Monday, August 2, 2010 at 3:30
Wake, a taxi takes me to the airport in Singapore, the "Budget Terminal" for cheap. 4 hour plane full of Chinese and I get over Hong Kong, islands dotted along the coast, most with small peaks that restrict building development around the islands or is sufficiently flat at the edge sea
I discovered another huge airport, one of Hong Kong, airplanes stored anywhere between runways beginning and end the ocean, like that of Bali.
I took a bus to Kowloon, a district renowned for rooms not too expensive, although I know that I certainly Singapore's spending the same, just cheaper than in France.
I arrived too early on the advice of another evil tourist guides, and I killed a 1 hour walk with my bag too heavy that I did not empty the overflow in a package for France. I discovered what they call "cheap", what are serviced apartments in rabbit hutch, rooms small enough there has on several small surface, and just large enough to accommodate a bed.
I passed the entrance of Chunking Mansion, one of the HLM Nathan Road, and I am immediately sell a room by touts from Arab countries or India and affect their commission. Inevitable but the plan is the most interesting because I found a room at HK $ 70 (Hong Kong dollars, 7 euros). I would look tomorrow a cheaper room or bedroom, time to put my bag. I'm the guy who offers me the room at the entrance of Chunking Mansion in the main aisle of the ground floor of the building, full of sellers of Indian or Arab, who want to sell a room, who run a snack food of India, who sell copies of electronic equipment last cries (iPad, iPhone, laptops, cell phones, etc ...), in a steady stream of tourists typed them , backpackers, for a lot of Africans, and some Chinese. It is lined in front of a tiny elevator that takes us to the fifth floor, and it ends on the top floor by the stairs, bastards, so called because the hotel is in a half floor. It's dirty here is poor, the Hong Kong I imagined, the smell of the huge city, the heat evacuations and air conditioning in the drops of water which will flow. The room, the size of the bed a place is simple, clean enough, I even have a TV (with 2 chains not too fuzzy without antenna), and laundry will require me to do it discretely in the shower because the Indian keeper wanted me to pay a high price by refusing me to do in the shower like I normally do.
I walk and mark where I am, this area is very commercial, like all the city, I would report tomorrow. Very few shops for bargains and Chinese gadgets, most brands sell at high prices which clash with China just 5 km. I have dinner at a kebab cheap and not so bad, in one of those internet shops Chunking Mansion which uses 4 square meters to install 6 computers and I finished uploading Bali blog. I'm going to see a show every night for tourists, on the jetty of Tsim Sha Tsui HK Island is facing, light effects that decorate a few buildings in front and follow the music, a little disgusting because you see above all the immense advertising signs placed on buildings and the same width, the night view is really impressive with all those buildings.
I returned to my hotel, there is a police check of the entire building. It is so much business here, immigration and immigrants from everywhere who seek shelter for the cheapest, sometimes the police raids, with a hundred police and control the entire building. The only policeman who controls me while I climb the stairs will be as unpleasant as disappointed not to pick a fault. I was in my bedroom, a shower, I rinse my tee shirt and discreetly my pants that I put in my room to dry under the fan running very fast, too fast, making a noise monster, but only source of air in this "box" that is my room.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
My super clock with temperature, purchased in Singapore, but sounds like bug under completely as soon as I shut it off, a case ^ ^. Branch internet, and I just had to find one open in this building mini backpackers to business and small business of all kinds ...
Tourists have not yet risen, the stores are not open yet. I go to an agency that proposes to deal with visa I was told about, this will surely be easier than the official Chinese ambassage. 1 / 2 hour walk between the buildings and through underground passages, and I finally found the office at 9th floor of one of these buildings. The girl cringes when she sees my passport because I'm french and tells me I can not get a visa for more than a month, and for a price of HK $ 700, 70.
I'm really on the ass, because I came to Hong Kong on purpose to get a Chinese visa without too much difficulty and I have thought then, as all the European tourists, a visa for 3 months and time to go quietly until 'to a mountain called Kailash, Tibet, during these three months.
I say it may be trying to simply m'arnaquer as usual here, and I decide to go see for myself at the Chinese Embassy. Route in the MRT, the subway that goes under the sea to reach the island Hong Kong Island, the main island of Hong Kong, where are installed all the largest buildings of I do not know how many floors, the colors of banks or corporations.
At the entrance of the embassy, passing under a metal detector and body search.
