HK is also one of the few places in the world that both offered a reasonable chance of not turning him over and didn't arouse too much suspicion when he requested time off.

I can't imagine the NSA looks too kindly on non-business trips to Caracas, Moscow, or Havana. Even Iceland could have turned some heads given its recent streak of standing up for itself.

He has roundly ruined HK for future whistleblowers though!