Hong Kong

Saturday 28th March continued – Hello Hong Kong

Comfortable flight with Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong. Watching 'Slumdog Millionaire' whilst flying over hundreds and hundreds of miles of jungle covered land. No settlements and just a few rivers and ridges breaking the monotonous vegetation.

Decided to take the bus from the new airport at Lantau Island to Hong Kong Island. It was dark and a bit rainy, but not cold. However the bus didn't quite follow the route we were anticipating and we were not sure where we were when the driver gestured to us to get off. It turned out to be next to Wanchai metro station, so we then set off in the direction of the hotel. The Saturday night streets in Wanchai were crowded with ex-pats overspilling from British pubs and clubs, and it was slow going manoeuvring the suitcases through the throng.

The Harbourview Hotel ( Harbourview International House – not to be confused with the Renaissance Harbour View just down the road) put us in a room on the 14th floor with a sort of angular floor to ceiling bay window overlooking Victoria Harbour. The view was magnificent with the tops of the skyscrapers lost in the clouds, the ferries scuttling across between the island and the mainland, and the lights of the magnificent harbour side towers reflected in the waters.

Sunday 29th March

After breakfast at a convenient DeliFrance, we walked eastwards to Causeway Bay via streets lined with bathroom and tap shops. Visited the Times Square mall and walked around the area until it woke up at about 11:00. Christine formed the opinion that Hong Kong is no longer the cheap place it used to be, electronics and clothes seem to be more expensive than in the UK.

Walked back westwards via the Hopewell Centre that I did the site investigation for in 1975. Then it wasn't even a hole in the ground, now it is a somewhat ageing cylindrical 70 storey tower, garishly lit at night and topped by a revolving restaurant.

Onward through the Admiralty and Central districts, picking our way through thousands of Filipino maids spending their day off picnicking in groups on the pavements, to the area around Hollywood Road. This was filled with antique/junk/curio shops where we browsed for ages. Mao Tse Tung would be glad to know his little red book is still being reprinted, there were large numbers of other reproduced articles, some such as Swiss watches with bullseye lenses were obvious, many were inscrutable and had no discernible purpose. Some of the antique jade and mammoth tusk carving in the finer shops was delectable and of course priceless.

Caught an old electric tram back. After we got on, the tram filled up completely with happy chattering maids. We were lucky to get off at the correct stop at Wanchai as we couldn't see where we were.

Tried to eat out locally in the evening. The whole area was seething with British, many in St George cross emblazoned fancy dress, due to an international rugby sevens match. Eventually ended up in a canteen style corner restaurant. Christine hadn't realised what Chinese cooks can do to fish and left most of it. Luckily I ordered pork which they are better at.

Monday 30th March

Took the tram to Central and then a whole series of covered travelators and increasingly steep escalators up to the mid-levels. Walked along to the Botanic Gardens which mainly housed aviaries and caged apes, including some very raucous gibbons. Then tried to keep the same altitude to find the Peak Tram, but the guide book was wrong and we had to descend quite a way to find the terminus.

Up the Peak Tram, a venerable cable car railway, to the upper terminus which had been rebuilt as a large, multi-storey steel clad anvil shaped construction with a viewing platform on top. It was hazy but bright and the view was spectacular. We had a snack lunch in a café next to a huge window looking out over the cityscape.

After descending, we walked to the Star Ferry terminal and boarded a ferry for Tsim Sha Tsui on the Kowloon side of the harbour. There is now a promenade there with magnificent views across to the island. We were stopped by a group of Chinese students conducting a survey on tourists' attitudes to Hong Kong food. Christine was very restrained in her response as despite her experience of the previous night, she didn't want to offend them.

Walked up Nathan Road, which has become far less seedy than I remember it, but still accosted by men wanting to sell copies of Rolex watches. Looked at cameras but they were more expensive than in the UK. Wandered around back street markets and then returned to the ferry terminal. Night had fallen and the lights of the skyscrapers on Hong Kong Island were reflecting across the harbour in a magnificent panorama.

This time, boarded a ferry to the Wanchai Conference centre which is close to the hotel, but after a Guinness in the pub, decided to walk another kilometre to a restaurant recommended in the guide book.

The Shing Thai in Causeway Bay was a canteen style eatery with formica tabletops, but the classic Thai food was excellent (and not Chinese). Caught the tram back to Wanchai and so to bed.

Tuesday 31st March – The final day of globe-trotting.