Hong Kong

If I had to chose one word to describe Hong Kong in late September it would be 'Humid'.

Boy was I not prepared for the sensation of sticking my head in an oven as soon as I left the lobby of my hotel. 

September can experience humidity in the 80% region so be prepared with lots of water and a fan if you are thinking of going at that time of the year.

Hong Kong however was to be the last stop on my G Adventures 'Beijing to Hong Kong Express' tour and so our group were determined to go out with a bang.

We arrived into Hong Kong around mid afternoon, after an epic day of travel across from the mainland.

A quick shower and change of clothes and the boys and I walked down to Victoria Harbour to watch the ferries, take in the glorious skyline and eat an ice cream quicker than I can say 'Mr Whippy' in the hope it didn't all melt over my havianas.

The harbour has a great view of the high rise business district on the Hong Kong island side and from here you can pay £1.50 for a ride on the Star Ferry across to the island.

For our last night, the London boys and I got dressed up and went for dinner before heading across to HK island for final drinks..

As rooftop bars were by now our 'thing' it was only fitting that we finished our time together with cocktails and tequila on the roof of Sugar Bar. As the city was all lit up like fairy lights, we drank way too much gin, too many porn star martinis and far too much tequila. We laughed a lot and finished off 12 days together in style.

The next day with a hangover I hugged the boys goodbye as they left for the airport and I headed for my hostel. After checking in and settling into my bunk a horrible empty feeling crept in. These boys had been by my side for the past 12 days and now I was alone with 4 days of my holiday left without my sidekicks.

During those last few days I stayed at the Urban Pack hostel in Tsim Tsa Shui which is just off Nathan Road. Location wise this place is perfect and I cannot say enough kind words about the owners as they gave me great tips on how to navigate the city.

The hostel is modern, clean and compact. The Wifi is good and the bathrooms clean. This was probably one of my favourite hostels and the view from the balcony with a cold beer in hand is the perfect way to unwind. Look at that view.

Later that afternoon I caught the metro to Central Station over on the island and took the trolley tram up to Victoria Peak. The old tram line existed half a century ago and was used by the British to go up into the mountain during the summer to beat the heat. Nowadays at the top is 'The Peak' a platform complex offering 360 degree views of Hong Kong. 

The perfect time to head up is about an hour before sunset so you can watch the light change and capture photos of both daylight and nightime. With the sun shining on my face this was such a beautiful experience and one of the highlights of my time in HK.

 

 

The next day I caught the MTR over to Tung Chung and took the sky tram to Lantau Island.

A little tip would be to book tickets in advance as the queues can be pretty epic and in the scorching heat you would be better prepared to book and beat the crowds. 

The cable car lifts you up from the mainland and over lush green hillsides before 30 minutes later dropping you off in Lantau.

Lantau is probably most famous for the Big Buddha which sits at the top of a hill accessible by steps. It takes about 10 minutes to climb to the top but the platform gives great views over the island and each of the buddhas are all unique.

Also on Lantau Island is the Po Lin Buddhist Monastery. The monastery was founded in 1906 by three visiting monks and was initially known simply as "The Big Hut". It was renamed to its present name in 1924. The main temple houses three bronze statues of the Buddha – representing his past, present and future lives. The monastery is very calm and the smell of incense wafting through the air made the place feel really peaceful.

No trip to Hong Kong is complete without a trip to the night markets so that evening I caught the MTR to Jordan and started with the flower market. The smell of lillies and fresh flowers was a world away from the usual Asian food smells.

Next was the Goldfish market, and I don't think I knew there were so many different varieties in the Goldfish world.

Finally it was time to barter my little butt off at the Ladies Market. The endless rows of stalls seemed to go on forever and I made sure to drive a hard bargain before bringing home a rucksack full of souvenirs. From fridge magnets, to purses and silk dressing gowns. I definitely shopped until I dropped.

My final day in Hong Kong was spent having breakfast in a local cafe with a friend who works for the HK branch of my work. The locals always know the best places to go and I can honestly say I had never had macaroni and cheese followed by french toast for breakfast. Delicious.

