I’ve been in Hong Kong for a week now and can’t currently go anywhere as my passport is with the Russian and Chinese embassies getting visas. That mean I cant even hop over to Macau for a day trip.

For 6 of the last 7 days I have had a friend from the UK with me and we explored most of Hong Kong and Kowloon by foot. It’s been nice having someone from home join me and I must admit that I really enjoyed the company.

As you will have read from previous blog posts, I havent been very well over the last month or so and although I tend to shift it for a bit, the damn thing keeps on coming back. Because of this I have decided that I will fly back to the UK this weekend for a few weeks to give me a chance to finally get rid of this damn bug. It’s no fun travelling when you are constantly feeling ill. I think a few weeks of healthy food, not going in and out of air conditioning, antibiotics etc should see me right and then I can continue on with the rest of my trip as I still need to do the Trans Siberian before the Olympics.

I get my passport back tomorrow (Friday) evening and am flying into London on Saturday. Strangely enough I am looking forward to going home for a bit. I feel exhausted most of the time and cant seem to stop coughing crap up out of my lungs. I wouldnt normally be too worried about that but this is a little different to a normal smokers cough.

Anyway… enough of my whinging.

Hong Kong has been fun. It’s been nice to be in civilisation for a while and a bonus that everyone speaks English so I havent had to  resort to sign language since I have been here. Staying in a 4 star hotel, eating good food, using a decent metro system have all been enjoyable experiences after some of the locations I have been to in the last few months. Although I have done some quick over nighters in Hong Kong over the years, this is the first time I have really spent any time here in 34 years and boy has it changed!

As an example, Victoria Peak now has much more than just 2 restaurants on the top… There’s a whole shopping Mall. How did that get there? The tram seems to have remained the same but the entrance to it has changed since I last remember it.

Hong Kong from Victoria Peak

Kowloon didnt seem to be as manic back then as it is now… although it probably was. I remember loads of skyscrapers but not quite that many in Hong Kong. I dont remember the walkways between the buildings.

In the last few days I think I have been to nearly every market in Kowloon… the night market, the bird market, the fish market, the flower market, the jade market, ladies market… and a few others that I have forgotten the names of.

I’ve had awesome Dim Sum (Yum Cha) in the World’s cheapest Michellin Star Restaurant and at an expensive restaurant on Victoria Peak. I’ve eaten in the cheapest of cheap noodle bars and found a place that does superb BBQ and Roast Pork in Kowloon. All in all, I cant complain about the food here!

Roast duck and pork

What can I say? I’ve enjoyed it here and am glad I was stranded here without my passport but equally I am happy to have made the decision to come home for a bit because pressing on would not have been enjoyable at this point.