Tourist Sites

When I arrived here in Hoi An the 9th of february I thought I was a bit suprised over the massive amounth of tourists. Therer where withe faces and people talking french, swedish and german all over the place. Although i knew this city was a big tourist attraction i did not know that the streets was filled with tourists, but then again, I am a tourist my self.

From my stay in Bangkok the last couple of days i had gotten a terrible cough and a runny nose from the AC, so everythin seemed a bit foggy. But as soon I had gotten my luggage up to my room in the beatiful Hai Au hotel, i bought some liquid tigerbalm( for drinking) for the throat and headed out in the streets.

The street picture in Hoi An could seem a bit chaotic in the beginning. There are some sense of traffic rules, the do tend to keep to the right, and the shops usually use the pathway to display their goods. So you have you have to carefull dodge chargig motorbikes and pushy shopkeepers.

One of my first days in town I went on a walabout in the marked area. The marked area makes out the central Hoi An and if you could protect yourself against the extremly agressive tailor-shop keepers you might just have a good time in the marked. If you take a short walk trough the first part of the marked which is mainly filled with cheap souvernirs and shoeshops you get to the food marked. Here you vil fine anything in fruit and vegtables that is grown localy. One of the fruit that i found very interesting was the dragon-fruit. It was pink an had a whitish pulp with black seeds, and it tasted like a watered-out kiwi. You can also buy everything fresh from mango to ginger.Somewhere inbetween the dusins vegtableshops you can find some live chickens. If you get into talking with the old ladys who sells them, you can bargain a chicken down to a couple of dollars. I bought a live one, although I donated it back to the shopkeeper after taking some pictures.

If you go even further into the heart of the marked place, down by the river you enter into the fish-marked. Boats from the river and the coast comes in to this marked early in the morning to sell ther catch of the night. I was there mid-day, but still boat-loads of fish where coming off the docks. There where everything from small oneman-river-fishing boats to big coastal boats unloading fish bigger than me (and I'm almost two meters tall). I bought an half kilo of mackerel and took som pictures, and then of course donated it back the the fisherlady. I am still a bit suprised over the quintity of shopkeepers which are women. Although, the men could do the nightwork for all i know.

After a long day stamping around in fishguts and chicken droppings i took aim for a opening in the marked out to the street. I found a quiet little cafè near the Japanese bridge, just east of the marked. I sat there while i was waiting for my girlfriend and her friends to take lunch. While waiting I got into talking with the owner, Ngang, who is a really nice guy. He is the owner of this cafè ( which by the way is named Bananasplit club) which serves cheap western food as wel as local food ( they serve a splendid Cao Lao), but he also owns a more local resturant acrossthe street, where me and some friends celebrated lunar new year (Tét). After a couple of bottles of the local brew, Larue, we agreed that I was to take cooking classes with him to learn the way of Vietnamese food.

The days is very distinct here in Hoi An, each day is a new chanche to discover something new about the town. Either you go to the beach or just ride youre bicycle on the countryside the area is filled with exciting people who always is glad to see you.

It is hard to describe Hoi An in words, and even harder to capture the life in a picture, but i will trie to do my best trough different enteries in my blogg over the next two months of my stay in this beatiful town.

Hello from Hong Kong
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Day 1
It was a long flight from Gatwik, London to the Hong Kong international airport on the coastline of Lantau island. A bit confused, tierd and exhausted we got through the passport check and to the baggage claim area. The baggage came tumbled down the line and we was on our way out in no time. A bit too easy it seemed. In front od the trip we had booked a rom at a hostel in the Kowloon district the "New Garden Guesthouse", so we found a bus and found a place on the second floor, and of we go. A bit too easy it seemed. We jumped of the bus in Nathan Rd. an strolled a couple of meters, and there right in front of us "New Garden Guesthouse. A bit too easy it seemed.

I couldn't belive my own eyes when i saw the room we had booked. It was, in fact so narrow that i couldn't turn a round. The manager asked mee " How tall are you?" I answered, " aroud two meters". "That might be a little problem", he said and skrached him self in the back of his head. We ended up in a rom some square cm bigger with a nice view of the next building and a leeky shared bathroom.

We made a short pitsop on the little room before we headed out. This was our first day in Hong Kong so we just strolled around, went to the park and got a hair-cut.

It was to be a cold night. I discovered that i forgot my sleeping bag and al the hostel could provide was a thin blanket and a rag that i wouldn't even use as to wash the floor.
Day 2
The next morning i took a develish hot shower in our leeky bathroom. Today the newly buildt Ngpong Ping 360 Degrees was on the agenda. This is the worlds longest cabel-cart system, and streches 16Km. It was finished last year with the help of european engineers and is a popular tourist attraction. The trip ut takes about 20 minutes. We found a bus wich took us to the Kowloon main station and then further to Lantau Island. We was a bit unsure of where we was to go off, but the nice bus-man helped us We bought a ticket ot the top and luckely we didn't end up in the same cart as the other noicy tourists.

The Ngpong Ping Village at the top was like a Buddha Theme park. It was buildt in traditional village style, but something was off...like a starbucks cafe and a 7-eleven kiosk. We did all the typical tourist things, like eating italian gelatto and vissiting the chineese tea-house before heading for the
big Buddha.

This is the worlds largest sitting bronze Buddha. It is a famous pilgrimage goal, but have in the last couple of years, especially after the cable-cart system waa buildt, been swamped with tourists. One good thing is that all the money the tourists leave helps to maintain the pilgrimage rout and the big national park which souronds it.

After having av quick bite to eat we took the cable-cart down. We ended up in the same cart as two elderly chineese men who couldnt stop wondering how the carts was able to move so fast up and down. The rest of the day we went shopping and took a swim in the Kowloon swimming pool. Wel, if you can call fighting for some drops of water a swim. The whole pool was filled with kids and youngster to the brink of disaster.
Day 3
On the last full day here in Hong Kong we went over the channel to Hong Kong Island with the famous Star Ferry.

First we tried to find the worlds longest escelator. Not easy to find,but we found it. It wasn't all that impressing, it was slow and over filled with comuters. Although it was infact buildt for commuters from the upper town to the lower, it has become a popular tourist attraction. It streches 800m from the Central District to the Soho District.

After struggelling our way all the way to the top, with lunch on the way we decided to aim for Victoria Peak to get a glimpse of the grand Hong Kong skylinge. We took a overpaid Peak Tram to the top, simmilar to "Fløybanen" in Bergen, Norway. The view-building on the top was breathtaking. It was a maze of shopps, resturants and coffe shops. When we finnaly reached the roof top i had to hold on to the siderail to keep my balance. Man what a view!!


I could see the entire Hong Kong Island and Kowloon District. With all the famous buldings i had seen on TV like the Bank of China and the newly buildt ITC buildings. We waitet up here onthe peak until nightfall and also got to see the skyline by night. Words can't describe the view, neither a picture, but take a look at the picture annyways

Wee took a couple of drinks in Gump & Bubba Shrimp Inc. ( named after the movie Forest Gump.)and enjoyed the view. After we went home over the strait by ferry to the hostel.


Today I am sitting in a small sweatty internett cafe writing this blog post. Our bags are packed and we are looking forward to reaching Bangkok, Thailand this eavning.

Ma Ding, Hong Kong

PS: For those who not know it; "Ma Ding" is chineese for Martin.