9am (local time) Greetings from Hong Kong! After a fairly long and slightly exhausting flight (lack of sleep thanks to seat not actually tipping back but more sliding beneath the one in front…don’t ask!) I arrived at Hong Kong International Airport pleasantly ahead of schedule and in to a warm blanket of 24C heat. Quite a difference from the chilly Heathrow I left behind. A good couple of movies helped pass some of the time and thankfully I didn’t get put next to ‘the fat guy’, quite the contrary in fact, my fellow passengers were great company and made the journey that much more bearable despite the comedy seat/tipping arrangement. Time is a funny thing on an aeroplane, one of the dominant ques for setting our body clocks is daylight, going east effectively shortens this, your body fights to keep itself in sync at this unexpected alteration in the daylight. I’ve only been here a couple of hours and, understandably tired from the flight itself, I’ve yet to find the joys of jet lag hit me. A quick train – costing less than a third of the UK Heathrow express(!) – got me to the centre of Hong Kong, an equally cheap taxi to the door of where I’m staying and thats that. Right, the cleaners have just come in (think of the Penguins from Mary Poppins) so thats my que to head out for an explore, so much to see…must stay awake to stave off any time difference problems.

3pm Well, I wandered around taking in the sights. Today has been a day of contrasts thats for sure and I wouldn’t have it any other way! From hi-tech aircraft that take us half way round the planet to walking into temples burning so much incense it made your eyes sting if you hung around too long! Not to mention the buildings held up by bamboo, then there’s the skyscrapers. I’m going to see if I can head up the China Bank Tower to the public viewing gallery at some point… The sights, sounds and smells – there’s so much to take in, add to that the combination of fatigue and energy sapping heat its enough to make you feel a bit giddy, indeed I found I was flagging a bit and in need of sustenance. Before I go here’s a taster and I’ll add more with where and what once my brain and body have recharged!