With a full belly, my afternoon was spent on one of Hong Kongs many beaches. Deep Water Bay is a 20 minute bus ride from Causeway Bay and white sandy beaches and blue seas awaited. Time to get my tan on.

For my final night in the big city I spent it on the rooftop of the 'Eyebar' and even though I didn't have the boys with me, I just had to finish my holiday with a Gin and Tonic in hand and an amazing view before me.

I am glad I stuck around for an extra few days in Hong Kong and explored further what the city had to offer.

My China adventure had come to a close and I was leaving home with the best memories and a definite new friend for life in James.

G Adventures once again you have given me experiences and memories to last a lifetime.

Thanks for reading my China Adventure.

Back soon, Nic x

Yangshuo - China

Picking up from where I left off by leaving Shanghai behind and taking the final overnight train to the town of Guilin.

Arriving late morning it was then another 90 minute bus ride to the small town of Yangshuo which lies in the middle of a very lush and green landscape of mountains. Yangshuo is a resort town in southern China’s Guangxi region and was to be home for the next two days.

A quick shower and change of clothes and we headed out for a group lunch. I think we all then started to fall in love with the small town of Yangshuo and its quaint little streets and souvenir shops.

Over lunch, Leah our G Adventures tour guide very kindly gave each of us a small piece of paper with our Chinese name on it. This was based on our personalities that she had seen during our time together. This was such a sweet touch for her to go to the effort for. Apparently I bring the sunshine in an elegant way. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

 

Leah also told us this place was great for a massage so the majority of the group went to try and get some of the knots and tension relieved from 3 overnight sleeper trains.

I had no idea at the start of this trip that I would be having a massage in a room with 4 of my new friends who all happened to be boys. They were all very well behaved gentleman and let me go in first but there were quite a few childish giggles amongst the five of us as we all lay there getting a massage.

After a little afternoon power nap the usual gang headed out for some drinks and by night Yangshuo certainly livens up. With neon bar signs and loud music lining the streets this place felt very different after dark.

We found ourselves a bar and sat outside chatting before Chris once again bought a round of tequila. Followed then by a second. It seemed we had all forgotten the hangover from tequila in Shanghai and were all ready to go once again.

Rooftop bars were starting to become our groups 'thing' and as we walked down the street I saw a bright neon sign reading 'rooftop bar' so off we went.

This place didn't have the views of Shanghai's rooftop bars but it did have a beer pong and pool table. Winner!!

Our competitive sides all came out and we bonded even more from a night of drinking, dancing and puppy cuddles. Cue more drunk photos.

The next day as expected my head was a bit fuzzy but out we all went to pick up our bikes for a day of cycling around the hillside of Yangshuo.

We cycled through rice fields and green mountains and it felt nice to get out of the town and into the quiet countryside and breathe in the fresh air.

After the first leg of the bike ride it was time to take a bamboo raft ride down the Li river. I had partnered up with James and it was to be a fun filled 90 minutes chatting to my best buddy. However at the last minute our fun was scuppered and I had to partner with Barry due to bamboo weight issues. Dammit!!

The river ride was nice but the conversation was a little stilted and it was a relief to disembark in the end.

Fair play to the locals who paddle the rafts though as they kept us safe and secure down the river and even battled a river snake with their paddle.

Lunch after the river ride was at a local famers market but after seeing a plate of chicken heads being served on arrival I suddenly lost my appetite.

Cycling our way back to the town centre we were able to catch a glimpse of Moon Hill which is pretty impressive. By mid afternoon my legs definitely felt like noodles after all of that cycling.

Dinner and drinks on our last night in Yangshuo were a little more subdued than the night before but we had so little time left together we didn't want to waste it so James, Ryan, Sam and I went out a few drinks before an early night. Tomorrow we were to make the monster trip and border crossing over to Hong Kong.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the final part of my China adventure - Hong Kong.

Nic x

Shanghai - China

Well that was Beijing and Xian ticked off the China bucket list, now onto Shanghai.

Another hard night on the sleeper train meant I arrived into Shanghai Central Station a little bleary eyed and in need of caffeine and a shower.

After arriving at our hotel by taxi and getting my coffee fix we were allowed to check into our rooms. At 11am we headed out as a group for an orientation walk of the city.

