Categories: travels
Date: 22 September 2007 08:58:33
Currently I'm in Kowloon in Hong Kong - I'm staying in the illustriusly named Chungking Mansions. The Chungking mansions despite it's name is in fact a crumbly old skyscraper with exposed pipe works leaking water and electrical conduits hanging from the ceiling, filled with black market goods stalls, cheap cafes and sleazy backpacker accomodation. In fact I'm staying at the "Disney Hotel" (NB the Disney Hotel, Chungking is not in anyway, affiliated with Walt Disney, his corporation or any associated intellectual property).
Hong Kong is easily the most Blade Runner place I've ever been. It feels far less sterile than Beijing. Best of all (to a British backpacker trying to find his way around) all the street names are English. Not just in the English alphabet you understand but actual Englsih names like Gloucester street. I know it shouldn't be a suprise given that it's a former colony but it is nice. I'm off to drink yet more cataclysmic amounts of tea now.
It is worth noting that my arrival in Hong Kong was delayed by two days in an incident involving rice wine...but being as this is a family oriented site I'll spare the details.