HONG KONG HIGHS

The train journey from Shanghai to Hong Kong was reasonably stress free. We shared our cabin with an older couple from Hong Kong who were really nice. Before we went through immigration we all had to have our heads scanned with heat checking cameras - we assume that they were checking for Japanese Encephalitis or SARS. The weather here is much warmer than the rest of China. Our "guesthouse" is located in Chungking Mansion in the Kowloon area of Hong Kong. Don't be deceived by the use of the word Mansion. Although the building is located about 100 yards from the poshest hotel in Hong Kong and dozens of designer shops it is a high-rise hovel. The place is semi-derelict and home to almost as many backpackers and immigrants as it is cockroaches. The lower floors are inhabited by endless money changing booths and Indian shopkeepers selling knock-off DVD's. Our room is tiny but very clean. The only downside is that the rest of the residents in our particular guesthouse are a load of African immigrants who are using the place as a warehouse as well as a place to stay. They kept us up the other night by sitting outside our door taping up hundreds of packets of pajamas until Sarah got them to pack it in. We've been on a harbour cruise on the Star Ferry and taken the Peak Tram to the top of Hong Kong Island. We've also ridden the world's longest escalator which runs for miles through SoHo. Continuing with the Roy Castle theme we also watched the world's largest permanent light display in the harbour where all of the skyscrapers on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon have light displays set to music every night.

Next stop Tokyo…