deserved it, and treated myself to their specialities. Annabel, I thought of you - see Food Fiend below.

That evening I met up with my godmother's nephew, who, having been alerted by my dear godmum of my imminent arrival, kindly took me out for dins/drinks. Dinner was at the only Manchurian restaurant in Hong Kong (um, I am afraid to say that I don't really know what this means…), then we headed for drinks in, I am reliably informed, one of HK's most renowned drinking institutions - the 'Feather Boa'. Whilst inside it is every bit as decadent and bohemian as its name would suggest, you must first look past a pair of the filthiets and most unpromising curtains. At this point your courage and persistence will be rewarded with the dark red and purple burlesque interior. I indulged in their speciality (spot the theme of the day) - a whopping great chocolate coated strawberry daquiri - my vitamin C intake for the day.

Hot.

The next morning I obtained my Vietnamese visa with impressive rapidity, then ambled into a pro'er chinese restaurant for a much overdue breakfast of a small bowl of delicious noodles in a very tasty broth. But, and believe me I never thought I would hear these words coming from my noodle-obsessed mouth, I was starting to crave something more, ahem, Western. So when I saw 'toast' on the menu, I jumped at the opportunity. But this wasn't just ordinary toast, this was the Godfather of French toast, and this, was one of my shut eye yum scrum moments, mainly for the normality it briefly allowed me in amongst the chopsticks. I hit the gym a few hours later for some self-flagellation.

Fed and watered, I caught the extortionately priced Star Ferry (6p) across the river to the dark side. This is its official name. I immersed myself in amongst all of the street markets of Mong Kok, bartered for some cut-price trainers, and then, getting hotter, stickier and grumpier, decided to head home. The humidity (it is summer - rainy season) is UN - BEAR - able. But then, in less than 3 seconds, the sky went completely black and a huge rainstorm cleared the air. Ahh. Completely shopped out, I headed home to work off at least 200 calories of my noodle-centric diet in the gym, before going out and meeting another friend for lychee martinis last night.

Today's plan is tres simple: gym, general spa pampering session (because I'm worth it), dim sum dinner with friend after she returns from business, and an early bed before my flight to Vietnam tomorrow. No more racing round this crazy city for me!

Food Fiend

• Deep Fried Prawns with Mini Crab roe - extravagant, but heavenly, the crab roe makes these shrimpy delights manna from heaven, with the prawns cut through with a coriander stalk which gives them a burst of unexpected freshness which cuts beautifully through the richness of the prawns and crab roe
• Roast goose with a small bowl of rice and veg - crispy skin, tender goose, mm. These two dishes are what the restaurant is famous for.
• Garlic Sea Spinach
• Manchurian (read spicy) pork and chicken dishes with rice
• French toast - shameful but true, and oh so worth that hour in the gym for the temporary break it afforded me from my 100% noodley nosh
• Fresh pork noodle soup
• Fresh crunchy vietnamese spring rolls and, rebelliously, shrimp noodle soup this time round