Hong Kong & Hanoi-ing Travels

Last time we updated was in Beijing, and you can see from our map (in the first post) that we are a long way from Beijing now! We had no idea that you could fit so much in each day, but we are packing every minute with adventures and soaking up as much culture as we can!

WEDNESDAY, June 25:

Our last day in Beijing we got an early start around 7am to fit in one last adventure before our train left at noon. In hindsight this was probably squeezing in a tad too much, but we'll get to that in a minute. We started the morning off right with a delicious dumpling breakfast. Several guides we read had recommended this in order to experience a traditional Chinese meal, and we are glad we followed the recommendation. A girl working at our hostel translated for us and we confirmed that we were eating the best kind of dumplings, filled with pork. After filling our stomachs we headed via subway to Hou Hai lake in a quaint little park in Beijing. We walked along the lake watching the early risers getting their morning exercise; groups practicing thai chi, people swimming laps in the lake, and the old men playing cards under the trees. It was all so peaceful, I am definitely glad we made time for this excursion. We realized we had to hurry through though since our train departure time was only 3 hours away! We strolled through the Hutongs of this area (the old sections of town with lots of bicycles and market-type shops) and then caught a taxi back to our hostel. Leaving Beijing was our first time leaving a city that we won't have a chance to go back to (this trip at least, and since we fly home out of Shanghai we will be returning to catch the sites we missed). We knew going into this fast-paced trip that we can't see EVERYTHING, but we have adopted the sad motto of "if only we had one more day!" Back at the hostel we quickly packed up our clothes (which are mostly spotted and damp thanks to the hostel's washing) and proceeded with our packs to hail a taxi to the train station. If you didn't see this one coming, well, here is the story of our first bad train station experience... after being rejected by at least 10 taxis we finally found one willing to take us. Then, arriving slightly later than we had planned, we hurried to find our gate, and people rushed us from one side of the station to the other; from outside the terminals, through security, inside, and then back outside again. The language barrier created a mess where we knew we had to figure things out quickly since that departure time was creeping closer and closer. With the help of a few wonderful cops, some willing locals, and pure miracle, we managed to find the correct door- "Customs" at the last possible second. They closed the doors after we walked in and locked them (seriously, people were outside banging!). So we hurried through customs, since we were technically departing China and the customs agent politely asked, "you haven't done this before, no?"It was such a great feeling to lay down in that bunk bed, even if it was 3 levels high. A much needed nap, many rounds of Rummy card games, countless iPod songs, one sketchy meal from the dinning car, and a 12-hour night sleep later, we arrived in Hong Kong!

THURSDAY, June 26:

It felt so good to rest up on the train without feeling like we were wasting our limited time in a city. We even met new friends- one French guy who knew HK pretty well, and one American guy from Emory. These are our new friends on our journey through Hong Kong.

We joined up with them as we got off the train and our French friend led the way to the location of our hostel. After walking a while we took a taxi to "Mirador Mansion"... my expectation were not exactly reality as we pulled up to a city building filled with people hawking all kinds of goods. We fought through the crowds and waited for the lift to the 13th floor where our "hostel" guide took us to the next building over... our newest home "Chung King Mansion." It too should not be called a "mansion," and I will steal an accurate depiction from my Lonely Planet guide which calls it "authentically decrepit." home sweet home.

That was our room, first door on the right.These were the elevators to our new home, where we were always sure to wait in line for a lift.

We managed to take different elevators as our new friends from the train and unfortunately never saw them again! (I guess it was sort of a mansion). We put our stuff down in our room and headed out to enjoy the city. The train got in around 2pm, and by the time we got checked in and all it was nearing 5pm. We wandered towards the harbour, not knowing what to expect, but it truly was gorgeous. We stayed in Kowloon, which is across from HK Island, and offers incredible views of the skyline. We took tons of pictures (well, Jennifer did) and walked the Hollywood Street along the water with hand prints of Jackie Chan and the like. We were exhausted from the adventure, so we stuck around Kowloon exploring a bit more, and then made sure to watch the nightly laser show over the city, where the sky comes alive dancing to music and each building lights up in sequence- quite a sight to see! Back to Chung king where the international crowd harassed us to choose their restaurant for dinner. We stood there with at least 12 flyers in hand from Indian/Pakistani restaurants and finally choose one called "Pakistani Mess"... appropriately named. After dinner we braved the tough/interesting/sketchy/intense crowd that lingered around our building at night (don't worry mom, we survived it!) and locked our door tightly at night.

FRIDAY, June 27:

Without a window in our room it made it hard to wake up at the crack of dawn like we planned, but we still got a pretty early start. ... but of course it was raining yet again. We had breakfast near our hostel of eggs, toast and bacon- such a treat! Being in Hong Kong was vastly different than the previous stops. Having English and Chinese both as official languages made it so easy to get around. The international vibe throughout the city was refreshing, and it felt like Sydney in a way- especially with the harbour. Today wasn't so much for touring as it was for business- we had to get 3 more visas in order to continue on our journey.