And here I am served. To obtain a visa, they ask me a copy of airline ticket round trip, reservations of hotels throughout the trip, a copy of travel insurance, and my route with a travel schedule that must be printed, all check in 4 days minimum, simply because I'm French.
Good big contracts in France have not been signed by China, or perhaps that some politicos have tarnished the image of the greater China (hard to remember sometimes, or even to avoid ), or may have with the Dalai Lama's girlfriend, and certainly one of the reasons that led to such a reluctance to come to the French in China. So I go back
illico al'agence private offering visas and visa application a month for 70 euros. Here, no documents required, just a picture, then they must bribe officials when I went and get all the visas they want.
I'm off to landing, which connects Kowloon, the area is continental or my room, with Central, the main island of HK, and take a break in a store. IPods at prices a bit cheaper than in France.
I eat a snack made from a few planks and a tarpaulin in a narrow alley, cul de sac, in the shadow between two huge buildings, a plate of noodles with two eggs and tasteless an iced tea for 24 HK $ a bit more expensive than usual but we had to give me the price tourists, after they tired of me landing, while the tourists usually go to McDonalds or a small restaurants.
The old boat that I took then to HK $ 2, is known for generations. He commutes 10 minutes of quiet Koloon strewn buildings to HK Island, the small island on which all the thin side is also filled with buildings featuring all major brands of cars, banks and clothing. I'm
of footbridges that overlook the streets, take a few small alleys between the buildings
and I arrive at the foot of the small peak on the island, the steep slope to that they have installed a tram. I the tail with all the tourists, 20-minute climb, then climb another 5 floors of a building at the summit, dedicated to the sight, and selling trinkets to tourists coming to enjoy it. The view is truly magnificent, 360 degrees, Kowloon side and behind I guess China, buildings everywhere, and the center of the island on steep slopes with dense vegetation.
descends I walk alone on the trail, unlike the tram was packed. And the view is always surprising, with vegetation reminiscent of the tropical heat and surrounding views of the skyscrapers of Hong Kong. The first buildings to which I pass on the hills with stunning views, are home to the ground floor of Ferrari, Lamborghini, or big cars familliales chauffeur.
1h later, I arrive at the first street after seeing some sites, workers are anchors deep into the hill on steep slopes, to install other buildings. And I'm still surprised to see the scaffolding surrounding all buildings under construction, made entirely of bamboo for the most part!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
the morning I took a chai, Indian tea, in a stand at the center aisle of the Chungking Mansions, the building or have a room. I drink the tea in the street at the entrance of the building and observed the population of Chinese in business suits who go to work, tourists, and guys ready to go watch the tourists to offer them a tailored suit, or room in Chungking Mansion as I had proposed at the finish. I MEETS 3 guys, Aki, Nigeria, another is a 3rd Dubai and Pakistan.
Aki tells me they are here to try to bring a few dollars to their families. They are quiet, once you set the option to make business with them.
I take a coffee on the ferry boats that connect HK Island and admire a group that embarks on a boat, dressed in white and started to make a demonstration of the Chinese dragon on the front of the boat while others give rhythm with percussion and symballes.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
I look at the appliances sold in small shops Chungking Mansion, copies iphone 4 30 to $ 100 depending on the model, 2 cameras, wifi, and all the features of the original or near a nice gadget ^ ^
Friday, August 6, 2010
I send a package with a few clothes and memories that will relieve my bag and I go get my visa at the agency. I took the first train to Guangzhou, former city 2h Hong Kong in China. As soon as I arrive in Guangzhou, I reserve the first train that can take me to Chengdu to the Tibetan border. I have only one month visa, so no time to lose. Scheduled departure tomorrow 18h, no free space before and I guess I came the next day, but impossible to be sure, the girl's desk does not speak English and did not want to bother me understand anything, the Chinese host ...
Guangzhou Metro has to a place where I had found a hotel not too expensive, but it is full, and the following 5 I'm looking at the gallery because nobody speaks English, also. A final after 1am search the bag down in the shoulders, has a free room for 15 euros and I'm not hard on the price, almost all the hotels here are at least at this price, with several television channels manga Chinese or series of episodes that pass loop, large bathroom, air conditioning, electronic card to gain access to the chamber, while in contrast, welcoming the dusty old computer made his own, quite the image of China that is growing very fast ... ?!
photos of Hong Kong
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