Saturday December 1 - Monday 3
** More pictures to follow when we can get them off the camera (sorry no pictures of the skyline yet) **
A relatively short bus or train ride over the border, a tour of China isn't complete without a few days in Hong Kong.
This southern state was a British colony until 1997 when power was handed back to the Chinese.
A brief but painful period of Japanese occupation during World War II aside, this was part of the Empire continuously from 1841 after the Opium Wars. It was from then that the small coastal town expanded rapidly to eventually become the remarkable city it is today.
When you cross over the border it feels like you have been transported forward several decades. Defiantly capitalist Hong Kong is a modern and wealthy city with districts full of ex-pats and western prices to boot.
Our hostel was right in the heart of the shopping district and a short walk from the ferry terminal which takes you to the other Hong Kong islands.
The pavements were so rammed in this crazy city that frankly they could have pedestrianised the whole place and it would still have been almost impossible to walk anywhere.
On the biggest road down to the boat terminal - Nathan Road - there are dozens of the world's leading designer shops. Unfortunately for this trip they were well beyond our budget.
It's a place where East truly meets West - dumpling and noodle shops share the street with a M&S store and a Clarks shoe shop.
On the first night we ate fresh seafood in a street restaurant near the Temple Street Market.
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| Before: Crabs waiting to be cooked |
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| On the dinner table: Our prawn covered in breadcrumbs |
We ordered a delicious dish of mussels garnished with garlic. We also went for a fresh prawn which had been cooked before being garnished in breadcrumbs. The fish itself was quite gristly and we really had to pick away at it and stab it with chopsticks to get at the fresh prawn which lay beneath the almost armoured shell.
Unfortunately the following day we were both left feeling decidedly unwell. The food was great - but we wouldn't go back there.
With limited time we headed for the hills on the Sunday and got the Peak Tram up to one of Hong Kong's highest points.
The service has been running since the early days of colonialism and the 400metre climb up a one mile track gave us an excellent view over the city.
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| Amazing selection of wares: The Temple Street night market in Hong Kong
In the evening we had a visit to the market, near where we had eaten the previous evening, which we won't forget in a hurry.
Stallholders sell a remarkable array of glitzy wears including clothing, paintings, mobile phones, bags, watches, DVDs and headphones.
I tried to help Kelly-Ann by some "Beats by Dr Dre" headphones - counterfeit of course. I don't know who Dr Dre is, but I know he makes headphones and apparently isn't a real doctor.
The short plump Hong Kong native asked for $290 HK (around £25) - but we equivocated and asked to try them. He thought he had a deal.
After the trial run (they were excellent) I offered $200 HK hoping he'd meet us half way. But he insisted we'd agreed a price - and said we had to pay.
When I said "no", the response was "f*** you, you have to pay. F*** you".
As he went red in the face shouting the crowds parted and shuffled well away from his stall. On he went (with the same again).
Finally this tirade came to a stop and he offered "OK, $250 HK?"
After this unbelievable outburst in the genteel marketplace there's no way we'd buy them. We marched off into the humid night sky.
For travellers, China is a huge culture shock to the system because it is so busy. Hong Kong may feel more familiar, but really this is just a capitalist China on steroids.
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| Rude: The block where the Lee Garden Hostel which we stayed in is located |
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