*Side note: we also have realized how fortunate we are to have multiple entry visas into China, which apparently with the Olympics has been hard for American travelers to get, and we had no idea it was such a valued commodity! Many people we met couldn't go to HK because that would be their one exit from the country (if they only have a double entry)... and since HK is kept so separated from China, it counts as leaving.*

So we first went to the Cambodia consulate and didn't have a problem.Then we took the Star Ferry across to Hong Kong Island where we tracked down the Vietnam Consulate. We also made a stop by the post office, where Chris found his twin! haha, this guy was so tiny!! Minor delays in our plan as we got distracted in the Time Square mall. Several hours later we decided our motto for HK was "indulgence"... Jennifer bought some new clothes (necessary since many didn't fit and the hostel wash put spots on the rest). We both bought some official Olympic shirts and had a coffee treat. Then we headed across town to the Laos Consulate where we realized how champion we are at map skills (seriously, you should see us). It felt wonderful to officially have all the visas we need for the rest of our trip! We spent a good while admiring all the new stickers and stamps in our passports. Around 6pm we took the Peak Tram up the mountain behind HK. It was a steep train that ended with an incredible view back down over the city. We hung out on top of the mountain for a couple hours, watching the sun set over HK, and waiting as the lights slowly lit up around the city (and taking tons of pictures, of course). After heading down the mountain we walked to the IFC mall where we had an incredible sushi dinner at sen-ryo. *Thanks for that recommendation Bella* Jennifer's roommate from Australia, Bella, who lives in HK wrote an awesome list that we continued to follow throughout the weekend... we wish she was here with us!! At sushi we tried all kinds of fun things- eel, crab, squid, shrimp, tuna, salmon...! After a filling dinner we wandered to a fun part of town called "Lan Kwai Fong." If you go to HK, you HAVE to go here! It was so fun-- a walking street with bars lining the way and tons of people from all over the world! We had fun people watching and absorbing the incredible atmosphere. We caught the last MTR (their subway) back to Kowloon where we again braved our Chungking neighbors.

SATURDAY, June 28:

Another morning of oversleep in our window-less room, but without a worry since we decided the night before to turn our 3 nights here into 4. We both love this city so much already, and since we spent so much time getting Visas situated, we wanted to make sure we fit everything in without being super rushed. So we grabbed a danish breakfast in the MTR station and headed to Tung Chung on Lantau Island. It is the island just to the west of HK Island where Bella recommended we visit the Big Budda, and explore a bit! As usual, it was raining again today, but with stylish ponchos in our bags we were ready to handle anything. We took the 25-minute cable car, called the Ngong Ping 360, up to the top of a mountain as soon as the rain died down enough for the cars to start running again! The cable car lifted straight over a small bay, and up into the mountains and with the clouds hanging low it felt like we were flying. We literally sailed through the mountains, in the clouds. We went to the Po Lin monastery where we looked through the monastery, watched the locals burning incense and praying to the many statues surrounding us. We ate lunch there of vegetarian noodles and egg rolls and enjoyed the cultural experience. Afterwards we climbed to the top of the peak where the big Budda sat. It is the largest bronze sitting budda in the world, that's right! :) It was easy to enjoy as I loved equally the giant statue that lingered amongst the clouds and the surrounding mountains- what a view! As Jennifer's camera ran out of battery and the clouds drifted in, we headed back down in the drizzle. Considering the poor weather we have done a great job dodging the rain when possible and enjoying the few dry moments. As we sat near the cable cars, eating our free ice cream (with coupons from the cable car!) we watched the clouds rolling through, thick enough to eventually hide the Budda completely from our sight. We then enjoyed the 25-minute ride back down, and headed back to the hostel for a rest. We decided to eat dinner in our hostel (because obviously the ambiance of our closet-sized room was so appealing that we just couldn't help ourselves)... actually, we were enticed by the Indian food in the lobby of our mansion and since it was to-go only we opted to eat behind a locked door. After the rain subsided for a bit we braved the city once again, taking the MTR back to Lan Kwai Fong to enjoy the night life scene. We rode the long escalator through Soho for a while and then settled in Fong for a drink amongst the crowds. We even met some friends- students studying in HK who had some great advice for southeast Asia! We followed them to a club nearby which was on the 30th floor, offering amazing views. After enjoying the scene for a bit we caught the MTR back "home" to Chungking once again.

SUNDAY, June 29:

