At the Auckland Central Backpacker.

After arriving in Auckland I sat on my bag outside the airport wondering how to get ‘there and away’ I notice a information centre and soon I’m on my way to the hostel in a bus laden with other backpackers. I waited in a long que and finally I found my way to my room and the girl was already there was petite with long blond hair. She explained that she was from Brazil and her name was what I thought was Dadchi in fact turned out to be Tati (short for Tatiana). She was there to try to extend the duration of her visa and was only there because she could not do that from inside Australia. She had been living in Australia since October trying to improve her English and surf the fantastic waves that broke along the gold coast. The room was for four people and about the same size as the Hong Kong hostel yet the beds were stacked bunk beds and the room had much more space as a result. There was no window but there were secure lockers beneath the beds and a fridge in the room, the beds were neatly made up and were comfortable and the biggest bonus was that they didn’t squeak!

After having a long sleep in, after all I was awake pretty much the whole night before I set about the first day finding out where I was and orientating myself with my immediate surroundings. I found the computers for e-mail, bought a ‘Wwoof’ing book (wwoof stands for willing workers on organic farms) and became a member of that organization. I changed my SIM card on my phone and found out that it was ‘locked’ and had to be ‘unlocked’ with the cost of $40 from a shop along the main street. Queen’s street is the main central road of Auckland and the hostel was on a corner about half way down. It was called Auckland Central Backpackers ACB and was about as central to the city as you could get. I walked along the nearby roads in search of some provisions the close as I came to a super market was a convenience store and these shops lined the streets there was one conveniently at every place you went although all they seemed to sell was bottled drinks, chips, cookies and chocolate! After being in HK I avoided all raw vegetables and I craved fruit!

I decided to get my bearings on the place and went to the highest point in Auckland which isn’t up an ex volcano, but Sky Tower. A massive syringe shaped construction which is the tallest building in the southern hemisphere. I got into the lift and stood on the floor and as the elevator I looked at my feet and saw the floor disappear beneath me! The floor had a panel made of glass and the doors were also glass so you could see the towers structure whiz past as it went up and up. I reached one of the levels and this was grand you could see all around, the Tazman Sea on one side, the Pacific on the other and only a small strip of land about a km wide separating the two. The views were good from the slanted windows that were angled so you could lean against them and were able to look straight down. And every now and again panels of glass were set into the floor and I felt slightly giddy when I looked down.

I headed back and spotted a slightly larger shop with bread and fruit so I stocked up and went back to my room to make myself a cheese and tomato sandwich. I tucked in and my room mate appeared just as I took a bite and a juicy piece of tomato split and the seeds spilled out from between the ‘supersoft’ wholemeal and down my top, Brilliant! I mopped myself down and began chatting to this girl.
‘I went to the Consulate and then keep telling me “Come back Wednesday, Come back Friday” so I have to go back tomorrow! I so hope to get my Visa my cousin is coming to Australia in April and May and I only can stay until April.’
‘Why did you come to Australia? When does your visa expire?’
‘The 6th April cause I can stay until then if I go back to Australia the day my passport expired on the 6th January and I only stay 3 months I can! Sometimes I don’t understand the English, my English terrible. I go to Australia to learn more English and to surf, I love the Gold Coast. There are good waves! My ex boyfriend say ‘I MISS YOU, DON’T GO FOR LONG TIME, SO I only come for two months and have NO RETURN as condition for visa. Now he and I split up and I want to stay longer, I will kill him when I go back to Brazil!’
She talked a lot but she was really nice and only 18 and also on her own so we got along well. She produced a wad of leaflets from the information place and after looking at them all we decided that we should do something together. Rangitoto Island looked good, a 30 minute ferry ride and a volcano assent. We decided to do it the day after next because she had to go back to the consulate to find out about her visa.

The next day I went to pick up my phone that had to be unlocked and tried to organize my financial accounts in NZ I was running short of the $350 I had brought with me in cash and needed to make sure I had some way of getting to my funds. I tried ATM after ATM and nothing happened. So I went into a bank and after a little fiddling about I was able to get some paper bills. I got out $500 and marched down towards the backpackers car trader. I through a park and through an alternative area with funky shops and found the place. They had about 20 vehicles and all for sale but all at much a higher price than I had in mind. After talking to the dealer for a little while and going for a spin I walked out again, carless! I arrived back at the hostel to find Tati, she had been refused an extension on her visa and had been given a letter explaining why, she asked me to translate it for her. ‘You haven’t got enough of an incentive to return to Brazil and they think that you will not return there!’
‘Ah, what is incentive?’
‘You don’t like Brazil much and you don’t have enough evidence to say that you were to defiantly go back to live there.’
‘Ok so can I stay until April?
‘I don’t know, may I see the visa?... Ah you first entered the country in October?’
‘Yes’
‘Humm I don’t know if you can, December is 3 months after October and you have been there already for 3 months.’
‘Oh no really, I’m confused… I need to go back to the consulate to ask, will you come with me? My English, terrible!
So we went and took a ticked and waited for the person behind the desk to call our number, then it was lunchtime. So she and I killed half an hour trying to get a bank to give me some money. By the time we had got back we had missed the slot but were able to squeeze in because it was a short query. ‘Yes Tati, once you re-enter Australia you may stay for three months, on the condition that you do so on or before the 6th January.’
As we wandered back to the hostel I realized we in a small part in need of each other. She needed me to help her out, to speak to her and explain stuff and I needed to help her out. I liked doing things for her, I liked to be needed in someway and it didn’t matter who it was. In one way this was a weakness but in another it was my nature. I was figuring out who I am warts and all.

