Hong Kong Fuey!

We arrived in Hong Kong after the over land immigration checks and found our hostel. The hostel was on the 10th floor of a place called Chung King Mansions, which was a strange place. The ground floor was full of shops and stalls; it reminded me of Shipley underground market!! The people there were mainly African and Indian/Pakistanis and there were lots of curry stalls....yummy!! Each floor of the mansion (posh word for tower block) had different hostels and restaurants, our hostel was owned by a family from the Philippines. The grandma of the family ruled the roost and we had to call her Mamma, she was ace and made us feel at home.

Hong Kong use to be under the British rule so we didn't really know what to expect but I certainly didn't expect to see a Marks & Spencer's opposite our hostel!! The streets had British style bins and double decker buses just like at home! We stayed in Kowloon and on the first night walked down to the harbour which faces Hong Kong Island. The skyline on Hong Kong Island is pretty impressive and we walked down the Avenue of the Stars which ran along the front. It's similar to the Hollywood Walk of Stars. It had stars on the ground with hand prints of famous Chinese actors, we saw Bruce Lee's and Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Chow Yun Fat's hand prints. The sun was setting and we treated ourselves to a couple of drinks at a bar on the harbour. We watched the buildings change in the evening light and helicopters flying down and landing on the roof tops of skyscrapers (very Christian Grey, 50 Shades!). At 8pm every night there is a light show where major businesses on the skyline use lasers and lights to entertain the crowds. From what little we had already seen of Hong Kong we really liked the feel of the place and it seems like a really fun city.

On the second day we headed off to the peak which is the highest viewing point in the city and is situated on Hong Kong Island. You can get to the peak by using the tram which has been in operation since 1888! The views were great but unfortunately for us it was a muggy day so we couldn't see far. At the top of the peak are restaurants and bars and lots and lots of souvenir shops.

On the third day we decided to track down the Michelin Star restaurant we had heard about....now I know we're travelling and money is tight, this is no ordinary Michelin Star restaurant! A guy called Tim Ho Wan has opened 3 Michelin Star restaurants in the city but wanted to serve local people quality food so kept the prices ridiculously cheap....bonus for us! We heard that people queue around the block so you had to go early. We found the restaurant and got a number and were told to come back in two hours. It was 10.30am, they open at 10am and we were given number 43 so you can see how busy it gets! We went for a wander round and came back later and I think we got bumped up the line as the number on the door said 27! Jamie had got all dressed up in his tux t-shirt but the place looks nothing like what you'd expect. It is tiny and very basic. We ordered 5 dishes including the famous Dim Sum stuffed with BBQ pork and they were amazing and the whole lot cost us £6.50!!!!

After our delicious lunch we went to see The Dark Knight at the pictures as Jamie has been most upset at all the films he's been missing. It was nice to do something "normal" as well. After the film we headed home for some pot noodles! Great day!!

Our last day in Hong Kong and it decided to chuck it down and a Typhoon level 4 warning was given, it was windy but to be honest no worse than being on top of Balidon Moor on a rainy afternoon! Wimps! We thought that this might be a good excuse to go to a museum (first one on our travels!). We went to the Hong Kong Museum of History which really gives you an insight into the turbulent times Hong Kong has seen. We left the museum and it was still raining, a little worried that our flight to Penang maybe cancelled we headed to the airport. We were very lucky as our flight was one of the few not cancelled and although the ride was a little bumpy we got to Penang safe and sound.

Oh and just a little something you might find amusing, people keeping asking us if we're from the same country...I think it's because Jamie sounds so....rough! ha, ha!

A few things we learnt about Hong Kong

• Its a home from home with double decker buses and M&S!
• There is such a thing as a cheap Michelin Star restaurant and it was also our cheapest meal in Hong Kong!
• In 1825 Britian introduce Opium to China causing alot of people to become addicted.
• We had 99 year lease in Hong Kong and gave it back in 1997.
• Don't mess with Mamma!

love

H & J