Time for the Off

And so all things pass, good and bad.

Early breakfast, I was clearly not destined to have a sleep in while in Hong Kong. Checked out at 10.00 and caught the tram around to Central Station for the train over to Tsim Sha Tsui.


Had a look at the magnificent 1881 Heritage building, the old Marine Police Headquarters (built in 1884)which is now a flash shopping and dining complex but gorgeous. A couple of the old guns used in the noonday gun service. Wandering around the restoration is very good with the stables and quarters nicely converted. A couple of brides being photographed and a girl in graduation gear was also being 'shot'. There is a semaphore tower and a time ball tower still standing.

A bit of a wander along the promenade to take some photos and take in the wondrous harbour for the last time (ish). Not too hazy today but my eyes are starting to sting from the constant smog. It's always there just some days are better than others.

So the penny just dropped that the building was built in 1884 but it's called Heritage 1881? Simply that '4' has the same sound in Chinese as 'death' so they simply made it 1881.

I wanted to check out a bookshop further up the island and caught a train to Yau Ma Tei. It was supposedly a short wander just past where I had been for the Temple Street Market but blowed if I could find it. Annoying but I got to see some old streets and a big market area on Reclamation Street

(love that) where people were peeling what looked like limes and lining the peels up along the street. Don't know what that was about. Also went along Shanghai Street which was the old main drag over there. Found the Ya Ma Tei Theatre where the rickshaw drivers used to flock to for a relax. It supposedly has a nice art deco interior but was rather underwhelming from the outside frankly. It's on Waterloo Road so there are some great street names around here. Many of the stores around the square hundred miles I traversed (alright I was getting hot so it felt like I'd covered a lot of territory) sold metal ware, pots and pans plus water boiling urns and hotel toasters etc and boy were they doing a good trade. Plus on Shanghai Street there were some nice furniture shops selling old Chinese style wooden furniture.

There was a shopping centre on Nathan Road that was apparently great for electrical goods and I was interested in seeing prices on iPads etc. Of course it was miiiiiilllllles away but eventually I found it. It was several levels of wall to wall tiny stalls/shops and I actually had an overwhelming sense of deja vu and got spooked so got outa there, very odd. I don't know if I've been somewhere similar or had a nightmare about such a building or what but I was quite anxious.

Another hike before an MTR station appeared and I went back to Tsim Sha Tsui and had a delightful

snack at the lovely YMCA in Salisbury House. My body temp came down nicely and I was refreshed. Popped into Marks and Spencers again and paid homage in the food hall, ahhhh.

Sat over at the Promenade again for half an hour before catching the Star Ferry back to Central and a walk along the walkway to catch a bus back to the hotel. I had tackled all the transport options except taxi while I was in HK. The bus didn't take the route I'd expected but thankfully I found I got out at a good spot to get back to the hotel without too much hassle.


Then it was a short wait for the shuttle bus to the Airport Express station and able to check in for the flight there and the bags get whisked away so it's very convenient and grown up.

Was at the airport pretty early but I really didn't have anything I could have done and not be left running late. Hadn't realised how huge the airport was when I arrived but it is enourmous and lots of shops and restaurants. Lots of people going through immigration and the pushing in and jumping queues was really bloody annoying but I eventually stopped doing it (ha humour). I wonder why the immigration staff can't smile? Just once and just at me!

A guy from the tourist bureau asked me a few questions for a survey and then it was a few hours waiting and wandering until the plane was called.

We had that weird phenomenon of having a security inspection of our cabin bags before we boarded (what do these airports sell that we could get after the previous inspection that is a threat?). Of course with some people carrying their worldly possessions in their carry on filing cabinets it can be a slow process and NO there is no express lane for those with just a hanbag, shopping bag or satchel.

Plane was full and we had the delight of two grumpy children but I had my headphones on and only noticed them occassionally, even slept for a couple of ours.

