Well that's not exactly fair, but yesterday night, I was confident I would have asked most of them for directions at some point on this trip to test the theory. I had entered into mainland China and had to find a bus in a big city with various bus stations and people looking puzzled at the ticket I had received in Hong Kong. After at least an hour of bogus directions and shlepping all over with my pack, I found someone who seemed confident she knew where my bus would be. I (politely)insisted she physically walk me there and after transferring me to a couple other people who took me on legs of the journey, I found my bus and a couple Canadians equally exhausted by the ordeal. But I am already ahead of myself. I have to tell you about Hong Kong first.
I don't think I have ever been to such an intense and oxymoronic place as Hong Kong. My hotel was one floor of a bldg squished into an area where most of the others are. My room was about $40/night and roughly 9'x4' (like one of those walk-in closets people always say they could sleep in). The streets team with neon signs in all directions, endless stores, and offers for massages and what not.
Across the river is Hong Kong island which is something like Manhattan (good call Dad). The skyline is fantastic. I think it easily trumps NY's in scale although its a little different because each building has a large lcd sign of a company logo (usually electronics). After taking the ferry over, one is immediately overwhelmed by a continued frenzy of materialism (although more upscale). I have never seen a city so driven by consumerism. You take a required underpass to cross a street, and instead of just popping up on the other side, you end up in another giant shopping mall you must traverse through first. When you take the tram to the top of the famous Victoria Peak, you must first go up like 8 escalators of yet another shopping mall just to get to the lookout spot. Every direction is Prada, Versace, Guchi. That said, after digging a little deeper, I didnt find some local markets selling all variety of animal parts I didn't know were ingestable.
But on my second day I saw a totally different Hong Kong. My book briefly mentioned that HK island actually had a beach. I found the bus that would take me there and I think it must have been the most beautiful 1/2hr bus ride I have ever taken. Beyond all the sky scrapers are towering majestic green hills dotted with sparse houses and high rises. The bus snaked around these hills through a scene that could have been in the Carribean. The people on the beach were a mix of Anglos, Chinese, and biracial families. I could have spent all day there, but eventually I had to head back to embark on the awaiting debacle described above.
I always find the signage interesting when traveling, and Hong Kong didn't dissapoint. Because it was British up until a decade ago, you have the classics:
But the Chinese have definately added their own flavor: 
Anyway, I am writing now from a wonderful little town called Yangshuo about 9hrs west of HK. It is surrounded by similar lush green hills, yet skyscrapers are replaced by swampy rice paddies and honking cars by locals on bicycles. My hotel room is large, well appointed, and about $15/night. I rented a bike for the day for a couple bucks and have already seen much of the town. Later there will be caves and mountains to explore. I am thoroughly relaxed yet fully present and enthused.
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