From a sad departure from Johannesburg - we flew to the hazy City of Hong Kong. A whirlwind of a place and thankfully super easy to travel around! What a relief considering it to be another of the many destinations we had done little to no research on! We stayed at the YWCA - Young Woman's Christian Association: Yes picture Steve's face! A dingy & rather small grotty room at 30pounds a night. Which is cheap in comparison to others we looked at as well as everything in the city seemed to be booked up. Take note for the next county: book accommodation in advance! We spent our three nights on Kowloon side, traveling around the city each day by MTR (tube) and ferry as well as a hell of a lot of walking. Averaging about 15km a day! *13th January 2006* The first day was a jaw dropping time. The crazy busling streets with neon signs all over the show and many a dodgy looking restaurant. We walked through the ladies market - which sells all the usual Chinese tack. I suprisingly held back from buying anything! Then down the famous Nathan Road and down to the planaterium and National museum. Down the walkway of the Stars. I realised that Chinese food just isn't my favourite and never to order duck. It's very fatty and god knows what else goes into the foods... all very suspect. We even saw a cat shop above a restaurant!!! Sweeney Todd? We then crossed over to Hong Kong Island - which is very different to the mainland. Full of high rise buildings and very modern in comparison to Kowloon. Catching the funicular up to "The Peak" a 45 degree angle accent on a rickity wooden machine. The view was pretty impressive though a little hazy. From here we waited for the laser light show of the city skyline. Pretty cool! And then a wonder down to the trendy Lan Kwai Fong. A bar and restaurant area with madly over priced drinks (And that is all over the city too) Averaging 4-5 pounds a beer! We walked through Soho and the famous antique roads. *14th January 2006* A very restless night and dealing with jet lag we made a start for more sight seeing. We ventured the markets of HK. We Markets: Clothing, Flower, Bird ( loads of beautiful little birds in wooden cages.. very sad) And then even a goldfish market!!! Next was "Temple Wong Tai Sin", Kowloon City park, The pier and caught the infamous Star ferry to the island. Wondered the mad streets, on to the Temple of Man Mo - which had gigantic insence coils hanging from the ceiling. We even managed to watch the Liverpool match at a pub!!! And then being slightly adventurous voiced ourselves at a karaoke bar - which no one even flinched when we attempted Miss American Pie. We partied until 4am *15th January 2006* Blurry eyed we made it to Lantau Island by train to see The Giant Buddha (34metres, tallest in the World) Truly spectaular. We then visited the Po Lin Monastery and had a great meal. Stupidly we decided to catch the ferry back to the mainland -which ended up being 2x expensive! Though an experience if anything! The evening we went to see the night fish market. Where stalls have gigantic tanks of fresh fish. You select what you want, how you want to cook it and they kill it and prepare/cook it for you in the restaurant. Sadly it was a bit out of our budget as well as made us both feel a little sick at the fact of killing it there and then. Our last dinner in HK was at our guesthouse. The best Chinese food we had the whole time there. *16th January 2006* Departed the great HK and off to the next chapter: THAILAND!!!!