Here a SAR, there a SAR
Trip Start
Jul 11, 2004
1
7
19
Trip End
Oct 10, 2004
Hong Kong and Macau,
China
Thursday, September 9, 2004
I've been fortunate enough to get back to Hong Kong & Macau as part of the another trip and this time I got to see a different side to Hong Kong, one with more of a local tint. Check out the entry here.
************************************** Update - September 2005 ************************************
There are no foreign lands. It is the traveller only who is foreign
- Robert Louis Stevenson
As Good As It Gets?
From Shanghai it was onto Hong Kong, one of the world's great cities. Again, I arrived well rested after a comfortable train trip from Shanghai, having passed off most of my birthday on route, without doubt the quietest birthday I ever had. Someone told me the trains used to ply the busy, profitable east coast route (Beijing - Shanghai - Hong Kong) are the best of the bunch and are not an accurate representation for the trains found in other parts of China. It remains to be seen if that is indeed the case but for now you're not going to hear me complaining about Chinese trains, especially considering I've only been 'subjected' to Soft Sleeper class levels of travel.
It'd Be Nice To Be An Islander
Hong Kong, designated a SAR, or Special Administrative Region of China, is another former British colony and, like Beijing & Shanghai before it, it's a city of contrasts, this time between the two main areas of the territory - Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, Kowloon being the part of the Hong Kong territory that is connected to the Chinese mainland. 'The Island' is what one would expect it to be..... it's modern and flashy with skyscrapers, expensive suits, Gucci and Dior shops and fancy cars. There was a definite smell of money in the air. Kowloon, on the other hand, is dirtier, more compact and is generally a mishmash of all kinds of nationalities, seemingly millions of shops & department stores (mainly clothes and, surprise, surprise, electronics shops), restaurants, guesthouses, hotels, fast food outlets and markets. While you can be quite sure any Rolex seen on Honk Kong Island is the real deal, it here in Kowloon where you come to pickup the fakes. And you'll have ample opportunity to do so as you'll be hard pressed to walk 100 yards without some Indian immigrant, of which there are plenty, offering you a "copy Rolex" or a "nice suit for you Sir, good tailor for you Sir", or even a "nice meal Sir, cooked just for you". Make sure you watch out for the drips from the overhead air conditioners as you pass out your rejections. Yep, Kowloon is not a place to go to shake off a headache, but it's a thoroughly enjoyable place to be nonetheless.
Some visitors dislike the speed, the obsessive materialism and the addiction to shopping, money and brand names that is Hong Kong, but I enjoyed my few days in the territory. Yes, I did all the touristy things, such as exploring the back streets and parks of Kowloon, getting 'The shot' of Hong Kong Island from the Kowloon waterfront, riding the Star Ferry to Hong Kong Island, gazing at its skyscrapers from their base, taking an Island tram ride, taking the bus to Aberdeen to view some traditional sampans (boats) and, last but not least, taking the tram up Victoria Peak for the ultimate view of the territory, the twinkling, night time view from the Peak of the Island, the harbour and Kowloon. I also escaped the hustle and bustle of Kowloon for an afternoon by taking the boat to one of the outlying islands, Lamma Island. That was a nice getaway. Oh, and I also met up with a mate I met in Camp Korea a few weeks earlier, Pat, who, on the day I left Hong Kong for Macau, was nice enough to take my bed in the hostel I was staying at. Glad I could help out Pat and thanks for the birthday beers. If you could just look after my towel it would be much appreciated, the one I left behind in the hostel. Cheers.
Macau - China with a Portuguese Twist
After Hong Kong I continued my trip by heading across the water to Macau, another Chinese SAR and a former Portuguese colony situated 60km west of Hong Kong Island. This little corner of China was settled by Portuguese traders in the 16th century and grew due to it importance as a port. It was the last piece of Asian land to be under foreign rule until it was given back to the Chinese government in 1999, 2 years after Britain handed back Hong Kong. Christianity was first introduced into Asia from Portuguese Jesuit's in Macau. Many of the gorgeous Catholic churches they constructed still stand, and are in use, today. While it may only be 60km from Hong Kong, it feels another world away. The whole place has all the characteristics of a Portuguese town, including narrow cobbled streets, arched buildings, people zipping around on scooters, Portuguese cake shops and, of course, the requisite town square. One might be forgiven for thinking they were not in China at all, but I guess that was the aim of the Portuguese traders all along - home away from home. Today the territory has developed industries such as textiles, electronics and toys, as well as building up a significant tourist industry with a wide choice of hotels, resorts and casinos, one of which I was prevented from entering due to my inappropriate footwear. Umm. Again, check out the picture for the complete picture.
Living Like A Sailor. One of Years Gone By
My undying memory of Macau will be, just like in Shanghai, the accommodation I found. While my digs in Shanghai may be one to boast about, and I did, the one here certainly wasn't. It was in my guidebook but I can't for the life of me understand why. It describes it as a sailor rest house from days gone by, days when Macau was an important Portuguese sea trading port. Well, the room I stayed at seemed to be still stuck in those bygone days and I can only imagine the place was listed in my guide book for 'old time' sake. It wasn't clean or comfortable, but it sure was cheap. Check out the pictures to realise just how low my accommodation standards have slipped.
Time For REAL China
I doubt I'll accept such levels of accommodation as I turn my attention to mainland China. This is it folks: I've come as far south as I'll be going and now its time to leave the well worn tourist trail that I've been on for the last few weeks and start my trek north into mainland China proper. I've no idea what to expect. The only thing I know for certain is how to get from here to the Macau/Chinese mainland boarder (yes, I hear there is such a thing), from where I'll get a connection to my first stop proper on the mainland, Guangzhou.
