Hong Kong

  Hong Kong, China
Saturday, May 16, 2009

SATURDAY 09 MAY 2009 - DESTINATION HONG KONG - After almost six weeks it was time to say farewell to Thailand! We boarded the 12.05pm flight from Krabi to Bangkok and then the 16.30pm flight to Hong Kong. We arrived at the YWCA on Hong Kong Island just after 9pm. Without even asking, we were upgraded to a 'superior' room. It is a great hotel in a great location - very clean and modern and equipped with a gym and a swimming pool. The view from our floor to ceiling window was magnificent. We looked out at towering skyscrapers and the zoological and botanical gardens (we could see the top of the gibbons' cage). The only drawback is that the hotel is at the top of a steep hill. We have a knack for booking into hotels perched on hills!
 
Apparently Hong Kong was just a "barren rock" housing a collection of fishing villages when it was claimed by Britain in 1842 following the First Opium War with China. Hong Kong Island was ceded to Britain under the Treaty of Nanking. The Kowloon Peninsula and Stonecutters Island were handed over in 1860 and a 99-year lease was granted on the New Territories, comprising the area north of Kowloon up to the Shenzhen River and 235 outlying islands in 1898. Hong Kong returned to Chinese sovereignty on 01 July 1997, and is now a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China operating under "one country, two sytems" principle. Today Hong Kong has a population of more than 6.9 million people.
 
Hong Kong in a 'nutshell': COMPACT; ACCESSIBLE; FULL OF SKYSCRAPERS; PICTURESQUE HARBOUR; BEAUTIFUL SKYLINE; CLEAN; EFFICIENT; GOOD TRANSPORT SYSTEM; A SHOPPER'S PARADISE; SANDY BEACHES; GOOD FOOD; BUT RATHER EXPENSIVE (ESPECIALLY AFTER THAILAND!).
 
We spent eight days here and cracked most of it:
 
We discovered the IFC shopping mall (one of many) where there are some very, very classy shops. Our mouths gaped when we saw the prices of the Rolex watches - they are worth more than our flat in London! We enjoyed the rooftop garden view, which looks out over Victoria Harbour, and watched the ferries and junkboats plying their way to Kowloon and the neighbouring islands. We watched "Angels and Demons" in the IFC Palace Cinema - verdict: okay - a little far-fetched - not as good as the book.
 

Hong Kong Harbour

We rode on what Guinness World Records calls the world's longest covered escalator. It is a 20 minute ride through a section of Hong Kong Island (mainly through Soho). We alighted at the zoological and botanical gardens and saw different species of lemurs, gibbons, orangutans, racoons and tortoises. The fountains in the gardens are like huge dandelion clocks and look impressive when they are in full flow.
 
We took the Star Ferry across the harbour to Kowloon and got a great view of the skyline during the 10 minute crossing. At the ferry port we managed to dodge the timeshare touts and the tailors and made our way along Tsim Sha Tsui promenade to the AVENUE OF STARS. This attraction pays tribute to the stars of the silver screen and the people who make the magic happen. There are plaques, handprints, sculptures including a two-metre tall statue of Bruce Lee. It is also a great vantage point to look out across Victoria Harbour. We were 'approached' a few times by giggling teenagers and asked to complete a questionnaire about Hong Kong. We duly obliged and posed for photographs afterwards.
 

Kung Fu Fighting

Another mode of transport we experienced was the Peak Tram, which has been in operation since 1888 and takes people up an incline so steep that buildings look like they are leaning at a 45 degree angle. The views from the top are said to be the best of Hong Kong's skyline and harbour. At the top we made our way through one of two shopping malls (it's amazing - there are shops everywhere), bypassed Madame Tussauds Hong Kong and reached the outside viewing area. We did a circular trek round the Peak and got some fabulous views of the city. We also saw some flashy houses nestled behind high wrought-iron gates. We took the tram back down the hill and got off at the halfway point, i.e. MacDonnell Road where the YWCA is located. It was a little precarious getting off because the tram came to a standstill on a steep incline!
 

Peak Tram

A 30 minute ferry ride got us to nearby Lantau Island where we jumped on a bus to the culturally themed Chinese-style Ngong Ping Village. We climbed the steps to the Giant Buddha - the world's tallest outdoor seated bronze Buddha statue. It is impressive, sitting serenely atop Ngong Ping plateau amid spectacular mountain scenery. It was atmospheric, made even more so when it was shrouded in a thin layer of cloud. We wound our way to the "Wisdom Path" - an outdoor wooden replica of the centuries-old Heart Sutra, i.e. one of the world's best known prayers that is revered by Confucians, Buddhists and Taoists alike. The Sutra is made up of 38 wooden rectangular beams, which together form the symbol for infinity (a figure 8). Each beam has a portion of a 260-word prayer inscribed on it. Next stop was the Po Lin Monastery - a majestic building housing golden Buddhas. The oustide is richly decorated with ornate stone sculptures. The return journey took an hour because it was a freight ferry. Among the passengers were Buddhist monks - some were on their mobile phones, others were taking photographs and others munched on chocolate bars! Another passenger (a keen photographer judging by the size of his camera) stood beside us and marvelled at the jetfoil boat coming from nearby Macau. Back on dry land, we did some shopping for our evening picnic in the park. The supermarket offered wine-tasting in miniature cups. We, however, found the Bollinger champagne. Judith filled her cup and merrily glided round the aisles! The evening was warm and we enjoyed our picnic in the park overlooking the dandelion clock fountains. At 8pm we witnessed a small section of the "Symphony of Lights". Every evening at 8pm at the flick of a switch more than 40 buildings on both sides of Victoria Harbour are decked out in lights. We watched the myriad of colours unfold. It was kaleidoscopic!
 

Big Buddha

Stanley Market by bus was another adventure. The guidebook states that it is famous for its relaxed ambience and bargain buys. We didn't buy anything, but had a relaxing time strolling along the promenade and Blake Pier. We spent the afternoon sunbathing on the beach at Repulse Bay - a beautiful crescent-shaped stretch of sand.
 

On the beach at Repulse Bay

We explored Hong Kong Park - very pretty and houses a Museum of Teaware, which we skipped - not really our cup of tea! We visited Golden Bauhinia Square where we saw the "Forever Blooming Bauhinia" sculpture and the "Reunification Monument". These mark the return of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China and the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrtaive Region on 01.07.1997.
 
We enjoyed "dim sum" (literally meaning to "touch the heart") at Maxims. These special Cantonese snacks are chosen from steaming bamboo dishes and are paraded past on trolleys pushed by waitresses. You just point at what you want. They were tasty and went down a treat!
 
Last, but not least, we got our China visas. It was a relief to get a 90 day visa rather than the usual 30 day one.
 
We'll see you in mainland China very soon.