Back in Melbourne half an hour ahead of schedule but oh the wait for bags and the hopelessly long line at customs is tiresome (especially when one is tired). Tulla is becoming as slow as Sydney and the customs set up seems very haphazard and inefficient. You have the marvels of the eTicket Gate system but then nothing to continue that efficiency. I wonder why Immigration and customs can't be combined in some way?

Home two hours after getting off the plane so I was well bushed by the time I climbed my stairs and crashed inside.

Oh Hong Kong you were a diversion and a delight. I really noticed that I passed not one person on the walk from the train station to my flat, it seemed too quiet almost. So it's the crowds, the pushing in and cutting off, the constant buzz and the variety of sights and experiences of Hong Kong. Macau was a highlight, the Giant Buddha was breathtaking, the New Territories were fascinating, the long escalator a novelty, I can still feel the sway and swerve of the chair lift and the transport options were so convenient.

I'd certainly choose the IBIS to stay at again, I liked that it was in the old Western Market end of Hong Kong and close to where I needed to be. The room was quiet and I actually managed to set the air con to the ideal temp for me. Breakfast was overpriced so I would try to get it included next time in the room rate. Oh and the tele options were pretty poor, no BBC or Movie channels (how do the people in need of porn cope?). Sky News is very good but the short rotation of stories becomes irritating after a couple of hours. We had Fox News as well but really if I wanted that much right wing I'd have bought a ucket of KFC and insisted on only wings. The whingeing about Obamacare was hideous, as though nowhere else has introduced a universal healthcare system which has worked and worked well.

Would I go back by choice though? Probably not. I think I've 'done' Hong Kong to my satisfaction and it's not on my return list. Don't misinterpret that though as saying that I didn't have a good time, it's just I did it and now it's a question of where or what next?

That's a Big Buddha

Even though I woke at 5.30 I didn't leave my room until about ten and had to endure the lift routine which means that a couple of the lifts only go down to level 5 so one alights and waits aaaaaggggges for another lift to go to the ground floor. Of course while you're waiting the number of people waiting with you grows and, let's call a spade a spade, no-one cares if you've been waiting the longest or indeed if you're nearest the door when it opens...it's the quick or the dead.

Out into a nice fresh morning even though the humidity was said to be 72%. Walked along the pedestrian bridge to Hong Kong station and the half hour ride to Tung Chung on Lantau Island. Train was quite full as this is the same line that gets one to Disneyland and one of the Sunday market towns.

The train station is located in a shopping mall which also has a cinema centre and outlet shops. Just a little walk over to the cable car station and a horrendous queue. Took almost an hour to get to the ticket booth but a lovely cool breeze was blowing so still kept comfortable.

There are two styles of cabins one can travel on, standard and crystal. The crystal cars are on 'special' at the moment so I forked out $213HKD which also meant it was only a 10 minute wait to get on whereas it was nearly an hour for the standard ones. To my mind paying $20 extra was worth it if I didn't have to stand in another queue for an hour.

Not much different in the cabin itself EXCEPT it had a glass bottom which was mildly terrifying but also a bit of fun. The cable car goes for quite a distance and over all sorts of terrain, over the South China Sea and mountains, sometimes quite steep taking about 25 minutes to complete the ride. I was a little concerned at times but really whatever happens one has little control over so you just sit back and enjoy it.

We emerge at the little village of Ngong Ping the home of the Giant Buddha and Po Lin Monastery. One steps out to see the Buddha in the distance and a set of shops in the classic Chinese village style somewhat kitsched up by them housing Starbucks, noodle stores, souvenir places even a Peking Opera 'goods' shop plus the requisite drinks and ice cream stalls.

Then we step through an archway and the Buddha is before us, all 10 storeys high of it, awesome (literally). One can climb up to the pedestal upon which be sits but I cared not for climbing the several hundred steps, really one appreciated the spectacle from below anyway. This piece of magnificence is in fact the largest seated Buddha in the world and was created by China Aerospace Science and Technology (you wouldn't have expected that would you? Imagine if the Michelangelo Ceiling in the Vatican was created by Microsoft).