Another early start and off across to HK on the MTR. We browsed the classy IFC mall a bit and then ate brunch at the "city super"- a Whole Foods type grocery that offered fresh pastries and deli sandwiches. Then we opted to take the bus to Repulse Bay to see the other side of HK Island. Bella's recommendations were wonderful again, leading us to a beach sandwiched between lush mountains. Even on such an overcast day, many locals flocked to the beach. It began to sprinkle and the crowds simply took out their umbrellas and continued their beach fun. As the light rain turned to a down pour we quickly headed to the street where we found our oasis: Starbucks. A splurge we had been avoiding thus far, but it was the perfect escape from the rain and necessary caffeine jolt. We hung out there a while while Jennifer caught up journaling and Chris took advantage of his blackberry internet access which wouldn't connect in the city, and then he took a nap, ha. After a while we walked around the statues by the bay, ... and then took the bus further to Stanley Bay where we walked through the markets and along the water. The air was muggy after the rain, and the streets were still fairly crowded, but it didn't feel quite so touristy, the market seemed a lot like home. It was a long and twisty bus ride back to the city and then MTR back to Kowloon. A quick rest at Chung king (we just couldn't stay away from the place) and then headed up Nathan Rd. to the night market. Not sure what to expect we were pleasantly surprised by the rows of stalls set up. We ate an authentic dinner in the middle of the market- some yummy Singapore noodles with shrimp and ham. Then we proceeded to spend the rest of our HK money on some last minute souvenirs and gifts. Favorite items bought: Jennifer's new "nike" watch. Without a cell phone she can't even sleep through the night without worrying about what time it is, especially in Chungking! Chris found some Trinidadian flag patches that can be ironed on. An unexpected find for this part of the world. We headed home around midnight satisfied with our purchases and incredible experiences in Hong Kong!

MONDAY, June 30:

What a day. *sigh of relief* We knew starting this leg would be a tough one... we have 4 separate buses/trains to catch in order to connect Hong Kong and Hanoi, but it didn't quite go as smoothly as we would have liked. Although we did finally get to say goodbye to Chungking Mansion, which neither of us will even really miss. We left Hong Kong on an 11am train to Guangzhou... this 2-hour train was a piece of cake, and they even gave us bottles of water, a pleasant surprise. But as we made our way via subway to a different train station we realized the crowds and the rain were a bit overwhelming. An hour search of an ATM later, Jennifer was exhausted... only to find out that the train we were planning on taking was booked. We finally just booked the train for tomorrow, giving up hope of arriving in Hanoi on time, and submitting to the fact that we would have to spend a night in Guangzhou. As we walked, defeated by the city, and kicked slightly back into culture shock after being spoiled with the English signs and speakers in HK, we searched for a hotel for the night. By a miracle we wandered into a bus station and found a wonderful lady who spoke enough English to escort us into the "Members Only" waiting room and she found a bus for us tonight to Nanning! That is our next stop on this journey to Hanoi. So pleased with our discovery, we felt like we were on Amazing Race and we just found the fast forward, haha. After Chris returned our train tickets for tomorrow we bought tickets leaving at 8pm, giving us time to enjoy the Members Only waiting room and check some internet. The nine-hour bus ride was not as comfy as a sleep-car would have been, but it got us to Nanning before the train we had wanted.

TUESDAY, July 1:

We slept as much as possible in the semi-roomy seats, and enjoyed the two rest stops where Chris spotted the Southern Cross- a favorite constellation finally back in sight. We arrived in Nanning at 5:30am to a fairly sketchy bus station. We found our way in the dark to the taxis and paid slightly more than normal just to get out of that place. Thanks to Jennifer's overly organized planner, equipped with cute little pictures, we were able to point to a clip art picture of a train and 20 minutes later, the driver had taken us to the exact place we needed to be. Arriving with plenty of time we booked our next leg to Pingxiang, China, right next to the Vietnam border. Quite a cultural experience that turned out to be. Benches in seat of seats, and crowds of locals carrying boxes and crates of who knows what surrounded us. 3 1/2 hours later we arrived in our last Chinese destination until we return in August! The scenery was gorgeous though, making us even more excited to cross into Vietnam. We made friends with the only other English speaking people on the train, two girls from Canada, Sara and Heather. The four of us bargained with the aggressive motor-bike salesmen and eventually got to ride in the back of an open motorcycle cart to the Vietnam border. A short talk to the Friendship Crossing, an hour of formalities to get passports stamped and we had officially arrived in Vietnam! Just one short leg of traveling left before we were to arrive in Hanoi. Teamed with Sara and Heather, we got a taxi cab to take us to Long Son, where we haggled for a cheap mini-bus ride into the city. In the end of the bargaining we wound up on the ride of our life with a driver who didn't care to stay on the right side of the road. But somehow we arrived almost 3 hours later to Hanoi! We were dropped off at a hostel (not the one we booked) and aware of scams and such we were ready to leave for the hostel we had booked online, but as the rain picked up and we took a look at the rooms at the "Blue Sky Hotel" we were standing in, we realized that for just $5 a night the rooms were amazing (especially compared with Chung King!!). We were relieved to have a spacious room, clean bed, private bathroom, aircon, refrigerator, cable tv, and a clean enough floor to walk on without shoes! We cleaned up a bit and then met Sara and Heather to eat dinner and explore the city a bit. A Lonely Planet rec, we found "Pho" and for less than $1 each we had a great noodle dinner. We wandered around the Old Quarter where we are staying, found some night markets, dodged the motorbikes, and enjoyed our introduction to Hanoi. The two of us split a small tub of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream for less than $1 also, quite a nice splurge considering what a long day it had been!

A couple nights here and then heading south along the Vietnam coast. If you have any advice let us know, we're pretty flexible and looking forward to enjoying it all! All pictures are now uploaded, so enjoy!