It's a mad, mad, mad, mad mall

I didn't really know what to expect in Hong Kong. This is my first visit to Asia and I wasn't sure if I would be overwhelmed by the cultural differences and lost with the language barrier.

Hong Kong is definitely where east meets west. Most speak English and the streets are crowded with a mix of Chinese and a huge cosmopolitan ex-pat community. Oh yeah, and business rules. It's the cleanest city I have ever been in, the metro is absolutely spotless, as are the streets, and the food is amazing. Cantonese, Shainghainese, Pekingnese, Japanese, Indian, French, Italian, Tapas...all of it is living and thriving in Hong Kong.

Besides food, there is also theatres, art, temples and markets. Hong Kong has it all.

If you wanted, you could spend your entire day underground and in a mall. Exiting the metro tends to be a 20 minute walk through underground, connected malls: Gucci, Chanel, Furla...all the major brands, just as expensive as anywhere.

I was lucky to have a friend in Guangzhou; a two-hour train ride from Hong Kong, but miles away from the international feel. Guangzhou is China. Very few English speakers, very few foreigners. Amazing food. I stayed with Zach and Winnie (and their little one, Miles) and they, along with some of their friends, treated me to a cultural introduction to China. Chinese hot pot and dim sum were pretty tame. Things got weirder with the trip to get a massage. We had an hour foot massage, an hour back massage and some cupping. All for the bargain price of 110 RMB (about 15 USD). I was bracing for a painful foot massage, but they were gently for us foreigners. The back massage was more intense, but the cupping was by far the most painful (check the video, above). The things you do for good Chi.

With a Chi-high, we went to dinner. The dinner was a cornucopia of Chinese oddities...we walked aruond the mostly live fish stalls to choose our food: worms, clams, aligator, snakes, turtles. That night, I ate chicken feet, worms, clams, oysters and snake penis rice wine (surprisingly good).

I returned to Hong Kong the next day happy, hungover and very bruised. I spent the next two days enjoying more food, visiting temples and resting up before my trip to Nepal, where I write to you now.

Nepal has been a dream of mine for many years and it is amazing to be here. I have escaped to Pokhara to write this email and take a hot shower and I return to the mountain area of Nirmal Pokhari tomorrow to continue volunteering. Next week, I'll share some of my adventures!