Many people praying around the square below and much lighting of joss sticks in and around the path of

harmony. Walked over to the Monastery but it seems to be under repair shrouded in hessian so I decided not to go in.

After spending about an hour there I hopped on the cable car again for the somewhat less fearsome ride ack to Tung Chang and the train to Hong Kong. A bit less crowded on the train and it was nice and cold on it so I arrived refreshed.



It was getting on for 3.00 so I was in need of a cuppa and went to the same place in the IFC and had a nice decaf cap (and complimentary mini eskimo pie). Then grabbed some eats for dinner at Pret A Manger. I didn't feel like slogging out anywhere so headed back to the hotel.

Oh Wow Macau

A nice cool morning to wake up to and after breakfast at  a slow pace I walked to the nearby Macau Ferry Terminal. Luckily I didn't need a Visa and decided to splurge a bit and took a ticket the equivalent of business class on the ferry. A mighty $90 AUD but hey. Through immigration and customs very quickly. I was a little concerned when they took my landing card which I think I'll need to leave HK on Monday, yikes. Window seat in a separate part of the ferry but nothing grand. Surprise for me was the delivery of a meal of a roll with meat, some salad, a pannacotte and some water - pity I'd only just had brekky. Popped the roll into the sick bag (hopefully not a portent)and into my holdall for eating later.

Trip took justover an hour and fairly painless passage through Macau immigration and out of the terminal, touts for tours, taxis and rickshaws but I just headed to the bus. Convoluted route into Senado Square and it wasn't announced as such (the main street was the name of the stop)so took a punt on it being the right stop.

I had expected Macau to be a smallish place with the old Portugese area separated from the hustle and bustle but no you are at one moment in the streets of the city and then you're in the World Heritage area. Gee it's magical though and feels like you might have steeped into Portugal and even the deep south of

America. Lots of winding streets and nice buildings to keep one's eyes on the move and camera clicking. The streets are all tiled as per the photo above so all delightful. Very busy day, crowds galore which was a bit trying to be frank but lots of good spirits around. The ruins of St Paul's are the highlight and sit at the top of a hill catching your eye. Sat there for a while and consumed the souvenired ferry roll. Also took the opportunity to call Grey Line and indeed tomorrow's tour has been cancelled. Really disappointed but will pop out to Lantau and Stanley so all is not lost.

Time was getting on and I hopped a bus back to the Ferry and a much classier ferry thiis time. We went past the casino area and what a hideous bunch of building and crassness they were. I'm sure it's quite pretty at night and that thhey're all 'spectacular' inside but gee they looked tawdry, trashy and c.o.m.m.o.n. in the daytime.

On the ferry I (and everyone else) had to put up with a pair of boring Aussies behind me who seemed to have an opinion on everything and obviously thought they ought to share them with each other peppering

most of the diatribe with the 'f' bomb, oh they makes ya proud! The snack going back was sausages of indeterminate origin and species with noodles (delish) and a yoghurt.

Lined up at immigration only to be sent away to fill out a landing card!!!! Anyway annoyed but just filled one out and got in the queue again so it was bloody annoying and I was glad to get out of there and head back to the hotel for a few hours. Macau had been a real revelation and I'm pleased I went over therre.

At 7 I jumped the train to the Cultural  Center to watch the Nightly Lights Spectacular which plays across Victoria Harbour and lights up the sky and buildings. I watched it from where the Golden Bauhina Statue is, the spot that marks the ceding back to China by Britain in 1997. The lights were fun but a bit ho hum which is shocking to say because really it is amazing. What is wrong with me?

Back to the hotel by 9. One full day to go.

Day at Leisure

Today was, as the tour brochures say, a 'day at leisure'. The highlight was catching up with Mandy and gerry at the IFC center before they flew home. We had a pleasant lunch with a lot of other people (very busy time luncheon) and then Mandy required a coffee hit so we found a nice spot and satisfied her craving. Lovely little treat with the coffees were a mini ice cream in chocolate, rather like an Eskimo Pie. The coffee was not half bad either.

