The Trains May Run on Time....
but the buses sure as hell don't. Two days ago I had my last day in Yangshuo before leaving for Hong Kong. I spent the day in town where it was about 97 F with practically 100% humidity. I went for a short bike ride in the afternoon, being very sure I knew where I was going the whole time so that I wouldn't get lost again! This time my shifter broke when I was about a mile from town (on the way back fortunately) and I had to peddle the whole way back in a very low gear (lots of peddling, not a lot of progress).
After a cold shower, some dinner, and a bad Kung Fu movie (the god of cookery) someone had purchased along the way, it was time to get on my sleeper bus to Shenzen. I was due to arrive in Shenzen around 10 am and from there cross the border into Hong Kong and take the train down to Kowloon where my hostel is.
If anyone ever tries to sell you a sleeper bus ticket, run away. fast.
First of all, the "bed" is about 4 inches too short for any normal height western male. Also, since the bed is raised towards the head, your only option is to lie on your back (I can't sleep on my back). The silver lining is that they showed about 2 hours of Mr Bean reruns on the TV's, but its not like an airline where the sound is optional. You will watch (and hear) Mr Bean, and you will like it.
The bus was scheduled to arrive at 10 am, so it only makes sense that I arrived in Shenzen at 3 pm. Throughout the day I was wondering, "did I get on the right bus?" Well I'm sure I did. Wei, the hostel owner, put me on the bus himself.
"did I miss my stop?" Nope - I've been awake the whole time, and there were no stops.
"can a bus really be 5 hours late?" bingo.
One of the other western travellers actually illuminated the situation for me, with information he had gotten in Yangshuo before leaving. Since the Chinese government had decided to build a road between Guilin and Shenzen, the journey was supposed to take 5 hours less than it used to. And of course, since projects in Communist China never fall behind schedule, the road had been completed! (hooray!) Does this mean there is a new road? NOOOOOOO!!!!!
So, the bus schedules were updated for a road that hasn't been built. I'm still trying to wrap my head around this one.
Anyway, once I got to Shenzen it was a quick walk to the Hong Kong border, a short jaunt through officialdome and on to the glitz and glam of Hong Kong.
THIS PLACE RULES!
It's Asian, but it's also Western. I think I'll call it "fusion". Most of the people are obviously Chinese, but there is such a foreign influence that you can't really categorize Hong Kong as anything other than the most international city in the world (London may rival it).
My guesthouse is in a Times Square like neighborhood full of fake DVD and electronic stores called Tsim Sha Tsui. I was a bit hesitant when I first walked into the building (its decrepid) but the hostel upstairs was fine, very well secured, and one of the cleaner places I've seen.
After a delicious Cantonese dinner I went for a walk around town and took the subway across the harbor to Hong Kong Island where I ascended Victoria Peak, in the historic tram. The view from the top of the peak over Hong Kong Island, the harbor and into Kowloon and beyond into the New Territories and China is one of the most famous in the world - and a very triumphant place for me to end my journey. It would have been a lot more triumphant if there weren't a class 3 typhoon pounding me the whole time - but the feeling was incredible all the same.
Today I decided to explore town and started off by taking the historic star ferry across the harbor to Hong Kong Island (I'm in Kowloon). The views, which are looking at the skyline, and to Victoria Peak in the background are also amazing. After taking a ride up the longest escalator in the world (and no, the handrail doesn't go the same speed as the stairs) I spent the morning going through a bunch of side streets and riding the tram.
For lunch I found an everyman sort of cafeteria, where there were no other westerners. I almost left myself when I realized there was no English on the menu but something compelled me to stay. In a bold move, I did something I had wanted to do since I arrived i China, which is to sit down to lunch and ask the waitor to bring me his favorite dish, no matter what it was. What I got wasn't gross at all (contrary to my prediction) - it was roast goose, and it was delicious.
After lunch I spent some time in the glitzier part of town, and ordered a custom tailored shirt for myself. The tailors in Hong Kong are world famous for producing handmade, custom tailored, top-quality garments for a fraction of the price you pay in the west. While the shirt was still expensive, I think it will make a great souvenir!
