A person really needs a week or two in Hong Kong, we had two days!
Second day...we slept in till seven. We were completely exhausted from no sleep the night before and then a very long and exciting day ashore.
Moe was going on her own again today, she ended up taking the public transport to Stanley. She rode on the top deck of a double-decker bus there and back. Then re-did Stanley Town again, without the pressure of a tour leader and had lunch there. Good day for Moe. A few purchases to relieve her wallet of Hong Kong money.
We four took a cab around 9.30 to the 'Jade Market'. This is an area of HK where Jade sellers have congregated for eons. Other stone and jewellery sellers are also there in droves. Of course we early birds were given the 'special price' because we were their 'first customer'.
I really thought that we had outgrown that silly stage in our life when we purchased with gay abandon the craziest things from bandits disguised as merchants in foreign lands. I am happy to report that all four of us are still afflicted with that phenomenon. And, that Doug's nasty haggling skills are as good as ever. I insulted several Chinese ancestors yesterday with my low counter-offers but we all managed to smile and shake hands after the purchases. We were soon heavily laden with more than enough for the day.
Next we jumped in a cab and went to the Flower Market, merely taking in the sights and smells this time.
We then strolled to the Bird Market next to the Flower Market. In HK pets are not a common thing to have. Some people like them no doubt but some people also like them in a cooking pot. People have birds and fish for pets as a result.
The Bird Market is merely an area that, again, one group congregate, side by side. Scores of people selling al types of birds in cages. Also anything to do with a bird is available there. Live food like grasshopper, beetles and grubs are sold, conveniently and cleverly packaged for people to carry away. It seems that men will bring their bird, in a cage, and hang it on a tree in or near the market and allow it to chirp and whistle away with fellow birds while getting some fresh air. The people are very good to their birds, you can see it the way they seem to revere them.
Goldfish Market was next. We were side-tracked by our stomachs here though, Dim Sum called. Gad the prices of things vary. We had a great lunch for US$2.50 each. The day before in Stanley we paid five times that to sit in a touristy restaurant. Jim loves Dim Sum where you can go and pick your food that is all ready in little bamboo steam trays. Eating Dim Sum with Jim is an interesting experience as he is very enthusiastic about it.
The Goldfish Market has scores of plastic bags hanging on hooks with very healthy looking well cared for colourful fish in them with the price felt-penned on them.
The streets are chocked with enthusiasts plus the occasional tourist. I like it here, "In a land of midgets a tall man is King". The locals are not midgets here but they are decidedly smaller than us. Jim mentioned that even I am easier to spot in a crowd here! No purchases here either. Just a million photos. There are one or two pet shops that sell dogs and cats, the price of a small pup was around US$ 600, not cheap, so I suppose fish are a working-man's pet. Birds were not cheap either by-the way.
On the way to a cab we got absorbed by and into a local street market. This is for HK people, not tourists. So there I was very, very tall! We just love the colour, noise and clutter of a place like that. On more than one occasion we found ourselves absorbed by some hawker giving a demo of some neat little gadget or gizmo, watching for minutes and not understanding one single word of their spiel.
Presto, back at the pier where the Cutler's and Robin's separated. We Robins went to see if my 'tailor-made shirts' were ready, Not yet! Fellette had spotted a place earlier in the morning that sold a certain something for a certain somebody at home, and as we approached the store the steel shutter was coming down as the girl clerk shut the store to 'go to the toilet'. Darned if the same thing happened again now as we killed time waiting for the shirts, Fellette's efforts to run and tuck under the overhead door coming down were in vain. We found ourselves looking at corrugated, again! We decided to return to the ship which was very close and were back on board in minutes, unloading our purchases for the day, feeling like the Tacky-Tourists that we really are. Judy would understand the feeling I am sure. Actually Judy and I have been known to have a contest to see who 'wins' on a day such as this when bobbles abound. I won today! At least I have not succumbed to the urge to spread all our purchases out on the bed a photograph them, yet.
Moe came up to our cabin with her computer and we shared pictures and stories as Fellette unwrapped and then tucked away today's needless purchases, all of which are intended as gifts. [Why do we do this?] Appropriately, our room steward appeared at the door with two large collapsable rolling suitcases, the ship's 'gift' for tonight to put our mind at ease that we could get this stuff home! Thank you HAL. [ Holland America Line.] Fellette and I then went back to the corrugated shop and made our purchase, this was our fourth visit to this little shop today, twice we got under the door. The place is only about 10 feet by 10 feet! Back to the shirts that were ready and fit like a glove, then to the ship for the last time.
The ship had arranged an absolutely marvellous HK Cultural Show that we attended before dinner. About the best we have seen. The last act was an elaborately dressed ancient Chinese Actor with robes that were beyond description. His act consisted of 'changing faces'. His face was covered with wildly painted masks, that he could change in a split second and we know not how. A few hundred seasoned travellers sat there spell-bound. Fantastic. Apparently this is a technique used in the Sichuan Opera.
At 8 PM the city of HK again did its light and laser show, as it does every night. The best seat is on our balcony. Gail and Jim went to town for it to hear the music. Moe joined us for that. By now these two days are beginning to tell on us but there is more.
At 10:45 there was a dragon dance send-off on the pier that we took in, then we adjourned to our cabin again for a breathtaking sail out of Hong Kong as we headed for Viet Nam. It is rather like sailing through the main streets of New York, or London, the buildings are still lit with an endless variety of coloured lights, many that change colour. The clocks go BACK another hour tonight and we can all use that extra hour after two wonderful days in Beautiful and Exciting Hong Kong! We needed that extra hour.
Gasoline/petrol pricing in HK.
For Taxis .64c/litre
For private cars $1.82/litre.
Guess what, not too many private cars in HK!
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