where are you going?

I’m travelling on a budget. And Hong Kong was expensive . I knew it would be costlier than China, and I’d set aside money for that. But I really wasn’t expecting it to be as dear as it was. Honestly, I think it may be the most expensive place that I’ve been to. Or at least the place that’s easiest to spend money – living in London for a long time has taught me to budget there, and I had no problems doing New York on the cheap and visiting Dublin on a budget. But Hong Kong was different. Don’t get me wrong, it was great, but money seemed to just fall out of my hands there. Which is one reason why I opted to stay at Chungking Mansions. The other reason I chose to stay at Chungking Mansions was probably a bit odd. I wanted to stay at Chungking Mansions because everyone complained about it . There were reviews about the hostels on HostelWorld and TripAdvisor, complaining about the uncomfortable beds and cramped rooms. A few friends in China who had already been to Hong Kong said it’s...

  Most girls deciding to travel from Beijing to Hong Kong alone, knowing about five Chinese phrases that are pronounced so terribly that no local will ever understand (one of which is “this is my foot”… useful), would raise a few eyebrows. But what if you’re a bit of a klutz? Well, you’ll probably get advised not to do it. What if you’ve been dubbed “the clumsiest girl I’ve ever met” (by multiple people)/ “an accident waiting to happen”/ “someone who should be wrapped in bubblewrap”? What if, despite all these (rather impressive, I may add) titles, you still decide to gallivant off to exotic, unknown lands, not knowing what may befall you? Hello, I’m Claire, and this is my life. Today I’ve spilt a cup of mint tea everywhere, tripped over a dog (he was fine and I felt terrible!) and banged my head on an overhead shelf (I’m five foot three and have no idea how this happened). I think in a past life, I must have been a wicked princess who constantly bragged about her eleganc...