Hong Kong Hotels
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Hanging in Hong Kong
Entry 15 of 33 | show all | print this entry |
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Arrived in Hong Kong on 12/07/07 and unfortunately caught something that I couldn't shake. Spent my Friday evening at the Mall - pharmacy - buying drugs that will hopefully allow me to hear again without an echo in my head and allow me to have a conversation without sneezing, coughing or blowing my nose. I have been in bed planning my time-off while I am in Hong Kong. I hope this goes away so I can enjoy it! I am staying at the Island Shangri-La, another totally off the hook hotel, in the neighborhood Central. Looks like it is pretty "central"ly located and it should be easy to get out and about. There is so much to do here! And so much to eat...I am checking out the hotel gym in the morning =).
Update - Just working and getting over my cold and getting used to yet another new commute, new office and new co-workers. Have some good things planned for the weekend so hope to update soon.
Reading: Tai-Pan by James Clavell (a recommendation by Dad about the founding of Hong Kong..another 600+ page book...I torture myself..but good so far) Missing: really good Italian food...the turkey sandwich fixation has passed and good coffee is now a mainstay. Whew. Eating: a lot of dim sum and Chinese food So the work week is over and I decided to get out and about. I started off with a trip to the outlaying islands and decided to go to Lantau Island. Being that I don't know the transportation system or a lick of Mandarin, I signed up for a tour that would take me to the island and some sites. Once we arrived, we headed to the isolated Tai O Village on the outskirts of the island and along the way, after riding on an interesting road that had a LOT of construction, ended up on the longest (but not nicest or so the guide told us) beach and I finally got my feet on the sands of the South China Sea. Not something I had ever really planned on in my lifetime so pretty cool. Once we got to the village, I don't know if the locals were disinterested or not sure of us but while it was cool, it wasn't the local experience I expected. Mabye it was a language barrier, maybe they wanted me to buy the dried sea products they had lined up...which I would if I knew what to do with them or thought I could get through customs without offending the entire airport with the smell...but I have been friendlier places.
The smog makes it hard to say anything is beautiful but if you can imagine it is not there and take in the sheer natural beauty of the surroundings it helps. Eventually we made it to the Po Lin Monastery. I am still not used to the splash and glitter of Buddhist temples, or at least the ones I have seen and it is hard to take in the spiritually of Buddhism with the surroundings, but once you get the meaning and can see or at least imagine the landscape you can feel its power. The story of Buddha is truly inspiring and the ancient nature of the lands helps you understand and appreciate it. We left the Monastery and headed back to Hong Kong island.
For the next day I booked a trip that I hoped would take me out of the city and any island that had Disney associated with it. So, I headed to the outskirts of the New Territories, the land North of Hong Kong Island and close to mainland China....very close as you could feel them watching you and making sure you did not get too close. I boarded a boat at Sha Tin in Kowloon and headed to the Tolo Harbour. From there, there was beautiful scenery, or at least I think I saw it through the smog. We landed at Lai Chi Wo and saw a very old village where most of the people had left to go to find jobs. But it was interesting and pretty cool landscape. I went wandering with my new travel buddy Brett (He just got to HK on his way to a 2 month vacation in Indonesia...I was sick of site seeing alone..the Internet and travel sites are an amazing thing), and we took the nature trail. Our tour guide Jimmy was very nice and came to find us....we thought we were following the designated trail but apparently we went too far and he then took us to the wet-lands and cool mangrove trees. Though growing up in Florida, I must say ours are more impressive and we could climb and fish around them. But, all in good faith...I must say I have never before seen a mangrove tree in China so that alone is enough...just saying China and my name together is enough). We then headed to the island called Kat O....it was very small and smelled like drying (aka rotting) fish. We visited a temple for the Patron Saint of Fishermen and got back on the boat.
Finally, we got some water under us and made it to Tap Mun island. Again there was a lot of drying sea life and we had lunch at a local joint. Some had a rice dish, but I had squid ball noodles. Not actual squid balls (at least I think not or at least hope...but do squids really have balls =)....after that we took a stroll among the local terrain, which included dodging alot of cow shit, to the highest point of the island. Once the local economy changed from farming to ..something else, the cows retired and roam (among other things) freely on the island. The view was very nice and looked over the South China Sea. It was very isolated and removed. A quiet place in the midst of millions of people and just what I was looking for as a get away from the City. If you get on a boat and follow three men in tub you might make it to California. But I imagine there are sharks along the way so I advise to be careful. Also who knew that Hong Kong has so many venomous snakes....5 very deadly varieties I'm told. It would have been nice if they told us that BEFORE we went wandering off on the nature trail by ourselves. But hey, just another learning experience. Tomorrow a walking tour of Kowloon by my own accord and some shopping, followed by a nice dinner in Central.
Until then...peace and may we all find the path to nirvana. Brandy More thumbnails ...
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