Oopsie Poopsie

Lee and I cheer on our Ponies at the racetrack
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Ok. So. Change of plans.

After packing our suitcases this morning and lugging them all the way to the airport we discovered that our visas were no longer valid. They only allowed us one entry into China and we had already used it up. I was under the impression that Hong Kong was now a part of China but apparently that is not the case. So good thing we love Hong Kong because now we are stuck here until our flights home. Pretty hilarious actually. We were so worried about not having enough time to do everything we wanted to do here haha.

good thing we like it here

Hot pot is our new favorite dinner
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Despite that mix up (which actually saved us money in the long run, except maybe not because now we will be shopping more), the day was pretty glorious. We went to the Jade market this morning. Our Haggling skills have reached new heights and we were very happy with our purchases. Then we went to check out the designer merch, which is much cheaper here than in the U.S. Our guide and shopping comrade was Christine, who was in our China class and is visiting relatives in Hong Kong. It was nice to have someone around to tell us what the vendors were whispering about us in Cantonese.

Karaokeing our troubles away
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Because of Hong Kong's multi-cultural past, Lee has developed a British alter ego. Her following entry is best read out loud with an enlish accent.

Love, Kate

Why, hello there.   My darling Kathryn and I seem to have committed what must be simply one of the largest travel faux pas in modern times.   We mistakenly thought that Hong Kong was now part of China.  This was not only learned in our schooling, but reiterated by myriad travel books.   I had thought it rather odd that we had to go through customs to fly from Sanya to Hong Kong, and despite needing to convert our renminbi to Hong Kong dollars and knowing that Hong Kong was a "separate administrative region" or "SAR" (not to be confused with SARS) of China.

Whilst flipping the pages of our precious passports with their nimble little fingers, the airline representatives inquired as to the locations of our travel visas.  "My dears, you are presently looking at the documents in question," I would've replied, had I begun speaking in my British alter ego's vernacular at that moment.   (It is only since the hysteria that I have donned this alternative - and I think rather lovely - persona.)   Our visas were of the single-entry variety, which was news to me since:

a. the visa is primarily in Chinese, and

b. I was under the impression that Hong Kong had oh-so-recently become part of China again; and therefore, traveling from Sanya to Honk Kong to Guilin would've been no problem whatsoever as I hadn't exited or re-entered China at any point therein my travels, as they are all cities IN CHINA!!   How can one leave a country when all of the cities in one's delightful little sojourn are purportedly within one bloody country anyway?!   Really!   One cannot re-enter what one has yet to leave!   It is simply maddening!   As is the fact that the little booth where I exchange my money will not allow me to give them any of my Chinese coins (blasted wu jiao!) to change for Hong Kong dollars, but they deem it perfectly acceptible to give me coins in smaller denominations than those they had refused.

But no matter to these things that one cannot control.   While the airport personale offered to grant us visas in 24 hours (which cost 1000 HKD each) so we could re-book our flight which was leaving in two hours, I laughed like a loon and Kate's lovely little eye balls bulged in bewilderment.   On a brighter note, we were able to indulge ourselves with yet another glorious ride on the double-decker airport express bus we've grown so fond of recently.   And now we get to delve into the wonders of Hong Kong, fully exploring every "best of" listed in all of the travel books in print.    Jolly good!

Cheers,

Beatrice P. Smithingsworth

(formally known as a one Lee Ann Lytle)

P.S. As you can see by the photos, this whole mishap ended up being not so bad at all :) -K