August 3, Tsim Sha Tsui & Causeway Bay
Up early this morning. Chung Wah was passed out on the living room tatami. My first mission: CTS (China Travel Services), to apply for my visa to China. There was a delay on the MTR, so I took a taxi. Hong Kong taxis are strange and somehow don’t fit with the modern cosmopolitan style of the city. The drivers are usually from the older generation of Hong Kongers and rarely speak anything other than Cantonese. I was lucky that the second driver spoke Mandarin. He got me to CTS (aptly situated on Peking Street, Tsim Sha Shui) and I was able to get my visa using the next day express service. The price was steep (around 1200 HKD), but I had little choice if I wanted to keep on schedule with the trip.
After an exciting time at Citysuper in Times Square, where I bought Dr Bronner’s 18-use organic liquid soap, a travellers favourite for its convenience. I also picked up an Italian style coffee maker (Moka pot), which I’d searched for in Doha without success. Now I’m sitting in a Mao themed coffee shop in Causeway Bay, relaxing, having cappuccino and scribbling this down.
I think I’d be much happier living in Hong Kong than in Doha. But at the same time I feel in rather a quandary about life at the moment.
After travelling to the outskirts of Hong Kong for a brief work-related meeting, I trekked back to Tsim Sha Tsui and popped into the Rimowa shop to look at posh expensive luggage. My suitcase handle is broken (I know it happened when I threw it down a flight of stairs at a London tube station, what could I do - the thing was too heavy and there were no lifts or escalators). The cheapest large Rimowa suitcase was around 4000 HKD (around £300). They are meant to be indestructible and include a 5-year warranty. Am considering making the splurge. Maybe after Beijing.
I tried to find the infamous Chungking Mansions but ended up finding Mirador Mansions instead. Not much difference between the two. I asked a phone vendor about Gevey sims for unlocking the iPhone 4. He told me 210 HKD (before bargaining), but also mentioned that they’re much cheaper in China. Even the HKD price is a lot cheaper than in Qatar, so we could be onto something here.
In the evening I caught a tram to Victoria Park and did some jogging and body weight exercises. The park was full of people strolling, sitting and playing sports. The atmosphere was exceptionally friendly and communal.
