Hong Kong/Macau

30 November - 3 December 2011

In Kowloon going to get some dinner

It was pretty impressive landing at Hong Kong airport and getting a train between your airport gate and the main airport. After clearing customs I decided that I'd get the bus to my accommodation, as it had a stop right outside. Of course, I ended up staying the infamous Chung King mansions, which are basically tiny shoebox rooms (literally my suitcase could hardly fit in to the room) but a semi reasonable price for HK. By this time it was past 11pm, so I wandered across to get some food and made the most of my stately room (insert sarcasm here). 

Venetian

The following day I was off to Macau. Not that I like to gamble, but I thought I would treat myself to a night at the Venetian. After dropping my bag off to Scott's office, I found my way to the Macau ferry terminal. Was nice to see a "no spitting" sign up inside the ferry terminal. The ferry took around an hour, and was nothing to exciting to see. A lot of smog covered HK, and there was not much to see on mainland China.

All I can say about my room at the Venetian is WOW. As I walked in the door I couldn't believe that I had such a big room to myself. After running myself a delicious bath, I was ready to go and explore. I managed to come across the shopping area, that had a canal going through it with gondola rides, and a fake sky ceiling running through the middle of it. Next on my list of things to find was a bar. Mission accomplished, complete with a dance show. Then it was time to really adventure out of the casino and see what else Macau had. 

Walking through the casino out to the front, I noticed that there were not many westerners. Pretty much none. Until I got to a crossing and 2 American guys  were waiting there to cross the road. They kindly gave me directions to the bar in City of Dreams, the casino across the road, and after they'd gone for a walk around they joined me for a drink. It turns out they worked for the Venetian and lived in Macau, so they became my tour guides for the night. We managed to get to about half a dozen casino's, and have dinner at Wynn (all on the Venetian, thank you very much!), the "race track" which is not where horses go around, and the fountain and tree of life display at Wynn. Who knows what time I managed to retire to my amazing room, but it was heaven! Was very hard to turn down the offer of staying on the weekend, being put up in a better room. 

My amazing bed!

At the bar at the Venetian

Gondola inside Venetian

The ferry ride back to HK, I luckily got a seat next to the only person who managed to get sea sick. Her spewing in to her sick bag, plus my slight hangover caused an uncomfortable amount of gagging for about half of the hour ride. Great fun! 

Fountain display at Wynn

For the first time in my trip I hadn't booked accommodation and thought that I would wing my second night in HK. The morning I left Macau, I had to bite the bullet and ended up paying a lot more than what I had for my suite at the Venetian, for something that was tiny, but at least in a better location than Chung King Mansions. That night I met up with Scott and Anna-Claire and their friends, and we managed to drink until 5am in the morning. I was certainly in no state when I awoke. Cold sweats, vomiting and rocking back and forward was not really my ideal start to the day, but I somehow made it to the airport, and was on my way to China. The time of traveling on my own coming to an end for now and in to the lovely home of my Aunty and Uncle in China.