More on Hong Kong

Since I am cooped up in my hotel with self-diagnosed, Chinese medicine man confirmed, bronchitis, I thought I would expand on Hong Kong a little bit. Since I am terrible at finding a hotel and the Hong Kong is a terrible place to try and find a hotel, I have moved around quite a bit and explored a variety of areas.

Central, on Hong Kong Island, is the main business district, home to Hong Kong MTR station, Central Ferry terminal and IFC2, the tallest building in Hong Kong. It is where the largest concentration of new high-rise buildings are, although they appear to be dispersed throughout other areas. Central is also where the Lan Kwai Fong and SoHo areas are. These are Hong Kong's self touted bar hopping areas. Besides the previously mentioned Gecko Lounge, there are a variety of high end bars rumored to include a bar with a shark tank and an ice bar where they give you a parka upon entry, M1nt and Ivan's, respectively. One was closed and I couldn't venture out to see the second due to the giant stepping on my chest.

West of Central is Sheung Wan, an older area filled with dried seafood markets and locals who shooed me away because I was a tourist. I thought it was quite rude. Admittedly, I am not always the friendliest person in the world, but I have never used my hand to shoo away someone who was trying to ask a question, while scowling.

Wan Chai is east of Central, also on Hong Kong Island. Wan Chai is the home of Happy Valley Racecourse and wall to wall hotels and bars. Most of the hotels are nice and the bars range from laid back beer gardens to swanky wine bars to gentleman clubs where the ladies, dressed in mini-skirts and boots to their thighs, solicit customers out front.

Lantau is the biggest island in Hong Kong covering 170 square miles (for perspective, Rhode Island is 1,045 square miles). As previously mentioned it is home to the airport, Disneyland and 3 prisons. Shek Pix prison is the largest of 3 prisons on the island and is about 12 miles from Hong Kong Disneyland and about 8 miles from the Hong Kong Airport. The 5-star location shown below kind of makes me want to commit a crime:

As far as I can tell, the only thing preventing escape is the location and the waterfront rooms overlooking the beach and pier. The bus stop immediately adjacent to the prison offered a close up view of the facility. There appeared to be only one fence separating the prison from the rest of the world, and it didn't appear to be much of a deterrent. Additionally, the prison is surrounded by a thick forest, a perfect cover for convicts to make their way to the airport or Disneyland. But again, who would leave this place?

The prison reminds me of Shek O Beach. Located on Hong Kong Island, Shek O is one of Hong Kong's most secluded beaches. I just happened to go on a national holiday and missed out on the seclusion.