Hong Kong
airport is beautiful. It is on Lantau Island. We drove over
an amazing bridge to Kowloon. (see postcards, left). Driving
in Hong Kong is pretty wild, you basically just hoon it when
there's a space.
Our hotel actually has a BP picture in it, a scout shop and
a bronze statue. It is quite nice.
Our view is great. The lights on one building keep changing.
I could sit here and watch them all night. Unfortunately there
are only two single beds so we'll change rooms tomorrow.
25.1.99
We awoke this morning to watch a large group of people doing
Tai Chi in Kowloon Park. We decided to explore Kowloon by foot
today. We took some back streets to the Jade Market. There are
some very stinky food shops here which sell dried seahorse and
other sea food. It must taste all right though because the shops
are a dime a dozen. The shops are very small and they sell everything
including the kitchen sinks for resturants. I felt a bit scared
and apprehensive at first.
The Jade
market had many lovely things but very pushy people. If you
stopped to look at anything they did the hard sell.
We then found a familiar sight. McDonalds. After breakfast we
went to the Tin Hau temple. This worships the seafarer God,
a very important God to a country surrounded in sea. There were
spirals of incense hanging from the ceiling and signs warning
you about falling ash.
There were large Buddha's with offerings around them. There
were also photo cards on the walls with the names of people
who had died.
We went back to the hotel to change rooms but it was not ready
so went we to Kowloon Park and watched a game of soccer while
we ate lunch. We returned to our new room and found we now had
a more 'real Hong Kong' view. We went back to the park and walked
through it. It was quite nice in the middle of such a busy city.
This photo is Gavin standing in a circle. Circles must be significant
because there are many around Hong Kong.
This photo of me is next to a sculpture. They seem to be quite
into sculptures as there are many around town, and this one
is in a garden
dedicated to sculptures. You can see some others behind me.
We then
went shopping in malls. There were so many and after a while
they all looked the same.
This evening we saw the clock tower and theatre centre. There
is some
outstanding architecture. The whole waterfront area was very
nicely set out. We continued on to a few more big stores then
headed to Planet Hollywood with very sore feet, for dinner.
Excellent service, particularly in the bathroom.
The lady
opened the door, run the tap as I came out, pumped soap into
my hands and then dried them. I felt quite flash. We taxied
home to sleep.
26.1.99
We took
a Star Ferry to Hong Kong Island this morning then took a bus
to Ocean Park. This was great. There was a Jurassic pack/Indiana
Jones theme area that we went to after we went on the Movie
Motion ride of the Lost Temple. At the dive pool was a very
professional high dive show. It was based on a lost tribe that
used diving as a sign of honour and respect. There were five
divers and they dived from various hights into a very small
pool. It was awesome. Then we took the Gondolas to the other
side of the park. After a lovely buffet lunch we went on the
Dragon rollercoaster and the Eagle ride. We then went on a space
ride which I found pretty scary. In effect it was like the superloop
but it didn't stop in the middle, thankfully. We went on a spinning
tower that moved very slowly up from ground level. It gave you
a brilliant view from the top. We then rode the second largest
outdoor escalator down to the Middle Kingdom. This was a town
of each of the Dynasties, with period costumes, crafts and foods.
We watched a street performance of a womanhood dance, a man
breaking wire then a padlocked chain with his chest. A man walked
on eggs and paper. Finally a man threw chopsticks into a paper
board. Some audience members had a go, including Gavin. He missed
a few times and to save face used the last stick to at least
hit the target. We then went and watched an awesome acrobatic
show. Each of the artists was very skilled. One used blocks
and sort of juggled them. A girl was on a high unicycle and
she used her foot to throw plates onto her head. She stacked
up a few then threw a three set bowl up there. She then managed
to get a feather into each of the bowls. Finally a guy used
a vase like a basketball. We were already impressed and he brought
out a huge vase that I could probably have fitted in. It was
really entertaining.
