Leaving Shanghai, on to Hong Kong

Sorry I have been really bad about updating you on my adventures. The internet at the hotel wasn't very reliable and I still am having trouble downloading/attaching pictures to emails. So sorry there haven't been any pictures either.

I am currently at the Shanghai airport waiting to board my plane to Hong Kong (at 9:10am) due to arrive around noon. We are staying at a hostel downtown which happens to be right next to Ellen's friend that we're meeting. He is going to meet us for dinner around 6pm and show us/talk to us about the city. Tomorrow night and the night after, we're staying in a different hostel in another part of town. Both hostels said they have internet access but I might not have access to WiFi or Skype...so I'll keep you posted.

Shanghai has been interesting. It wasn't at all what I had expected. Maybe if it was the last stop before home, I would have appreciated it more but I just didn't like it. I feel bad because everyone else I talk to LOVES Shanghai but it didn't do much for me. The city is HUGE and at night, it looks like Vegas with all of the neon lights. We spent most of our time outside of the city in Wu Zen, Suzhou, and Hungzhou with one day downtown Shanghai (it poured and was awful.) While I love China and definitely want to come back soon, I feel like the big cities are still growing on me. I like it better out in the mountains, by the lakes, in the gardens and away from the crowds of people. Hong Kong may be different as it is more Westernized and will hopefully have better food options for me. We're still not sure what we're going to do during our time here but once we learn the public transit system (which I guess the subways are spread out like an octopus?) we should be good to go anywhere.

We leave for Thailand (Bangkok) the night of July 7th. We are due to get in around 11:30pm but since it's so late and we don't want to be walking/driving around looking for a hostel, we have decided to spend the night at the airport. We are taking the earliest flight out of Bangkok in the morning (July 8) to go to Phuket - southern Thailand where all the beaches/tourists are. We are spending 2 nights there and then going to Koh Samui (a small island northeast of Phuket - also busy with beaches and tourists) and staying there for 2 nights. It was cheaper for us to spend an extra day on the island than fly to Bangkok for 2 days (bummer, right?). So we are flying to Bangkok for the day on July 12 and then I leave to come home a little after midnight that day (technically July 13). So the beach is only a few days away!!! I CANNOT WAIT.

Other than that, nothing much is happening. I'm excited to find food that will not upset my stomach. I'm getting kind of sick of muffins and dinner rolls. I guess it's better than nothing, though. HAPPY 4th OF JULY!! Hope you all are doing well and I can't wait to come home in 10 days!!!!!! yahoo!!