I'd walked slowly from the hotel to the Centre and found another book shop to explore (no purchase). At IFC there was a Dymocks HK branch and picked up a fun looking book about a bloke exploring China.A bit of people watching, and boy there were many, until the arrival of the weary travellers.

After bidding them adieu I was thinking of tackling the Man Mo Temple but was getting well tired so I checked out Godiva chocolates but they didn't have the little treats I like but then I spied a fantastic supermarket/food hall and explored it. Then I just hopped on a train (incredibly crowded and only 3.30) and crashed back at the hotel. A message for me to call the tour company and it looks like the China excursion on Sunday won't run because I'm the only one booked. I'm to call tomorrow morning to see if they have some more bookings but it seems unlikely so I'll need to have a think about alternative plans. Might go out to Lantau but we'll see.

After getting my second wind I went into the Temple Street Night Market which meant battling large crowds

still and a very packed train. Anyway the market was very close to the station and covers quite a distance with one part setting up still while the last bits were bustling and working away. I bought a couple of Ralph Lauren Polo Tops (unlikely to be genuine) for $9.50 total and a pair of casula sneakers for $30. I did beat her down on the shoes but I reckon they were probably overpriced but hey still cheaper than what I'd pay for them back home. Was gobsmacked by the array of um sex toys!

The train trip back to Central wasn't quite as packed but busy enough. it is amazing to see practically EVERY passenger eyes down looking at their phones or tablets, actually sad on so many levels.

Dinner at the Diamond Pearl which is in our building but accessed from the street. Quite an ordinary meal but had the fixed price menu and cost a whopping $51 (HKD)  for two mains and a dessert plus a drink.

Tomorrow Macau...

Footsore in the Kong

The cancelled tour that another company offered set off from the City Hall at 8.30 so I was out of the Hotel by 7.30. Not so awful given I had awoken at 4.30!!!!

I was on the train and at City Hall by 8.15. let's not get caught up in being on one side of the main road not sure how to get to the other ( a foot bridge was found), or that I didn't really know where the pick up spot was as there was a car park, a road and another side street all of which could have been likely. And of course let's not mention that I had a sudden thought that I was in the wrong spot altogether and set off 'to check', realised I had been in the right spot and raced back to find the bus waiting for me and not impressed. No, we shan't mention any of that.

Two of us on the HK side but we picked up another dozen over at Kowloon and then headed out to the New Territories passing the site of the old airport and all the reclaimed harbour area which didn't exist last time I was here and is now full of HUGE apartments and new train sations being built (cutting the travel time to Beijing from 27 hours to 8). 

Our guide Ryan was very amusing and dry, sort of an Anh Do without the smile.

HK shocking fact:: The mandatory minimum wage is $30 HKD an hour - ie $4.20 AUD

Up into the hills along the Route Twisk to the Yuen Yuen institute. It is a place of worship for three religions, Confuciuanism, Buddhism and Taoism and was very picturesque with a magnificent view. We found our

'year' and inside one of the pagodas even 'met' our protector for our birth year. There was a funeral in one of the halls so it brought a sense of purpose to the place and always interesting to see other faiths at work. I had not realised Confucius was a 'Prince' before he walked away to 'find' himself (and as he said found nothing yet everything).

I should mention the bus was beautifully chilly even though it wasn't such a hot morning I appreciated feeling cool regardless.

957 metres above sea level we climbed next to the highest mountain in HK and the Tai Mo Shan Lookout. A bit of a hazy day so the view was not clear but nonetheless spectacular and the air was lovely and clear. Some of  the roads going up were winding and narrow too. We had time for a refreshment and toilet if needed (toilet not needed refreshment required).

On our drive we saw lots of Casuarina trees (sheoaks) which had been bought from Australia - they make a great buffer and preventative for erosion and landslides.