Rangitoto was good, we got up and were both late, we ran to the cash point and then to a convenience store to buy some supplies and water as the guide book had stated that we must. We ran to the ferry building and made it onto the ferry with two minutes to spare! I don’t know if I will ever be in good time for any public transport! The boat was full of families and hikers all heading for the island. It was a hot day and I noticed that almost everyone had a hat except me and Tati. Hopping off the ferry and we headed for the summit. It was beautiful; there were huge ferns of various varieties and lava flows that were spiky and everything but smooth. It turned out that our mascot for the day was an Irish gent of about 75 who seemed to follow us everywhere. He was small and pink and he wore a blue cap with a shield with the colours of the Irish flag emblazoned across it. He had a flask with water and every time we saw him he would be sitting in almost exactly the same position as he had been in before but in a different location. He must also have been walking almost as fast as we were because after we had had a breather and taken a few pictures of the wonderful view of the azure water and lush green hillocks of the islands dotted about the vast natural harbor. We reached the top after about an hour of walking encircled the crater and then headed down to the only beach on the island. It was a perfect day. There were a few whisps of cloud but nothing that threaten the sunshine and the warm wind did a good job of getting rid of the humidity. A swim and a few crackers and then it was back to the walk… the sign we came across said the ferry port was still 2 ½ hours away! Crickey! We have already spent the best part of two hours walking! So we got the wriggle on and made it to the ferry in an hour and 15 mins! Just in time for the earlier crossing… phew!
The Globe Bar was our destination of the evening and we headed down to the club that was run by the hostel. People were dressed up to the tarty tops and the girls and boys were out in force… It was Saturday night… and I rocked out dancing and having a good time until I fell into bed at about 4am, a little tipsy but just as intact as I was when I left, but with a few extra phone numbers!

The longest day!

Another early rise and after I checked out of the cosy hostel I took a wander into Victoria Park in search of posers!! But not the vain on a Saturday night variety more the flowing poses of the active doing their daily exercise: Tai Chi. Most of who I spotted as I meandered about the various neatly kept gardens were well over the age of 60 and one or two who were in their middle years. I stopped for a little while to discreetly watch a pair as I slowly munched on my 'western bread' pain au chocolat which was rather good after days of rice in different forms. One was very elegant wearing silk pyjamas and the other rather ordinary in a top and stretchy pants. The elegant was teaching the ordinary a martial art with a sword and they were both beautifully graceful, moving slowly with poise and intent. Every now and again they would point with two fingers and tuck the sword in under their arm, hold the pose for a short while then smoothly move to the next.

The others about the park were very different, one was shuffling along taking tiny, regular steps and then would change direction before continuing the action. Another - a many of about 80 was standing stock still with his arms held out before him, elbows bent, palms down and fingers stretched towards each other but not touching. One lady had a helper with her, possibly a nurse watching very nearby while she had got out of her wheel chair and started jigging about flailing her arms and shaking them vigorously!

Once I left the park I headed to the waterfront where a woman in a small boat shouted to me "where you wanna go?"
"Kowloon"
"100 HK dollars"
"haha, No thanks!"
I walked on looking at the expencive yachts and speed boats mored near the house boats and smaller vessels piled high will all sorts of things. I passed the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club whimsically thinking that I might pop in for a drink and a good look through their mooring registrations for 1937, although after looking at the massive sign saying members only and the well dressed entrants I thought better of it so I headed back to the Star ferry and across to Kowloon for the second time.

I knew where I was going this time and I hopped off the ferry on the way to the Gallery, it was cool and spacious and had two exhibitions I may have liked not to mention panoramic views of the Island. One exhibition was traditional Chinese painting and a contemporary exhibition involving futurist sculpture and other artists responses to it!

