July 17
I had a long two days ahead of me. I would spend most of today in Brunei, fly to Malaysia in the evening, then fly to Hong Kong early the next morning. I only had three days in Hong Kong, so I’d likely push myself not to catch up on sleep.
I landed in the Kuala Lumpur airport at 11pm, and my flight to Hong Kong was at 7am. So, I’d have to be back at the airport by 5am. I wanted to get a good night’s rest, but the timing was bad.
Unfortunately, the airport is an hour outside of town. There were only a few hotels around and those were all booked. It would be a waste of time and energy to taxi into the city for only a few hours sleep. So, I decided to stay at the airport and sleep on the floor.
It was the first time I’d slept at an airport. I wasn’t prepared. It took me an hour to find a good spot and get comfortable. I probably slept about 2 hours. I looked forward to sleeping on the morning plane to Hong Kong.
July 18
Now mind you. I hadn’t gotten a good night’s rest. And I hadn’t cut my hair in four months. When I got off that plane at 11am in Hong Kong, they had officers waiting in the plane’s connector tunnel. First up was an officer and a drug-sniffing dog. I passed by them fine. I had nothing to hide.
It struck me though. I wondered what has been happening in Hong Kong (or with flights from KL) that they required a drug-sniffing dog. I’ve never seen that level of security in an airport before. You couldn’t avoid the dog because of the narrow tunnel.
I turned the corner and saw about eight men in black nylon coats–resembling the DEA in the US. I walked with confidence. But alas I was stopped. Again, I had nothing to hide. But I must have looked sketchy to them–with my scraggly hair, bloodshot eyes, and humble fashion. If only I had gotten some good sleep.
The agent asked to see my passport. He grilled me for what seemed like five minutes.
“Where are you going?”
“Hong Kong,” I said.
“Why are you here?”
“To see a friend from college. And general tourism; it’s my first time here.”
“Where are you staying?”
“Chungking Mansion.”
The Chungking Mansion is a low-cost high-rise building. It attracts both legitimate business (i.e. room rentals, food stands, currency exchange) and illegitimate ones (i.e. selling fake goods, selling drugs, etc). It is a massive 17-story building, so the good and bad can be well separated. It has a bit of history in Hong Kong. And I wanted to stay there for the experience. Might as well, while I’m young, solo, and on a low-budget trip. 
However, the agent must have feared I was going there for the wrong reasons.
“Did you make a reservation?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“I want to inspect the rooms first and find a clean one.”
“How long will you be here?”
“Four days.”
“Where is your onward ticket?”
“I purchased it online. I don’t have a paper copy.”
“Where do you go next?”
“The USA with a connection in Tokyo’s airport.”
He closed my passport, handed it to me, and watched other passengers exiting the plane.
I starting walking again. Ugh. This was my first taste of China, and it was quite sour.
I was impressed by Hong Kong from the airport. It was modern and clean. I was back in the 1st-world! I felt spoiled. I had been roughing it for most of the trip. It was a low-budget trip. I headed over to the mini-mart in the airport and bought myself a lemon tea. I got on a 1st-class city bus to Kowloon (north of central Hong Kong).
I got off at the Chungking Mansion and was immediately hassled by four guys. There are many lodgings within the building. Most rooms are micro-apartments–an apartment within an apartment. For example, someone owns a five bedroom apartment and leases each room separately. The common area (living room and kitchen) is either small or non-existent.
I found a room from my guidebook that turned out to be a great deal. $11/night for three nights on the 16th floor, overlooking the main street. The room was ultra-small, but fine for my needs (that is sleeping). And, oh man, did I ever sleep. I slept the whole afternoon.
I met up with two friends from USC, Bhavna and Shammin, in central Hong Kong. They introduced me to dim sum, duck, and other Hong Kong cuisine. Wow, it was so good. I love Hong Kong food.
I was hoping to tour Macau tomorrow, but they said the ferries might be closed because a strong typhoon was approaching that night. Shucks.
