Greetings from our first stop, Hong Kong!
Following a lovely flight provided by Cathay Pacific (our first time with this airline and I have to say, cabin crew were wonderful; like busy little worker ants, they seamlessly, swiftly and gracefully delivered a first class service throughout the 11 hour flight…). Landed to be greeted between 2 typhoons, and albeit no rain, a cloak of mist covered most sights between the airport and hotel (not just the jetlag leaving us hazy then!) – the only burst of colour from hundreds of multicoloured stacks of containers aside the shipping harbour (second biggest in world to Singapore) could awake us as goods sat patiently waiting for their onward journeys from China to Hong Kong to wherever …. Delivered to our Marco Polo hotel (Kowloon peninsular) by our agent, we endeavoured to remain awake in an effort to re adjust to the 7 hour time difference!
Somewhat dazed (jetlag!), we took a walk to the Ocean City shopping mall (which was conveniently situated through a corridor from our hotel!) and enjoyed a dinner before heading to the Supermarket for milk n chocolate (staple stuff right?!) … WOW! memories of our Blighty supermarkets welcoming aromas (namely freshly baked bread n roasted chicken …) were replaced with the stomach turning stench of a durian fruit* – its smell hitting us harder than its prickly surface – yep, they say once smelt, never forgotten (hello again Thailand!!) and then to stumble across the cheeses and fresh meat counters, our senses craved heady orchids by means of a cleansing! With a shopping Mall bigger than I have ever seen ANYWHERE in the world, designer boutiques, eateries, technology – everything you could ever desire (and Mooncakes*!), how I wished my sleepy head could be shaken to join in the shopping frenzy which seemed to be being enjoyed by locals! Next, to try and sleep!
Morning came (many times in the night, ie 2am, 4:30am and 6:20am!) and thankfully the mist had cleared (from our heads and panorama!) and what a beautiful view from our window – Hong Kong harbour, tall skyscrapers and ships…
Breakfast was thoroughly enjoyed (from Chinese to English to French and every country in between!), beautifully colour coded as to guide best choice decisions – not sure it counts if a ‘full english’ is followed by a healthy option but guilt soon eased as the Monk on the next table seemed to be following a similar path! Next, collected by Leo, our friendly tour guide, for the half day orientation of Hong Kong Island. A trip on a small coach (joined by 8 others from differing hotels, each of us adorned with a sticky label incase we get lost, really?!) through a tunnel built in 1972 to help the workload of the boat that used to ferry people to the Island, passing the government building and financial buildings en route and finally to the Victoria peak tram for a swift ride to the best viewing area of Hong Kong – breathtaking (and probably completely missed by the young girl whose chap decided to pop out the engagement ring – her joyous tears blurring any views before her!)
Our day continued to an optional sampan boat ride with the opportunity to ogle at expensive super yachts and hotels with holes left for the Dragons to pass through and obtain water to drink, to bring good karma (yes, you did read that right, not sure English planning departments would deem such a ‘hole’ within the 10% allowed!) and then the obligatory tourist trap – this time a jewellery producer where we were provided with a talk about the craftsmen and their stones of choice (albeit only two visibly at work!). When we were each asked to name our Chinese birth year symbol I struggled to read the board, ascertain and confirm from our seated distance so the lady kindly asked my birth year (!) to clarify I was indeed a RABBIT … When my husband announced he was a DRAGON I was mightily impressed …. to then ask out of earshot ‘how could you read that board from here?’ – he replied, I couldn’t but fancied being a Dragon!! WOW – seems he is quite the RAT as revealing his age was apparently ‘not going to happen’!!
Finally, to the Stanley Markets – a few stalls of identical items ‘made in China’ …. sure we can buy this ‘in China’ should needs must…
On returning to our hotel for an ‘afternoon of leisure’ we decided to independently navigate our way through the ‘easy to understand’ Subway train system … with a husband reluctant to ask for help, eventually we got on the right train going in the right direction (for he is an ex commuter and this should be easy!) and headed for the Flower Markets. On our arrival, sadly we realised we had been more than spoiled in Thailand as the comparison was far too stark – no bustling peoples preparing stunning bouquets of vibrant flowers, just shop owners selling their wares.
We wandered onto the Bird Market, in 33 degrees, for us a rather pitiful sight seeing birds in tiny cages absolutely sweltering and plucking out their own feathers by means of ventilation or boredom, but shoppers were keenly choosing their new pet or a bag of live jumping insects to feed a previous purchase, and a seemingly happy grey parrot, chained to his perch, was whisked away by the young girl with a spring in her step, no doubt mulling over her friend’s new name…. Finally, the Garden of Stars to glimpse at the bronze statues of local famous celebrities and a stroll back along the waters edge …. as the night sky illuminates the reflections of the buildings into the ocean, Hong Kong still sings, toots car horns, jingles and busily bustles … tomorrow we leave and fly on to Shanghai; Good night Hong Kong and thank you for sharing a glimpse of what you have to offer.
FACTS:
*Durian Fruit – even with the husk intact, the Asian fruit has such a potent stench that it’s banned on the Singapore Rapid Mass Transit – Durian is a strange combination of savoury, sweet, and creamy all at once – It’s apparently likened to taste of diced garlic and caramel poured into whipped cream and contains many important vitamins, minerals and nutrients (but personally I think I’d rather crack open the severn seas capsules!).
*Mooncakes – A bakery product with a rich thick filling usually made from red bean or lotus seed paste is surrounded by a thin crust and flavoured. Mooncakes are usually eaten in small wedges accompanied by a cup of tea. The 2017 Mid-Autumn Festival falls on October 4th and is the second grandest festival in China after the Chinese New Year. The festival is for lunar appreciation and moon watching when the moon is at its biggest and fullest, when mooncakes are regarded as an indispensable delicacy…
7.4 million people live in Hong Kong – approximately one in six go to university as there are very few places and only 6 universities. School is free from 3 to 18 years (Private schooling is available, though costly).
1842-1997 Hong Kong was a British colony and until 2047 a special administration link remains – following this date, China (Mandarin spoken) rules may come into force completely. Presently, Hong Kong (Cantonese spoken) have their own Government, legal & administration systems, have freedom of speech, are not communist but capitalist, and local people can enter China without a Visa.
