13th - 17th Feb: Hong Kong

So I'm actually in my 4th Country and haven't managed to post anything yet. Every time I have a spare few minutes to go on the Internet it takes all my time to check my mail - and I haven't had a chance to write my blog. I do have a diary though, so no memories have been lost.....

So just to go back two weeks I arrived in Hong Kong......
The flight was amazing - I haven't done long-hall for a while and choosing my own films was a new experience! Although watching 'the Departed' before sleeping makes for strange dreams!

I arrived very early on the 14th and managed to get myself to the hotel via some really bad tasting noodles for breakfast! A little lie down, and Rachel and Alex arrived to take me for lunch. Lovely to see some friendly faces and even better that Alex was a member of the Yauht Club for a riverside view. We wondered around and then crossed the harbour. Went up to the markets (difficult not to buy everything in sight!) and electrical stores for memory cards - and then had dim sum before watching the New Year lights illuminate the towers of Hong Kong Island.

On the 15th I was on my own, which was good as I slept so late! Enough time to take out money at the Hong Kong Shanghai bank, wonder around the Island, and go up the escalators to the mid levels. A short walk through the parks to the peak tram (no view from the top of the Peak though, as it was completely overcast) and then food. (This was a big mistake - but I'll come back to that later.) I went over to see the New Year markets - which were mental, so many people, flowers and red envelopes in one place!

This is when disaster struck. Well 3.00am to be precise! Food poisoning, and not just any old flood poisoning - but full blown very ill, dehydrated type flood poisoning. The hotel staff were great and sent me to the doctor who told me I couldn't fly and injected me with stuff to help (couldn't have oral medicine). As I couldn't fly out I was holed up in the hotel for 36 hrs dying! (well feeling very sorry for myself oly 2 days into my trip). But I managed to change my flight by a day and did make it to the airport on the 17th. All I kept thinking was if I get to Bangkok it'll all be fine...... which is another story for another day.