Welcome to Hong Kong
Trip Start
Jun 11, 2008
1
13
349
Trip End
May 14, 2009
Hong Kong,
China
Friday, June 13, 2008
This is just a quick entry to say we have made it to Hong Kong, and initial impressions are good.
As UK citizens we did not need a Visa for Hong Kong, but we did have to fill out some immigration forms on the plane. Customs staff then tear off the front copy and you have to keep the rest with you for your exit. Customs was a breeze, straight through with about a 4-5 minute queue - oh how the UK could learn! We got a stamp in our passports allowing us to stay in Hong Kong for up to 180 days, 176 to many as it happens!!
We then had to get transport into Hong Kong, or Kowloon to be precise. The cheapest way of the two of us doing this was on the Airbus. The Bus terminal is just outside Terminal 1 of the airport. The bus we took to Kowloon was the A21. You have to get a ticket first which cost HK$33 each (about 2GBP) from the booth which is just outside the airport. The bus journey to the centre of Kowloon took about 1 hour. There are two stops along the way, but then all the rest are in close proximity, mainly down Nathan Road
Landed in Hong Kong
. The bus does not stop unless you ring the bell, so keep an eye out for the bus stop before yours so that you can let him know. The Airbus bus stops are very clearly marked in Red and Yellow with the number A21 on them so you should be allright.The hotel we are stopping at is called The Salvation Army Booths Lodge - yeah I know, before you start! Anyway, the place is pretty smart for Hong Kong standards. The reason we are stopping here is because this is where our China Tour starts from on Sunday, so it was done out of convenience really. I don't expect to get this standard of room for the rest of our travels that's for sure. The room has cost us 22GBP per night and this includes breakfast, which ain't too bad for now. We have our own bathroom and the water is hot! We also have air con in the room which is definitely worth it as the temperature outside is 30 degrees celcius. We were actuall able to check in at 9am which was a big bonus as this allowed us to dump off our bags and go exploring straight away. The hotel seems pretty safe and secure so I am hoping our stuff won't get nicked just yet!
12th June 2008.
After we had checked in we went for a walk down Nathan Road. This is a very hectic street that stretches right through the centre of Kowloon, from the New Territories in the North to the harbour in the South. There are all sorts on this street from McDonalds to Noodle shops and Bus stops to hostels. There are loads of tower blocks that can be seen as well, I get the impression that this is where a lot of people live who work on Hong Kong island across the harbour.
On our way down we came across Kowloon Park
Looks like slums
. We had a walk in and to our surprise it was FREE to enter. There is a large free form swimming pool in here. This did have a charge as you would probably expect, however it was only HK$19 (£1.50) for a 4 hour session. There are 3 sessions a day, morning, afternoon and evening. You also need a HK$5 coin for the lockers, but this is refundable. I think we are going to give this a go on Saturday.Continuing through the park we saw an Aviary, which we will visit tomorrow and also a small man-made lake that was full of flamingos - never expected to see that. It was all fenced off though so you couldn't go and take a swim next to them! This was all still free to the public.
When we eventually got out the park, we had a walk through the harbour and then up to Hard Rock Café. As this was my birthday I have been allowed to do two Western restaurants over the next two days until we commit to more local and traditional food. We spent about HK$300 (£23.00) in HRC which is well above budget, but its a treat. If you go at lunch time you can have a set menu for HK$85 (£6.50), Lorna had this. She got a salad, 10oz ribeye steak, ice cream and a drink for this. I had cajun chicken and beer!! We had been given the money to pay for this by my outlaws for by birthday, so in theory it wasn't part of the budget anyway. Thanks Suzy.
I have realised that I am writing this blog for three types of people. I am including prices and directions for other travellers who may stumble across this blog, then there is a list of what we are up to for friends and family who may fake an interest for the first month or so, and then there is us, for us to store our memories
How High??
. Because of this, please forgive me if you get bored, but I am trying to cover all bases.Whilst at HRC I also picked up a shot glass, yes I am sad enough to get them at every HRC! I only wanted one, but you could only buy them in pairs. It was HK$90 (£6.85) for the pair, which is what you normally pay for one anyway!! Numpties!!
We were by now still very weary from the flight so decided to go back to the hotel and hit the sack for a couple of hours. I thought my luck was in but Lorna's instant snoring put an end to any of those thoughts!
By the way, we picked some bottled water up on the way back from a shop on Nathan Road called Prizemart. It was only HK$2.50 (£0.19) each, whereas everywhere else was HK$6 - 7.
About 7pm we headed on down to the Kowloon Night Market. This is on Temple Street, just off Kansu Street which you can get to from Nathan Road. This market is about half a mile long and sells everything, clothes, electrical goods, food, ornaments. But of all the things that were available, Lorna bought some hair grips for HK$5!! We are already sad. It was a really vibrant place, and there was a fair mix of tourists and locals which was good.
At the bottom end of the market, Lorna had decided it was time for food - surprised?! No, me neither. Right at the bottom of the market was a little place where you basically sat at plastic chairs and tables in the street. Although this may not have tempted you initially, the fact that they were selling 600ml bottles of Yanjing lager for HK$12 certainly swung it for me
Wouldn't like to be in a rush from the top!
. That is about 90p and is more than a pint. Even Lorna drank it at that price!! I think that is the first time she has ever drunk lager, so it won't be long before I make her a true Mansfield lass now! Can of Special Brew in one hand and a dripping kebab in the other! Classy! Anyway, at this little restaurant we had Fried Noodles with Shredded Chicken (HK$38 - £3.00) and Fried Steak in Black Bean Sauce (HK$55 - £4.00). We decided we would just order this and then order more as we needed it - we didn't! The portions were ample and I would certainly recommend this approach if you ever come here. There was enough of the beef to feed three I think, so we were well happy. £7.00 for a meal for two, who said Hong Kong was expensive? We then nipped to the 7-Eleven shop (hundreds of these) for a cornetto (HK$6) and some Haagen Daas (dunno how you spell it) ice cream (HK$11) before collapsing in bed. Hopefully we will feel more lively after our first full nights sleep. 
Comments
Yo Dudes!
Hey guys, hows it going? Loving your blog and the photos are great.Glad to see Lornas drinking habit is still alive and well.Not jelous at all, honest. Happy to be sat in my office, watching the pissing down rain at my window!Have fun.
With Love 'The Sherratts'.
xxx
hiya
Hiya Simon, photos are great- I will keep popping in on your blogs to see how you and your missus is getting on...im not envious really im not..what was that more bloody work!!!!
Happy Birthday
It's your birthday, enjoy Hard Rock Cafe.
love Us xxxxxxx