Starving hungry and it being my last afternoon in HK I decided to have some not cheap-as-chips grub and saw a restaurant across the promenade. I was show upstairs and to a table... it was a tick the box you wanted affair so I had a good old look at the pictures and tried to figure out what i could afford and what I may try and be brave enough to order. I ended up going for rice congee with chicken and preserved egg, I found out that a congee is a very thick soup that has been thickened with rice. Deep fried wontons with shrimp, steamed dim sum with barbeque beef and to top it all off crispy roast pigeon. After that and a large pot of tea I felt much more human and more ready to face the air port which was the the next thing I had to do.

I had caught the bus and I was early enough for the plane only to discover that the flight was delayed by 40 mins. so I cruised the duty free trying to kill time. I sat in the lounge with all the other passengers and made myself comfortable. The next thing I knew was the only one in the boarding lounge and I thought ' OH SH**T I'VE MISSED THE PLANE!' I had fallen asleep and I then got it together quickly and headed for the door, there was 10 mins due to go before it was meant to leave but I wasn't the last, there was one other woman, Mrs Smith, she was behind me! In the end I had an entire row of three seats to myself I was very comfortable and settled down for the in flight movies.

As we flew I kept checking the flight path and the night sky and I was lucky enough to catch a lightning storm going on beneath the plane, a startling sight (but unluckily enough to be on the loo while crossing the equator) I watched it, and as we flew the sky got lighter and lighter. I could see a coastline, dawn over Queensland, Australia. The next landmark I noticed was the top of NZ there is was, 90 mile beach!

Day 3

The intention was to rise early and make the most of the day I had and I caught the Tram into Central, but once I had found DHL, killed time until it opened and shipped the bowls for mums birthday I had wasted about an hour and a half. I caught the fast ferry to Lantau Island... back towards the Airport. I hopped onto a bus and it ascended into the countryside and up steep hills towards Ngong Ping Monastery to the largest Buddha in the world. I had heard that there were many steps to reach the icon and when I saw the silhouette on the hill from the bus I was astounded. I was on top of a small mountain... How many steps WERE there!!!! I was relieved when the bus kept going up, and up and the assent wasn't the entire height of the hillside. I had planned to do other things that day. It was big and fairly beautiful with the sun reflected on its polished surface. There were a few steps but not nearly many as I had imagined. The funniest thing about being there was the souvenir kiosk where they had figurines of buddah, the laughing buddah and Micky, Donald and Pluto holding Buddist septals! Sell it to them young in an easy digestible way.. that's what I say!

I walked through the Temple and the colours were amazing, lots of yellow and orange. I took lunch at the vegetarian resurant after checking its entry in the 'Lonely Planet' guide and a woman asked me if I was ok and could I use chopsticks! Thank god I could... If I hadn't been able to just pick them up and go I would have been very hungry by this point! She recommended the tea, 'It will stop the oil and it is good for sleep!' After taking far to many pictures of burning insence I walked through the mini Buddist theme park and took the cable car and it was great. The view was pretty good and you could see the monks and followers graves below with pathways that led from the village to nowhere. I was reminded to watch the monkey and have my picture taken in several different languages to it could take the obligitory action shot of the last 20meters of the journey... "have your smile ready. Watch the monkey"

I took the MTR back to Hong Kong island and went in search of some art and funky birds! the gallery that I was searching for was infact closed and marked incorrectly on the map but I have seen enough London Street art to know what I was missing and was miffed that Para/site was shut. So I headed through the streets towards the Botanical Gardens and was surprised to see it emerge from beneath me.. the interconnecting streets swept above it arching over the green canopy of palms and huge bougoinvilia. It buy this time was twilight and I enjoyed mooching about the paths watching the animals stretching and eating as night fell. Top animal of the day: Orangutan. Loudest amimal of the day: Leama. Top bird of the day: Scarlet Ibis (hot pink like a Bishop!)

I zig zaged back accross the city to find Graham St and Gage St wet market with fish alive in polystyreen boxes filled with water and air bubbled into it to sustain the oxygen level in such a little amout of water. The live crabs were tied with bamboo strips, the buried eggs had their dirt removed in stripes and perfect orchids formed arches with their flowering stems. All the stalls were lit with lamps shaded in red plasitc which gave everyhting a pink glow.

I was knacked so caught the tram back to Causeway Bay and hoped to get a shower, although whe I arrived back there was no running water! I went to the supermarket and found cut price sushi and a hot bread pizza and by the time I was back at the room it had been switch on again. Phew, otherwise I would have been Phewy!

