Hong Kong

Just a quick hello and goodbye from Hong Kong before today's journey to Thailand.

Have about 12 hours travel ahead and fly from HK to Bangkok and catch an internal flight to Koh Smaui from there before arriving at my hotel late tonight.

Have a lovely weekend - I keep hearing that your weather is atrocious, here's hoping the sun shines for you all.

xx

ps can you believe I can buy "Hello" here - essential airplane reading you understand!!

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Made it to Bangkok and have some time to kill before I head out on my connecting flight to Koh Samui. Have managed to end up in the Bangkok Airways lounge somehow "Asia's Boutique Airline" didn't you know??!! Pretty full flight from HK, final destination Karachi with significant noise levels, thankfully only 2+ hours.

xx

Pick up at 9.30am from Four Seasons at Shanghai (up there with the Sofitel in Xian as the best hotels so far) for my trip to the internataional airport and flight to HK.

A different guide (makes it my 5th guide) to escort me and make sure I'm in the right place at the right time, being the VIP I am you know!!

Flight uneventful, 3 seats to myself and an emergency exit to look after - treated myself to a glass of Chenin Blanc with my lunch - what decadence! Limo transfer to Intercontinental (dread to think how much it will be but it was so humid that trying to find the right bus etc just wasn't on my list of things to do) and a greeting by name by one of the staff (how swish is that?) and taken immediately to my room.

The MOST amazing view of HK Island in a picture window - needless to say many photos taken later that evening withthe light show.

More exploring (managed not to get lost this time!) and a little shopping ... For those Lazardians reading this I found the Mont Blanc shop and bought a leather case so my beautiful pen you gave me would be protected when I take it to SG. Quite fitting I thought.

Decided to spoil myself and have dinner in the hotel restaurant to celebrate tomorrow's itinerary free day! Fab dinner and just ever so slightly wobbly on the way back to my room ... sure no-one noticed ...

A good night's sleep again - hurrah! [Note to self, this happens in all the best hotels?!] and how wonderful not to have to awake via an alarm to meet someone at an appointed hour (lastest time since I arrived being a 9.30am meet). A lazy start to the day with breakfast overlooking the Hong Kong Island harbour.

It seemed almost odd to see it in daylight today, having spent 25 minutes glued to my bedroom window last night watching the light and laser display, Bombay Sapphire and tonic in hand of course! Needless to say I'm not sure whether the photos at the end were more blurred from me trying to use all the different settings I found on my camera about a week ago (after having had it for 18 months or more) - "Firework setting" anyone? - or whether it was the large gin ......

Having the chance to set my own itinerary was tempted to do nothing but know that wouldn't wash with my parents at all and I have a week of that to come very soon, so I decided to head out to the ferry terminal and visit HK Island.

So took the ferry over (all of about 14p) and then a bus to the tram terminus to go to the point of Victoria's Peak. It is so steep that you feel almost as if you are lying on your back - quite scary! The most fantastic views on the way up and you alight in (yet another) shopping mall where there is a formal viewing platform.

Of course I thought I'd found it and then realised that in fact I was outside Burger King and standing on their terrace! So much for the adventuring spirit!! Views from the (proper) top were great. A little walk around the top of the peak and then headed down in the tram to visit the Botanical and Zoological Gardens. Luckily looked at a local map and realised that they were just around the corner from the tram rather than getting a bus back down and up again. What I hadn't realised, was that in 35C, 75% humidity (ugh!) and a 1:3 incline, a 10 minute walk left me absolutely drenched. Horrible.

Birds, flowers, apes, snakes, crocs etc all great and free and after some more walking found a taxi to take me down to the ferry terminal. Decided to explore the financial district a little more (some habits die hard!) and found another mall/office development. Cooled down over a salad and after more wandering headed back to the mainland about 4pm.

Have just spent some time chilling out and about to head out to find somewhere for dinner - cheap and cheerful on the menu tonight I think.