Isn't This an Adventure

Just thought I'd drop a big group email again - yes, I know, a mere week and a half after the last one - because I'm going on a trip on Friday that will basically take roughly a month. Three weeks up Australia's gloriously unspoilt, uninhabited, impenetrable, department-store-bereft Western coastline, then a train journey from the very top (Darwin) down to the south east (Sydney) that will take over a week (including stopovers).

My time in Perth has continued in the same direction it was going when I last shoved an email out: pleasantness and alcohol in equal proportions. Tomorrow I'm going to go with a few guys from the hostel I'm staying at for a tour around a few wineries. Otherwise - it's been all about the suburban fun so far.

Two days ago I went and did 5 hours shaking a tin outside a supermarket for charity, $70 cash in hand. Just felt like it would be an unusual way to pass the time. But - jesus - never ever ever do that kind of work. Spent half an hour watching a pigeon wobbling along the pavement pecking at scraps, and eventually started making up accompanying music in my head... like the loony tunes tiptoeing music, you know? "dumdumdum...dum...dum...dumdumdedededum" (ad nauseum). Then there was a big shiny roach crawling about next to me for 20 minutes. That was also very interesting. Gah.... never, ever again.

Anyway - so now it's just about waiting for Friday, which is when all the fun starts. Doing the following tour: http://www.westernxposure.com.au/ourtours/tourdetails.aspx?tid=16&name=West%20Coast%20Explorer%20-%20Perth%20to%20Darwin - I'd advise you if you're interested enough to go to www.flickr.com , and type into the search box the names of any of the places I'm going and just see how awesome all the pictures are. Like this, for example: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=ningaloo or http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=monkey+mia or http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=bungle+bungles or http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=karijini or http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=cable+beach or ....... well, you get the picture.

So, yep. That really is about it. I'll be swinging into Sydney on the 5th of August after (as already mentioned) a very long train journey from the top of the country to the bottom and then across to the east... and that's when part two of my Australian Adventure kicks off.

Best wishes,

Sam

Isn't This Humid

Hi everyone

Only been in Hong Kong a couple of days, but thought I'd shove a quick
mail out. Had a few additions to the list since the last one so I'm
just trying to get that sorted too...

Prepare for some dreadful banalities. I know I promised otherwise, but
I can't help myself. If you don't like all this dreary crap, just look
at the pictures because some of them are quite pretty. I won't send
another big mail till I'm leaving, I promise. Maybe not even till I've
been in Perth a couple of weeks, actually. For your sakes, not mine.

Hong Kong is lovely. Put a few pictures up at
www.flickr.com/photos/sammcginty already; take a look. Some of them
are a bit wonky, and maybe the colours are a bit off, because I don't
have the usual photowhizzery tools available to me... but I'm still
quite proud.

It's damned hot out here, and incredibly humid. There's loads to do,
it's a really buzzing city, but today I've spent indoors because
there's been a tropical storm raging pretty much all day. Other days
though - well, the shopping centres are so big you could get lost in
them, which is a good thing because you want to spend most of the time
indoors (well I do), it's so hot and sticky.

Apparently the shoreline of HK has moved forward a hell of a lot in
the past few years due to ongoing land reclamation, so that you can
actually walk along what used to be the waterfront and be nowhere near
the water.

You can use your travel card ('Octopus' - methinks the London
Underground has been pilfering concepts) to buy snacks at the 7-11,
it's so high tech. Scan and go, scan and go. It's the future.

Hong Kong Park is like a tropical, Asian version of NY's Central Park.
Epic skyskcaper vistas rise up behind beautifully landscaped
hill-lets, rockeries, ponds, aviaries, observatories, fountains,
people doing Tai-Chi, museums, playgrounds... Plus there's a shiny new
Olympic Square there - which I suspect they're going to struggle to
find any use for post-2008. Any thoughts on what best to do with a
miniature ampitheatre, thoroughly emblazoned with that famous
five-disc logo? No? Well, it's nice to know the People's Republic is
investing in its future.

There's an outdoor escalator that goes from Central (or near Central -
that's the central district - duh) up to the Mid Levels, halfway up
Hong Kong, which is basically a bloody long way. I went halfway up
before I realised there was no down escalator for lazy c***s like
me...

The buildings are tall and shiny and new, and I'm about two feet
taller than everyone here which gives me a great view of the scenery.
The food and hospitality are lovely, with special mention for the
ever-brilliant Ainsworths and their lovely helper Marina, who's been
providing my dinners so far. Yet to dive into Macdonald's, though I
may make the sacrifice eventually.

I'm being boring. It's great here though. Look at the pictures.

Top moment so far: walking off the Star Ferry from Kowloon last night
listening to Sigur Ros (Yes, Ellie, "Hoppipooooooollllllaaaaaaaa"
indeed), seeing the HSBC and Bank of China towers looming over me,
generally taking in all the lights and sights, and going up for a long
walk through the ridiculous network of corridors and overpasses that
thread through all the skyscrapers in Central. That was the moment
where I saw *that* shop - yes, the glamorously entitled "Wanko".

I'll get back to you when things get more interesting.

Sam