We went back up the escalator and on the Gondola home. When
we got back to Central Hong Kong we found the Victoria Peak
tram and rode up it. The view was okay but a bit smoggy. We
had dinner at Café Deco. The service was great and the
food was outstanding but I was so tired I was asleep sitting
up. We taxied home.
27.1.99
Early start
this morning we awoke at 6am and were in the lobby by 7am to
begin our tout to China. We took the Hover Ferry and arrived
in Shekou. First stop was a market where live chickens and fish
could be brought and killed for fresh dinners. There was a beggar
who was very persistent. We brought some Mandarins in a town
that spoke Mandarin. Then we went to a Chinese Kindergarten.
They performed for us and Gavin and I were asked to dance with
them. It was very cool. The children spent a lot of time there,
some from 7am-7pm so they had beds.
We then saw 5 pieces of the terracotta warriors that were buried
with one of the Chinese Emperors. They were life size and really
amazing. I had my name carved into a stamp with a rabbit on
the top. We received a gift for a good wedding and marriage.
We then took a two hour ride on the freeway (which was not free
at all) to Canton. Ann, our guide was very amusing. They call
a western toilet a happy room. The other toilets, which I encountered
at the ferry terminal, were toilet bowls in the ground and you
squatted. Thank goodness for Guide training. She said that on
the freeway there were only happy trees.
Driving in China was something else. Basically you just pull
out and drive at any speed you want. Our driver was a five star
driver and to drive in Canton you had to be at least four star.
We had a lovely Chinese lunch and Gavin drank some Double Happy
Beer, which was a Chinese Beer.
We continued on to Dr Sun Yat Sen's memorial hall. He was the
founder of Modern China. There was a lovely auditorium and statue
in his honour. We then went to the 6 Bayan tree temple. We saw
a happy Buddha with a large tummy, and the Buddha for fertility,
which was the only woman Buddha in the religion. We threw coins
into a large incense burner for luck. Gavin got his through
both holes; it took me a few goes. There was a large pagoda
there also which was very beautiful. We then went to the Canton
Zoo to see pandas.
We had a two-hour train ride through rural China to conclude
our tour. It was a brief but excellent insight into a very different
way of life, even from Hong Kong.
We were pleased to be driving in Hong Kong again. I certainly
appreciated their style a lot more now that I had been driven
in China.
We went to the Spaghetti house for dinner and then checked out
the night markets. Very tourist orientated and had to know what
is a bargain.
28.1.99
Today we
went back to the Jade market to try out our bargaining skill.
These were not very good but I got a lovely jade bracelet.
On our way to the Ladies market we found Hamilton Street. Very
exciting. The Ladies market was not yet opened so we decided
to flag it.
We discovered something not in the Lonely Planet guide. The
Kowloon Walled City park. It was so peaceful and tranquil here.
There was a large chessboard and several chess tables with the
board set in the table. It was amazing to be in the middle of
one of the world's busiest cities in a park so lovely that you
forgot the city around you.
There was a sculpture garden of the Chinese Zodiac and here
I am standing by the rabbit, which is both Gavin's and my sign.
I had to stand in a circle to have my photo also.
We took a taxi to the Whampoa shopping centre. Yes it is a concrete
ship. Very cool. The whole area was set out really well. Here's
a great photo of me talking to concrete statues. I spell this
out because you probably can't see its potential with all the
people in the way of the shot. Oh well! We found a KFC for lunch
and I received some red wallets to hand out money for Chinese
New Years in. A strong tradition.
We tried a new mode of transport, the green shuttles (like a
bus but smaller which the driver took advantage of), to Tsim
Sha Tsui to look for a clown, after taking some wrong turns
we finally got one. Then on the way home to the hotel Gavin
got some Chinese rice wine in a miniature for his collection.
Both of us had dead feet. I feel sad that we are leaving now.
The apprehension I had on the first day disappeared quickly
and I felt quite at home. When we arrived at the airport (which
is very beautiful) we found out our flight was cancelled and
we had to go on Cathay Pacific. It was fine and I slept on and
off to London.