As always, I'm writing on an empty stomach and it's time to fix that.
Andrew
PS: Thanks for all the comments on the last post! Now that I'm in Hong Kong, which enjoys special autonomy from the mainland, I can actually view my own blog again.
After a cold shower, some dinner, and a bad Kung Fu movie (the god of cookery) someone had purchased along the way, it was time to get on my sleeper bus to Shenzen. I was due to arrive in Shenzen around 10 am and from there cross the border into Hong Kong and take the train down to Kowloon where my hostel is.
If anyone ever tries to sell you a sleeper bus ticket, run away. fast.
First of all, the "bed" is about 4 inches too short for any normal height western male. Also, since the bed is raised towards the head, your only option is to lie on your back (I can't sleep on my back). The silver lining is that they showed about 2 hours of Mr Bean reruns on the TV's, but its not like an airline where the sound is optional. You will watch (and hear) Mr Bean, and you will like it.
The bus was scheduled to arrive at 10 am, so it only makes sense that I arrived in Shenzen at 3 pm. Throughout the day I was wondering, "did I get on the right bus?" Well I'm sure I did. Wei, the hostel owner, put me on the bus himself.
"did I miss my stop?" Nope - I've been awake the whole time, and there were no stops.
"can a bus really be 5 hours late?" bingo.
One of the other western travellers actually illuminated the situation for me, with information he had gotten in Yangshuo before leaving. Since the Chinese government had decided to build a road between Guilin and Shenzen, the journey was supposed to take 5 hours less than it used to. And of course, since projects in Communist China never fall behind schedule, the road had been completed! (hooray!) Does this mean there is a new road? NOOOOOOO!!!!!
So, the bus schedules were updated for a road that hasn't been built. I'm still trying to wrap my head around this one.
Anyway, once I got to Shenzen it was a quick walk to the Hong Kong border, a short jaunt through officialdome and on to the glitz and glam of Hong Kong.
THIS PLACE RULES!
It's Asian, but it's also Western. I think I'll call it "fusion". Most of the people are obviously Chinese, but there is such a foreign influence that you can't really categorize Hong Kong as anything other than the most international city in the world (London may rival it).
My guesthouse is in a Times Square like neighborhood full of fake DVD and electronic stores called Tsim Sha Tsui. I was a bit hesitant when I first walked into the building (its decrepid) but the hostel upstairs was fine, very well secured, and one of the cleaner places I've seen.
After a delicious Cantonese dinner I went for a walk around town and took the subway across the harbor to Hong Kong Island where I ascended Victoria Peak, in the historic tram. The view from the top of the peak over Hong Kong Island, the harbor and into Kowloon and beyond into the New Territories and China is one of the most famous in the world - and a very triumphant place for me to end my journey. It would have been a lot more triumphant if there weren't a class 3 typhoon pounding me the whole time - but the feeling was incredible all the same.
Today I decided to explore town and started off by taking the historic star ferry across the harbor to Hong Kong Island (I'm in Kowloon). The views, which are looking at the skyline, and to Victoria Peak in the background are also amazing. After taking a ride up the longest escalator in the world (and no, the handrail doesn't go the same speed as the stairs) I spent the morning going through a bunch of side streets and riding the tram.
For lunch I found an everyman sort of cafeteria, where there were no other westerners. I almost left myself when I realized there was no English on the menu but something compelled me to stay. In a bold move, I did something I had wanted to do since I arrived i China, which is to sit down to lunch and ask the waitor to bring me his favorite dish, no matter what it was. What I got wasn't gross at all (contrary to my prediction) - it was roast goose, and it was delicious.
After lunch I spent some time in the glitzier part of town, and ordered a custom tailored shirt for myself. The tailors in Hong Kong are world famous for producing handmade, custom tailored, top-quality garments for a fraction of the price you pay in the west. While the shirt was still expensive, I think it will make a great souvenir!
As always, I'm writing on an empty stomach and it's time to fix that.
Andrew
PS: Thanks for all the comments on the last post! Now that I'm in Hong Kong, which enjoys special autonomy from the mainland, I can actually view my own blog again.
posted by Andrew at
4:57 AM
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