Hong Kong, Wow!.....

Before we came to Hong Kong [HK] for the first time several years ago, I imagined HK as a big, smelly, narrow streeted, bustling Chinese city. It is big, and bustling and that is where my vision ended. It is bigger than big, it is also one of the cleanest cities we have been in. It is an extremely efficient city as well, public transport is fast, clean, efficient and frequent. To boot it is not an expensive place to visit.

Moe was off on a 10 hour tour, doing "everything!" We four had a plan to take the Star Ferry to HK island, [we are docked across the water in Kowloon], then take the public bus to Stanley, about an hour's journey on the far side of the island. $2.00 and we are there shortly.







There seems to be no end of high rise buildings and condos. Some new, some old. To my untrained eye it appeared to be an upmarket area, all of it. [I wonder where all the workers that make the stuff on our shelves at home live], Not in HK, that is for sure.

We had an enjoyable few hours there ending up with guess what, Chinese food for lunch where Doug finally learned to use chopsticks!





Back on the bus to Central Station, take the Ferry to Kowloon, a 10 minute ride across to Star Ferry Terminal where our ship is docked, right in the centre of all the excitement. Looking out the window as I write this I am looking at the very, very, very impressive HK skyline as the little ferries travel back and forth.


[No getting dressed with the drapes open Doug, I am liable to be sold as a video clip on the streets the next day!] Not!

When we got off the ferry in Kowloon I succumbed to one of my fantasies of years and ended up in a tailor's office being measured for shirts.


My friend Andy gave me a gift of a custom-tailored shirt a few years ago. It was the best darn shirt I ever had. Unfortunately that shirt is at home, it has some non removable series of stains on it. It must have happened when we had it cleaned last time and never took it out of its wrapper to examine it, sorry Andy. Tonight at four before we sail I will find out if my years of waiting was worth it or do I have some rather expensive car-cleaning cloths!

After the tailor thing we went back to the ship for a change of shoes and clothes and headed for Nathan Street (One of the highlights of the day was talking to our Grandson Nathan at home, a day after his birthday!) along the Golden Mile to the Night Market. That is a bizarre experience that is not for the weak at heart. Of course we walked there. It was like walking in Times Square on New Years Eve for about 35 minutes. We finally came to the 'Night Market'. That is where a section of Temple Road is blocked off to cars, about a mile maybe in length. Merchants then put of their stalls in the street and sidewalk. The amount of work they go to every night, putting up and taking down their stalls and goods is amazing.

The selection of goods there is staggering. All of it completely unnecessary and useless. The crowds there are as amazing. Where do they all come from? There were restaurants that grew 10 times their size at night by putting out tables and chairs right in the intersections. The tables are the size of kindergarten tables and so are the chairs. The selection of food is either a gastronomical delight or your worst nightmare come true. Swimming, creeping, wiggling and oozing things ready to be put into the wok briefly before hitting your stomach.


We had a bit of a feed of some recognizable items at a restaurant that barely qualifies for the name restaurant. The toilet roll plunked on our table when we sat down got our attention!


The ordering took some time inasmuch for some reason this man did not speak English. The food was good, very tasty. Doug again used his newly-acquired chop stick skills until the end when he succumbed to that tempting porcelain spoon. Jim and I asked for a beer. Jim asked for a glass for it. The waiter took his glass of green tea that Jim was sipping and threw the tea on the street that was 12" away, plopped the glass back in front of him and said "glass!"



Another wander through the night market where Jim bought five polo shirts for two dollars each. [Maybe car cleaning material again.]



Next a cab back to the ship, as we promised the girls. Cabs are cheap here. $5.00. We arrived back at the ship just in time to see the illumination and Laser Light Show that HK puts on every night, to music.


Scores of people line the waterfront to watch the 15 minute show where the 50 story office buildings change colours and twinkle and wiggle and generally amuse us. Unbelievable. Even the Ferry boats that are travelling at that time put on their best light show, all co-ordinated to the music pounding out from about 300 yards from the ship.

WOW! and we have another full day here, gadzooks!