I was looking forward to our next stop to see one of the old walled villages. I'd mistakenly taken it literally and thought the term referred to villages separated by a wall. In fact the wall is the homes being 'wall to wall' and boy they were certainly that. Our group squeezed down the alleyways only a few inches from where people lived. I certainly couldn't live so close to hundreds of others and if you think living in a block of flats is too cosy you've not seen anything like this. Mostly three stories high and all had metal doors rather than wooden. Where we entered the doorway had three gun holes where cannons used to be mounted for security and used during the Japanese invasion. A gorgeous little park and a lake gave it a pleasant outlook although it did look somewhat worn and even poor BUT the Mercs and sundry other prestige vehicles put paid to that assumption.

According to our itinerary we were going to be treated to another 'lookout' so I was looking forward to a hilltop stop, the bus pulling into a bay and we trot over to a railing and click click we'd go. Nah. We pulled over to the side of the rode and filed out being careful not to step out and get collected. Any-wayyyyy The view was across the water to Shenzhen and mainland China. This point was where a lot of Chinese used to swim across to HK to escape Communism (quite often unsuccessfully). Now that they are one country I guess those poor buggers were simply born at the wrong time. And so it goes...

Bride's Pool Falls our nest stop is so named because legend has it a bride was carried in a sedan chair down to the falls on her wedding day but a landslide occurred, dislodging her from the chair and she plunged to her death.  It was a looooong walk down to the falls on rather treacherous paths and steps (and a stiff, heart pumping climb back to the bus). Very pretty spot and I have to boast that a certain cardiac bypass survivor managed it without panting (replaced by sweating for Australia) whilst some much younger folk were quite labored.

One more stop at a fishing village to see the floating 'houses' and the fisherfolk who work the area. Also in the area was a building complex called 'Beverly Hills' which looked very chi chi but mostly empty thanks to the housing bubble

bursting...much cheaper over all to buy in HK currently than to rent and yet the majority still do rent.

So it was an interesting and varied five and a bit hours. We were dropped off at the YMCA in Tsim Sha Tsui and I headed off on Nathan Rd (hideous) for a wander. Found a great bookshop and made a couple of purchases and also had very close assistance from one of the staff and felt very VIPish as she hovered over the cashier and pooped my purchases in a bag and opened the door for me wishing me a happy day.

Then I found Marks and Spencers and had a lovely time in the food section and the menswear (sadly none of their undies that I like), so I had a taste of the UK. Also popped into HMV and bought a couple of CDs, surprised to see the huge range of DVDs, still popular here obviously.

Then attempted some more of Nathan Road but really it was too ghastly and I ducked into the MTR station and headed back under the harbour to Central.

By now I was weary and hopped onto a tram which brought be back almost to the door of the IBIS. Rather fun up the top of the little tram and I'd recommend some air con being installed thanks.

Chatted to Mandy for awhile and then settled back with my M&S tucker, read for a bit and hopefully will have a better (as in longer) sleep.

HK fact: You could be forgiven for thinking that Hong Kong is almost totally developed and covered in buildings. In fact only 30% of the islands are developed, they tend to build 'up'rather than out so they fit their 7 million people into a very tight space really.

On the Orient - Express Trip

Thirty years and a couple of weeks since the last and only time I had been to Hong Kong I was off again.

Now I had no idea there were two Qantas gates down in the bowels of Tullamarine, actually there seem to be a few gates but all was empty as I submerged three flights to a space that would make the Tiger shed look palatial. When boarding time came we piled on buses to be shuttled out, out, out past Tiger to where our plane and a Royal Brunei one said looking rather lonely. A big plane that was only half full if that. Good thing with that of course was that I had two seats to myself and no one in front and no one in back of me. A nine hour flight with no knees in the back or stabs from the back pocket being played with an no one in front reclining their seat so that I got to see their ‘part’ a little too intimately. Not to mention extra discomfort.

We even got in early and pulled into the gate early! How many times have you got just a little bit excited to arrive early only to circle for twenty minutes before pulling into the gate? In fact the only painful part of the trip was (after the surly immigration guy)that the baggage claim was quite a distance from the immigration gate we came out of and it took a while for my bag to appear. Honestly I think it had done a few circuits before I realized it was mine.

