Hong Kong Phooey

Leaving Hong Kong tonight, headed for Europe. 13 hour flight into London, followed by a few more hours to get to Lisbon, Portugal. That will kick off 21 straight days of long train rides throughout Europe...excited to be on the move so frequently, needing a shower badly, should be enlightening. My clothing bonfire will take place when I return.

Hong Kong was a cool city. My experience:

Stepped off the bus from the airport and was greeted, nay SHOVED, back onto the bus by 9 or 10 Indians sticking their business cards in my face. "Tailor made suits" "Hashish" "Woman" "Tailor made suits" "Tailor made suits" were among the frenzied cries. Did I mention you can get a tailor made suit if you want? Ok, good. So, you walk down certain streets in the city and because of your foreign look, you get bombarded by "salesman". Making it into a game is the way I liked to deal with it...games I invented:

1) Do Barry Sanders spin moves around extended arms with business cards, including ducking, juke moves, and stiff arms

2) Make loud, odd noises when they start talking to you

3) Silent treatment. I usually would stare at them like I was stoned or something

4) Talk with them. They tell you to follow them into the store, I tell them they can walk with me and hang out with me.

5) Ask them to split the cost of said suits and I will think about it

So, any of these are fun, harmless ways to brush off the most annoying sales pitch in the world.

Other than that, Hong Kong was really cool. Inexpensive to eat, sleep, and purchase goods...which I didn't expect. The skyline in the city is really unbelievable...beautiful as capitalism can be...but hey, sometimes it really is.

There are markets throughout the city, but we went to one that hosted some of the most disgusting sights ever. Here is a list of delictable items on the menu...

Live chickens: Chosen, thrown into boiling pot, packaged and paid for.
Fish heads: Fish still breathing, do not worry.
Ducks with heads on, dead and cooked: What else can I say?
Raw pig snouts: I took a picture that you can look at, and it grosses me out every time

Well, there were other things, but these topped my list.


Also, our hostel was hilarious. The building that it was in should've been condemned, but this is price of backpacking. My bed back home was looking pretty nice in my dreams.

I posted some pictures below of the city, you should check them out...pretty interesting!! From another continent next time you hear from me...home in 30 days...now that is crazy.