After a change of pants from the worst flight ever (turbulance Tokyo to Hong Kong) i'll fill you in.  I assume you've all heard the Spice Girls are reforming? Did you see the new 6th member - me! I'll be known as furry spice (check out the pics).

7th july

We finally touch down and head to Tsim Shar Tsui area of Kowloon and stay in the Mirimar Mansions. The room is very small with inside shower/toilet. Beca is shocked when she sees the toilet/shower door is clear glass. The day is nearly over so we have some dinner and a short walk around the neon filled streets.

8th July

A fairly early rise we stroll down to the harbour to see HK Island skyline by day. If you like mega-structures you'll love the view of all the buildings on the 'business side' of hong kong. The harbour is home to star avenue where the chinese film stars have hand prints and signatures cast in metal, like what hollywood boulevard is to the americans. Among them are Jackie Chan, Jet Lee, Chow Yung Fat and my fav Bruce Lee. About half way along there is a huge bronse statue of Bruce Lee striking his famous stance. After we head up to Mong Kok area to look for a phone shop in the hope of unlocking my mobile but no luck. There is a long street full of fish shops selling exoitic fish and an out door market which we peruse and by ipod covers. A little hungry we sniff out a food stall selling things on a stick like squid, octopus, chicken balls, chicken feet, pigs trotters and other pecuilar items. We give them a miss and settle for coffee and orange cake instead. Night time arrives and back at the harbour to see the laser show. We find out its the 10th anniversary of Hong Kongs independance so on top of the lasers is a firework display every night for 10days. The display was really good the sky a blase with multi-colours and green lasers bounced off the clouds. The harbour full of boats all lit up and people partying on board. After we take a walk along the promenard where locals are performing on a stage - elvis style.

9th July

Today we head to the po lin monastery on lantau island where the worlds largest bronse buddha lies atop a hill. We have to take a bus as the cable car is closed (out of season). The monastery is more like a theme park than a historical site, very beefed up for tourists. Just below the monasery a purpose built village sits full restaurants, trinket shops and puppet shows. Its all too much for Beca and I so we move on to a small fishing village called Tai O where we spent the early afternoon milling about the market streets seeing all dried fish skins hanging above us even a whole shark - very smelly. Early afternoon we looked around Central (HK Island) and took the world famous 100yr old tram to the 'peak' - Although the tram is actually only 10 or so yrs old as its been replaced many times by bigger more sophisticated machines. The journey up is like a roller coster ride the gradients up the 1.4km hill are very steep. At the top we watch the fireworks from HK Island. It was alot better as you could see both the kowloon harbour and HK Island fireworks and lasers. The journey down on the tram was weired as you are facing forward while going backwards in pitch black.

10th July

We leave HK today and head on a train for our first taste of China at Guangzhou.