Landing in Hong Kong ...

View from the Gold Coast Hotel ... 16th floor

My arrival was great, landing couldn't have been better, the service was phenominal ... but since they delayed us by 4 hrs, I only landed at the Airport at 3:15am ... though I left on Dec. 25th, I landed it was Dec. 27th, I lost a day in space ... I travelled forward in time LOL

The taxi driver took me for a ride ... the total came to about 250, but he said (with little english he had) that they double that if late in the evenings ... not knowing the bluff he was calling, and wanting to slip into bed, I gave him $500HK ... found out after he zipped away quickly that I had been over-charged.  The staff at the Gold Coast Hotel called in his licence to the police station the next morning, using the licence # I copied, not the fake one he gave on my receipt.

Pop machine didn't work, I felt everything going wrong ... the a newly married girl from HK, I thought, who was actually from the UK told staff to get me a drink ... she explained to them about the cab ... I was given a smoke free room with the newlywed bride (finally some great help) ... everything slowly started working out.  The long flight left me feeling very lost and tired ... thankfully with nice people around I started feeling better.

Got to bed around 5am and woke up 6hrs later feeling refreshed ... walked around the hotel and to a market nearby ... this being new territory for me, I didn't want to go far.

I gave Canadian coins to people I met, and souvenirs to a taxi driver who I met the next day.

Night-time in Kowloon, South China Sea

A certain Bell-boy at the Gold Coast always said hi to me, later, I also gave him coins, and before I left I gave him the roses that the bride gave me which were actually meant for the mother/taxi-driver I met, but he insisted he get them so he could give them to his girlfriend ... Young Love ,,, I counldn't resist not giving them to him even though the taxi-cab driver deserved it also; I gave hr a bottle of Maple Syrup from Canada ...

It was now the 29th I had to catch a cab and return to the HK airport.  I had the hotel call the lady taxi-driver I trusted ... she wanted to do coffee before I left (upon my arrival back in HK) but her schedule and mine didn't match :( .

Name this flower for me ... a 'creeper' ... actually, it's an Orange Honeysuckle ... thanks Cherry_ice!

She dropped me off at an ATM, as I had requested ... I withdrew $600HK ... My receipt and my card came back ... but no money ... my plane was leaving in 45min.  I was in a bit (lol) of a situation ... asked the man behind me if I could wait for my $$ to come out with his withdrawl, in Canada that will accidentally happen ... so I waited and I had shown him (a total stranger) my receipt ... seconds pass he turns and goes into his wallet ... "$600HK you said?" .... "here, take this ...it's OK" ... WOW ... he gave me $600HK, still in shock I jumped into the cab and before I knew it I was headed to Guangzhou, China!!

Overall, I sure had a great time, but is was in Macau where I really experienced 'culture shock' with the bathrooms .

I love the bridges in Hong Kong

.. Boy their bathrooms aren't like Canadian bathrooms ... When I first arrived in HK I did feel cheated by a cab driver who over-charged me, but the Hotel I stayed at in Kowloon did take care of things on my behalf ... second day I was given a dozen roses from a newly married young lady I met in HK from the UK ... she saw my tears and comforted me then returned to her hotel room to her new hubby ... I went to her (the next morning) to thank her that's when she said "here, take these" ... A smile came over me ... I began to feel a part of HK and that not all people are bad (only that cabby) ... gave gifts from Canada to those I met and then when I left HK I went to ATM to take out $600HK ... machine only 'spit' out the receipt and my card; no MONEY!!!  Asked the man behind me if I could see if my $ came out with his .

View from the Gold Coast Hotel ... 16th floor

.. seconds went by, felt like an eternity and my flight to Guangzhou was slipping away ... then he turned with his wallet and said "here, take this, it's OK, ..." I couldn't believe it ... a total stranger giving me the $600HK before he even knew if my withdrawl would of come through ... HK for me now is a beautiful place, kind people, and strangers from HK, UK, Spain that are concerned ... it made my trip to HK-Lantau Island so memorable, I want to go back ...

See You, Roselle