Nihao,

Our flight from Seoul to Hong Kong was relatively short with a stop-over in Shanghai where we had to change airport. Well, the easy transfer from one airport to the other turned out to be rather complicated and nerve-racking.

Before we left Seoul, we changed all our Won into Hong Kong Dollar, not considering that we would need money to pay the bus ride in Shanghai. So we first changed some US Dollar into Chinese Yuan to pay the bus which brought us from Shanghai International Airport to Hongqiao International Airport Terminal 1. However, our flight left from Terminal 2 and in order to get there we needed to take the subway. Since we did not know that before, we had only changed enough money to cover the cost for the bus. We stood in front of the ticket machine totally desperate and nearly crying (maybe a little exaggerated) but thankfully, a nice Chinese man gave us the money for the subway and we made it in time.

Once we arrived in HK, we took a double decker bus from the airport to our Hostel. Our Guesthouse was located on the 7th floor (however no view) and the elevators had video cameras which we were able to watch from our room (totally creepy). Our room offered enough space to accommodate 1 double bed, a small desk, a tiny bathroom, 2 big backpacks and 2 German Girls but literally not more. We had a lot of fun making a video of the room which might or might not have been the reason for our complimentary upgrade to a slightly bigger room the next day.

Hong Kong was really overwhelming; we constantly had to watch out for the mass of people and the water dripping of the exhausts from all the air conditions of the different buildings. The City really is living up to its motto "Never under value the space you've got" otherwise it would not be possible to fit some 7 million people into 1104 sqkm and therefore it belongs to one of the most densely populated areas in the world. With its 2 official languages (Mandarin and English) and the international flair, Hong Kong makes it quite easy for tourists.

For once we decided to be really touristy and booked a 48hour Hop on - Hop off bus tour in order to escape the craziness a little and enjoy the views from the open roof top. The tour included a Star Ferry round trip between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island (10 minute ferry ride each way), a Peak Tram ride round ticket to get to a view point with amazing sights over the city, a 20 minute Sampan Boat Tour around Aberdeen Harbour and of course 4 different bus tours, including a night tour.

We finished our Hong Kong stay with a day trip to Macau - the Chinese Las Vegas. Well, from what we experienced, Macau is still a long way from Vegas. However, this former Portuguese Colony (still 2 official languages - Mandarin and Portuguese) offers charming plazas, side streets, cafes and cathedrals. We spent the day wandering around and soaking in the Mediterranean atmosphere. On the way back to Hong Kong, we got a free upgrade to the 1st class - the comfortable, wide seats and the complimentary drinks and cookies made the 70min ferry ride less horrible.

After 2 amazing months in Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong, we are now excited for part 2 of our trip - Nepal and India.

Cheerio,

Ann & Sabrina