Hong Kong Coffee Shop

Just had a coffee with our friend Cade who works for Air New Zealand. He just happened to be here on a layover, staying at the hotel across the street from here which is across the water from Kowloon where we are staying. On the Hong Kong side in Wan Chai, just a Star Ferry ride away.


So yes we have successfully made the first leg! We also have tickets for part 2, the KCR train to Quangzhzou, in mainland China. From there we are trying to get an overnight train to Nanning. Soft sleeper please! (more on train categories later). From there we get another train to the Viet border.

Jet lag is not too bad, did not have much sleep on the plane, arrived about 8pm after almost 14 hours. We are staying at Chinese hotel in the thick of things in Yau Ma Tei, on Saigon St. Just off Nathan Rd (the Yonge St in Toronto terms, Broadway in New York), bustling and loud.

Huge, busy brash place. The density of course is legendary, but still hard to comprehend until you experience it. Every available space is used. Alleys where all they do is cut hair, others that sell car batteries and license plates. There is even a street here known as Cat Street. I am not quite sure what they do to cats there and maybe I don't want to know.

I had someone offer me a massage last night, and it was not Linda. There is a hotel that rents by the hour around the corner from our hotel; I wonder if the two are related?

Wonderful street hawker food last night, fish still squealing, prawns still wiggling, the snails running away from the hot oil. After that we strolled the street vendors, just the usual crap, but potentially have some ideas for things we might pick up on the way back through HK on the return leg.

Today breakfast was Dim Sum style. I was the only Gwai Low in the 1000 seater restaurant, but was complimented on my stickhandling. Not hockey, the 2 stick kind that you eat with. 4 of us ate well for $15 Can.

Beer only to drink so far. Well not quite true, but the coffee here is not up to par even though the one I just had was called Seattle City blend. To quote Borat: ...NOT!!