Day 1 + 2

I am now in the other hemisphere and the keyboard is swimming infront of my eves.. I'm kinda spaced out since I had about an hour of sleep last night and with a cappacino next to me am fighting it until about 9pm tonight.. (for most of you that will be 8am! I'm 13 hours ahead of you!) The last few days have been exausting also! I arrived in Hong Kong an hour early after a very smooth flight and about 6 hours sleep. The first thing that struck me was the smell - a mixture between doughnuts and exhaust fumes! I eventually found my bus and a ticket and told the driver to let me know where Yee Wo st stop was and I was able to get off! I had the impression that this hostle was massive and having hostled in many cities in Europe and US I imagined that it would be fairly obvious... It wasn't and wandered about the streets for about 20 mins asking people who didn't speak much engrish (...yep I ment to write it that way!) if they knew where it was. Eventually I asked at a shop where they sold laptops and they were able to look up the address online to make sure I had it correct. I was only a few hundred meters away but in through a residence only door to a building. I was let in by someone cause the doorman just sat and ignored me and the other guy that was tring to get into the place, checked in and was shown to my room which turned out to be in a different building with 4 beds in it.The room was tiny for the amount of stuff it had in it and the beds were butted right up next to each other without a gap. They were all single beds and the place was fairly clean and I was met by a French traveller who was looking for work in the area. The thing that surprised me the most was that he was a HE! and both the other beds were also taken up, also with boys! They (fortunately) all turned out to be very nice and were either travelling through or looking for work in the City. They informed me that the shower was hot with the cold tap and vice versa and that there was light show that I had just missed that was on every night at 8pm in Kowloon! Honk Kong is a shopaholic's fix for a year! The city is crammed with shops of all varieties (mostly chains) over several floors and most of the lower half of the bigger buildings are dedicated to malls and plazas. Every where I went I saw people either on the phone or taking pictures... and that wasn't the tourists! They love it the Chineese pose more times than Victoria beckham and me combined! So without much motivation I hit the streets and forund random stuff to eat that I couldn't identify until I had bought it and the vendor couldn't tell me what it was either... I had to resort to asking people on the street and in the que for food from these stalls what it might be. Often the responce was "I don't know the Engrish... it's yummy!" That has got to be worth trying eh!?

So after a cosy night and all of the morning with my roomies...(I slept until 12!) I hit the city once again, I headed along the streets and bought some breakfast. a croissant with a frankfurter stuck through the middle of it and a custard thing! I was heading for the Victoria Peak and bought my ticket for the finicular railway to the top!!! ME..? HIKE UP THERE!? I had to be fast I only had two whole days. at the top it was stunning and kinda horrendous too! the cramped city with a smog at about eyeline and protected park land right next to it! Of course at the top there was no less than two shopping malls wich included a super market and I don't know how many restuants and shops and a piaist that was playing a medley of Christmas carols while swaying to their rythmic tones. After quinting into the sunlight tryingto take a picture of myself infront of the view I took many small steps to reach the mid levels (confucious would be proud!) Where I found the escalators for pedestrians.. and after taking great touble to find this very Hong-Kong-convienience attraction and not realising that they only went up for the majority of the mile that they assend I walked down past them for a mile! This was a Sunday and I was astonished to find that pretty much in every public space were vast numbers of groups of women sitting on teh ground on plastic/ newspaper or blankets.... thousands of them.... wherever I went... and what have they done with the men?! I was confused.. they weren't begging or were dressed in a shabby way, htey were just sitting together talking and eating, playing cards or bingo, sometimes they were cutting each others hair or playing loud music and teaching each other to salsa dance! I later found out that they were the women form the big phillipeno community that lived there... they all got together for their day off. I walked to and took the star ferry (so quaint! and the seats can be swapped so you can face the direction of travel!) to Kowloon and sat with a good view of the skyscrapers with about an hour to go before the grand starting of the light show (it was meant to be REALLY good!) I had sat next to another English woman and we started chatting. Her Name is Dawn and she was a lawyer here on bussiness and had also come to see the show (her second look - it MUST be good!). I turned out to be halarious.. as it was a sunday the narration was in Cantoneese and the multi pitched tones came accross the rather good speaker that it was about to start.. the the introductions were made and after each building and it's sponsor was dicribed the rythmic acid house synthesised drum beats came over the PAS and the corresponding building 'flashed for us'! It was called a symphony of lights and at 8pm a dude pushed a button and this plays, flashes and it is reasonably in time with the music but the BEST bit was the reactions from the Chinese behind dawn and I 'oooooohhhhhhhh! 'ooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhoooooooo!'. Naf! But definatly woth the effort just for the crowd participation. We both headed into Kowloon and Up Nathan road... The sound track to this was "copy bag? Channel? Prada?" or " you want copy Rolex?" The Temple St night market was fun and we looked about and stopped in the Wang Sung Hawkers Cooked Food Baazar, for some local grub... it was well ventalated, you could see the sky scrapers above us through the large hole in the roof. Daw was very kind and the (very cheap) food was on her - Thanks Dawn! She then headed back and I spent time looking about and taking photos... I went back to the ferry to find that the last one had left..!! Ooops! In the end, after to trying to find someone to speak english to I made it to the MTR (the tube) to take be back to the Island! Anyway folks that is the it for the moment.. it is rather long winded sorry... tune in next time for the next installment