End of day 3. Reckon this gives me the authority to dive into a brief low-down of Hong Kong: my first stop on a 3 month trip around Asia.
The people
Maybe it's because the last place I was in people on the street weren't so nice (see my crime dodging in Cape Town post), but Hong Kongers are super friendly: strangers say hello and goodbye to you in the lift, people will punch in the code to a door if they see you hovering & they are more than happy to give you directions - look lost enough on Hong Kong Island and a European expat will come to your aid unasked in mere seconds.
There are a few street vendors targeting the obvious foreigners and getting very in your face with offers of handbags, watches, guest houses and massages but that's as 'bad' as it gets, meaning it's safe to walk around at night (hurrah!). Sometimes people - well, men - can be a little too friendly...what's new eh! One stranger invited me to go clubbing with him later in the week after ambushing me at the waterfront & another rando asked whether he could take a photo of me! Especially strange since Hong Kong is expat heavy so they must see Europeans all the time. Bizarre.
The lifestyle
Putting me well & truly to shame - to the point where I felt obliged to go and buy running gear - the people of Hong Kong are impressively motivated when it comes to keeping fit. On a morning walk by the waterfront on my first day, there were people running down the promenade; using gates, lamp-posts and benches as stretching aids; indulging in a spot of tai chi on sport courts & in children's playgrounds; and going for a swim in the ocean. In addition to voluntarily throwing some exercise into their daily routine, the city's design makes it a necessary evil - for example on my way to a temple on HK Island the one escalator was running in the downwards direction rather than the up, forcing me to climb hundreds of steps in 29C heat to reach my destination. Cruel, so cruel...but perhaps a good thing in the long run. Another thing I noticed is that exercise facilities are free or cheap (free fitness equipment & trails in the city parks and it costs $20HK i.e. less than £2 for up to 5 hours of swimming) whereas food can be a little on the pricey side - a side of spring rolls can cost around $60HK in some restaurants. The point is, it's working - everyone is super slim and glamorous here.
The protests
Not that I was hugely concerned to begin with, but the protests have completely died down, with a few scattered tents, central reservations papered with propaganda and a couple of lonely umbrellas swaying in the wind all that remains of the show of strength, determination & unity that's been making international headlines over the past few weeks. The main road outside the government HQ is closed to traffic still, and policeman remain relatively high in numbers, but the protesters have vanished, leaving the area in a ghost-town like state.
The living 'conditions'
I titled this section hesitantly because while it's certainly not third world-y, accommodation is pretty below par compared to what we have back home. It goes without saying that space is at a premium here: the streets are bursting at the seams with high rise mansions 15 floors tall packed with residences, businesses and guest houses. I had to leave the hostel I'd planned to stay in all week (Urban Pack) after just 2 days. Spread over 3 different floors (5, 14 & 15) of a 15 floor mansion, the layout was only the beginning of its problems: I was staying in a cramped 8 bed dorm on the fifth floor with no window, there were two toilets & one shower to share between 16 people & I have cuts and bruises from where the sharp bunk ladders nicked my arms & legs. One of the most unbearable hostels I've stayed at; so much so that I actually moved to a guest house up the road. While still very small for even a single room (and the toilet is in the shower cubicle to save space), it's ten times better and I'm much happier!
