Since I was young I have always had a deep fascination for travelling, exploring new cultures and societies and trying to immerse myself in the locale. The old adage that 'A picture speaks a thousand words' is as overused as any but I find it has a particular significance here. No amount of travel books or programmes about your destination can convey the feeling you get when you merely wander about somewhere you have longed to visit. I still get that giddy sense of excitement when I arrive somewhere, or even when I set foot inside an airport. I shan't compare to a child on Christmas morning since I never really believed in Santa Claus, a viewpoint reinforced by my ever pragmatic parents since I was two years old. However, that is another story for another day. Airports get me all excited, they invoke thoughts of travel, adventure and the annual escape from the British winter we have all come to know and love.
With that semi-useful piece of background information taken care of, onto the trip. I decided to use all my available time off school, approximately 3 weeks, to tour some cities in Asia I had been meaning to visit. I had been to Hong Kong before, but many years ago and with the parents. This trip was to be something totally different, the travelling would be intense, my days would be busy but I would be there, doing, seeing, living and hopefully learning a lot about myself in the process. My parents were quite supportive of the idea once I laid out the details for them. The cities on my hitlist were Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei and Shanghai. I booked all my hotels and connecting flights a few weeks before I left. My affection for airports would serve me well, I would become very accustomed to spending time in them over the next month.
Before we get to the trip, a little glimpse of what I was leaving behind for the Easter break
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