Hong Kong

Oh my! I had forgotten just how busy the real world can be and especially the Asia world - so many people, such big buildings, so much traffic - take me back to New Zealand forthwith! By accident rather than by plan I arrive in Hong Kong just as they are all ready to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Now maybe, I thought, it would be a quiet time with shops closed and people off visiting and staying with family. But no! Everyone was visiting family but the whole family was then out and about walking the streets, parks and shopping malls that remained open, all be it opening a little later than normal. Oh, and it is cold, 14c, I hadn't expected that. Quite nice to walk around in a fleece. What has been even nicer is a room to myself in a nice hotel, with a big do not disturb sign on my door. Not that the hostels were bad in NZ but I had been sharing dorm rooms or sleeping in a tent over the past 3+ weeks so a little luxury and solitude was certainly in order. My choice of eating estblishment has been reduced a tad here as I refuse to eat anywhere that has shark fin soup on the menu and unfortunately that is a lot of restaurants. Perhaps I should investigate a spell on the Sea Shephard as it really does get up my nose that peolpe can destroy such a magnificent animal, in such an horrendous way, for the sake of an unneeded food source. Welcome to Asia!