First stop was a walk to the Bund which is situated by the Huangpu River and offers views of Shanghai's world famous skyline. The Oriental Pearl stands out from the other high rise buildings with its alien like orb structure. Other buildings such as the Bottle Opener fade into the background of the Pearl but the skyline itself made for some impressive tourist snaps. 

From here we took a 20 minute walk through the back streets of Shanghai to the Yuyuan Gardens which is a complex of traditional Chinese buildings and gardens that feature old tea houses, souvenir stalls and restaurants. There is also a small pond area running through the gardens which is home to turtles and koi carp. This place was a bustling hive of activity and it was so easy to get distracted by people watching whilst eating my giant bowl of noodles.

 

By mid afternoon most of the group headed back to the hotel to get some rest before we saw what Shanghai's night life had to offer.

At 8pm all of the boys and a few of the girls headed back to the bund for that iconic night skyline, and it did not disappoint. I think it is possibly my favourite skyline ever. Sorry Kuala Lumpur and New York but Shanghai is something special. The way the Pearl Tower changes colour every few minutes meant that no two photos looked the same.

A short walk from the Bund is Captains Bar which is on the top floor of the Captains Hostel and offers rooftop views of Shanghai. It was then time to get on the Gin and the Mojitos. Chris then had a great idea to buy a round of tequila. Hey, when in Shanghai!!! Down the hatches it went and that kicked off what was to be a very messy night.

As the bar slowly emptied we headed out onto the balcony and I think I can speak for us all that right there on that balcony was a 'moment'.

A time, in a place where we had to capture it on camera to immortalise how amazing that moment felt. So here we are. 5 Boys and 1 Girl having the best night.

Chris, Sam, Me, Shaq, Adam and James

By Midnight the night was still young and we had more drinking to do. After all it was Friday night in Shanghai. 

A short walk from Captains Bar is Bar Rouge above Bund 18 and is one of the most famous clubs in the city.

It is renowned for it's stunning Bund views and outdoor terrace and I remember getting out there and bouncing up and down, feeling like it was Christmas morning. House Music, Gin and new friends make for one very happy Nic Nic. Lots more tequila, lots more gin and we were all very drunk. The squad were all pretty weary by the early hours of the morning. One of the girls swiped a bottle of spirit from behind the bar, Chris spent a couple of hundred quid on drinks that he never drank and I dropped a glass of G&T on James' foot.

Home time beckoned but not before throwing my phone in a bush (thankfully James fished it out) and getting my Yuan notes out in the middle of a Shanghai street. I needed to go to bed, and fast!!

The next day I woke up at 8am with the best intentions of going to one of the markets our tour guide had arranged for us. However having less than 4 hours sleep I was still very drunk and wobbly so it was back to bed for me. I finally woke up at 2pm. Still hungover!!! I never learn!!

That evening we went to the famous Shanghai Acrobatics show which was a 2 hour show of traditional Chinese style acrobatics mixed in with a death defying motorbike stunt that was the shows finale. 

If you have ever wondered how many people can fit on a small bicycle??? The answer is about 7, which is one of the acts the show began with as the artists maneuvered into position and begin to perform stunts around the circular stage.

I would definitely recommend this more than the Kung Fu Show in Beijing, however the theatre was very hot and I was sleep deprived and hungover so it took a lot of strength not to fall asleep.

The next morning I woke up fresh as a daisy and the memories of the previous days hangover slowly started to disappear. A couple of us in the group wanted to spend the mornings free time at the Shanghai Zoo hoping to catch a glimpse of a Panda.

Shanghai Zoo is in need of a little TLC as a lot of the tanks and pens where very tired looking. Upon closer inspection at the Sea lion tank there appeared to be a dead rat floating in the water.

However we made a bee line for the Pandas and managed to get one decent photo of a bear as he was rolling over into a more comfortable sleeping position.

As we left Shanghai later that afternoon for our last overnight train to Guilin and Yangshuo it dawned on me that the days on this trip were slowly slipping through my fingers. I wanted to savour the last 5 days with these people as much as possible as I knew I was going to miss them when it came to saying goodbye.  

Next stop was rural China and lush green fields and mountains.

Thanks for reading, back soon.

Nic x