Well, after a bit of a break, we have made it across the skies to Hongkong. I know there's a big gap and missing a country or two on here but one has to keep some stories to tell on return!

Arriving in Hongkong, back very much into the modernised world, was a bit of a shock. Riding comfortable transport staring up at the huge sky scrapers. Inadvertently we ended up staying in Chung King Mansions, probably the most famous of the backpacker haunts in Kowloon (on the mainland north of HK Island), but nowhere near as good as it sounds (mansion doesn't even come close!) especially as we were living in the Indian run floors. Even after some hard bargaining for the room we still ended up moving a day later to a cheaper cleaner place a block over!

Besides this we enjoyed views from the Peak, riding up and down the tram, getting as high as we could (in the skyscrapers that is!), supped our first pint since leaving England - even though it cost 3.50gbp!, visited the largest Budda statue in the World (or at least the largest outdoor bronze statue) on an outlying Island.

Maybe a couple of things to note if you go to HK. Don't trust the signs. It appears the Hongkongians don't like the open air and you'll be directed a mile through subways, shopping malls, banks, walkways just to find a building across the street! I sad to say that MacDonald's appears to be the cheapest place to eat in the entire Island and Kowloon. Not even the smallest local place we could find could beat the price of a big mac meal.

Right, well that's it really. A final goodbye to Asia before Australasia. What can I say about the last 5 months - maybe that I am now officially an expert with the chopstick!?