The airport express train is a dream and so convenient, just walk out of the departures area and onto a train basically. I was into Hong Kong station after a very comfortable ride in about 20 minutes. Then a free shuttle bus (again a two minute walk to the area) right to the hotel, how glorious. Glorious given the shuttle ride was a hairy one as he sped around, broke fast and zoomed in and out of small streets with little regard to pedestrians or other traffic. So I step off the plane at 5.15 and into the hotel room at 6.20. Wouldn’t happen in London! Perhaps not even Sydney…

Nice comfy hotel room and the air con actually to my liking. Went for a short walk after a couple of hours but surprisingly not much open although I found a convenience store to make a few purchases. Struggled with sleep for the night and the three hour time difference didn’t help when I woke at 4.30. Decided to have an early breakfast and get moving. Buffet breakfast and overpriced but a good start to the day. Quite cool and not very humid to start off with as I headed to Sheung Wan station, about ten minutes walk. Grabbed an Octopus Card which should cover me for a couple of days ($150 HKD = $22 AUD). Hopped on a train to Central (gee their train stations are huge) and walked and walked to the exit for the Peak Tram. Only a short walk then to the Terminus after stopping for a squiz at St John’s Cathedral (the oldest remaining Christian church in HK) virtually across the road.

Spectacular skyscrapers all around. The tram is about a ten minute ride almost perpendicular, quite mind bending as you look out and see all the buildings at a very strange angle. I’m not sure I was entirely comfortable with the experience but nonetheless we arrived in one piece. The views are spectacular even through the haze. There is a fancy shmancy viewing deck within the tram arrival building (and of course it costs to go in) but lo and behold take a walk out of that building and in the shopping mall is a FREE viewing deck.

Back down again after about an hour and walked across the pedestrian bridge into the beautiful Hong Kong Park. Nice fountains and a waterfall, walk through aviary and the little lakes with gorgeous fish swimming around and turtles. I was taking photos where the turtles were thinking they were sculptures and one moved its head! The camera nearly ended up in the lake.

Still not too bad humidity wise but I had been moving around a bit so was getting warm. Not as oppressive as some of the times I’d spent in Brisbane I have to say.

Statue Park sounds a bit grander than it actually is. Apparently it used to contain staues of the British royalty but now is just a rather twee selection of waterways and arty installations in a pleasant garden setting so I didn't stay there long but headed down to jump on the Midddle Level travelator, the world's longest covered esclator.

Now I'm not one to carp but this isn't one continuous single escalator, rather it is a walkway that goes for quite a distance (800 metres) with a series of escalators and travelators to make the steep climb a bit more comfortable. Don't get me wrong, it is impressivebut I just think it might be more acceptable to say it is the world's longest series of esclators or something.

One of the last sections is under maintenance so my trip came to an end at that point, quite far up, as there was no way I was going to attempt the stairs (very steep and very many). Fair enough you think but the escalator/travelator only travels in one directions so when you get as far as you are willing to go well dear reader you have to make your own way back. And that means a lot of steps and stairs down a long way and some of those steps are nothing less than trecherous - thank heavens it wasn't a wet day.

Of course on the way down I took a diversion and of course I was lost! So much for thinking 'I reckon if I go here I'll find a bus that'll get me back to the hotel or nearby'. Definitely added extra to the day and I was starting to feel the humidity as I stumbled into a plaza and rested not entirely sure where I was.

The tour I was booked on for tomorrow was cancelled so I thought I'd see if the HK Tourist Board had suggestions for another trip so I got back to Central Station and went over to the Star Ferry terminal to their office there. Good news from them is that another company offers the same tour and I can do it as a half day albeit 5 1/2 hours. I booked that, hopped on the ferry and cameback via the long walkway at Hong Kong and train back to Sheung Wan.

The Murrays have arrived and Mandy and I had a chat on Viber, I had a light dinner and ready to crash.

Very busy and tiring day but enjoyed it.

Looking forward to an easier day tomorrow with someone else making the decisions and working out the travelling.