The Hong Kong flight left Sydney on time. But arrived about 5 minutes late. I took a taxi from the airport and that immediately told me I was now in Asia. At the airport I asked the man running the taxi rank if the taxi’s took credit cards. “Yes yes” was the answer. When I got into the taxi I asked the driver if he took credit cards, “Yes yes” was the answer. After a death defying trip into Kowloon from the airport that included the taxi driver flashing hooting and shouting at a Supercharged Mercedes that would not get out of his way we arrived at the hotel. I got out my credit card and the driver said “No No cash only” I said “I asked you at the airport if you took credit card and you said Yes” to which he answered “Yes yes cash only”
Fortunately I had changed my left over ozzie dollars and ozzie travellers cheques into HK Dollars at the airport. I f I hadn’t done that the only way to pay him would have been to suffer the hotels exchange rates and a cash advance on my credit card, ouch. I’ve just counted up the HK dollars I have left after my dayout and it looks like I shall have to eat in the hotel restaurant so I can put it on my card. Breakfast in the hotel was good and the restaurant menu looks good, it is Cantonese.
I had about 6 hours sleep on the plane but I was still tired when I got to the hotel. Was in bed by 1:00 am and slept right through to 6:30 am. Which meant I missed Tai Chi in the park at dawn. Was out of the hotel by 7:45 am and walking down Nathan Road past all the closed shops. I popped into Kowloon park to find that I wasn’t the only one who missed dawn and there was a group of about a dozen locals doing Tai Chi. I recognised some of the moves but it certainly wasn’t 108 move Yang that I am familiar with. So a combination of shyness and lack of knowledge left me watching rather than joining in. Maybe tomorrow before I fly.
From Kowloon park I walked all the way down Nathan Road to the Star Ferry. Then took the ferry across to Hong Kong Island. The views are amazing. How so many people live on so little land becomes apparent as soon as you get on the ferry and see the towers rising above the sea. I walked past a couple of construction projects on the way down Nathan Road, all the scaffolding is made of bamboo and cable ties!
From the ferry terminal on Hong Kong Island I followed the signs along the elevated walkways to the Peak Tram station. Then took the peak tram to the summit of the peak. The tram and summit are owned by Madame Tussauds and like their other ventures it is impossible to do much at all without passing through their merchandising and sales outlets. After going up 5 floors of shopping on escalators I managed to get out onto the rooftop viewing platform, the view is amazing. Out over the sea you can see all of the outer islands and across almost to Macau. Looking inland you can see the whole of Hong Kong and up into the mountains of the New Territories, which if they weren’t there would mean you could see into real China.
I came back down the peak and had a walk round the Central area on Hong Kong Island, even found Marks and Spencer’s. In most places there are two layers of pavement, one at the side of the road and then an elevated section above. There are also some fantastic escalators and shopping centres hidden in the middle of office blocks. Had a walk around a market and then headed back to the ferry terminal.
At the ferry terminal a new shop was being opened and a group were performing a Chinese Lion Dance to celebrate. Stood and watched for a while then caught the ferry back Kowloon side.
Walked back up towards the hotel using side streets parallel to Nathan Road, not sure I would want to use some of them at night, felt conspicuously tall and white in places. Using the side streets did mean I got to see the Tin Hau temple, Jade Market and Ladies Market. Now the Jade Market sells Jade, so guess what the Ladies Market sells? Wrong it sells everything. From dodgy DVDs through to Brass Buddha, also found a stall selling puppies, I think as pets, although there were a couple of Korean restaurants around.
I was approached several times by Indian gentlemen who wanted to make me a suit. One was so persistent that I negotiated with him for two double breasted suits and four shirts, then walked off in the opposite direction when he said we should go to his shop. He had followed me for nearly ten minutes, even though I said “No Thank You” several times at the start of his pitch so when he was still following me after 200 yards I thought I might as well wind him up.
I can’t believe how cheap the Rolex watches are here. Also designer handbags seem to be very cheap at the market too. I am sure they are all genuine. There are nowhere near as many camera and computer stores as I was expecting. I was talking to the waiter in Starbucks at the top of the peak and he said a lot of the electrical businesses have gone to Singapore and the internet. Evidently the overhead of a Hong Kong shop was so much that it was difficult to make a profit and the internet is much more attractive to them.
I am planning to go out in a bit and get something to eat and take a trip back down to the star ferry so I can photograph Hong Kong by night. I’ll post the pictures when I get home.
Fortunately I had changed my left over ozzie dollars and ozzie travellers cheques into HK Dollars at the airport. I f I hadn’t done that the only way to pay him would have been to suffer the hotels exchange rates and a cash advance on my credit card, ouch. I’ve just counted up the HK dollars I have left after my dayout and it looks like I shall have to eat in the hotel restaurant so I can put it on my card. Breakfast in the hotel was good and the restaurant menu looks good, it is Cantonese.
I had about 6 hours sleep on the plane but I was still tired when I got to the hotel. Was in bed by 1:00 am and slept right through to 6:30 am. Which meant I missed Tai Chi in the park at dawn. Was out of the hotel by 7:45 am and walking down Nathan Road past all the closed shops. I popped into Kowloon park to find that I wasn’t the only one who missed dawn and there was a group of about a dozen locals doing Tai Chi. I recognised some of the moves but it certainly wasn’t 108 move Yang that I am familiar with. So a combination of shyness and lack of knowledge left me watching rather than joining in. Maybe tomorrow before I fly.
From Kowloon park I walked all the way down Nathan Road to the Star Ferry. Then took the ferry across to Hong Kong Island. The views are amazing. How so many people live on so little land becomes apparent as soon as you get on the ferry and see the towers rising above the sea. I walked past a couple of construction projects on the way down Nathan Road, all the scaffolding is made of bamboo and cable ties!
From the ferry terminal on Hong Kong Island I followed the signs along the elevated walkways to the Peak Tram station. Then took the peak tram to the summit of the peak. The tram and summit are owned by Madame Tussauds and like their other ventures it is impossible to do much at all without passing through their merchandising and sales outlets. After going up 5 floors of shopping on escalators I managed to get out onto the rooftop viewing platform, the view is amazing. Out over the sea you can see all of the outer islands and across almost to Macau. Looking inland you can see the whole of Hong Kong and up into the mountains of the New Territories, which if they weren’t there would mean you could see into real China.
I came back down the peak and had a walk round the Central area on Hong Kong Island, even found Marks and Spencer’s. In most places there are two layers of pavement, one at the side of the road and then an elevated section above. There are also some fantastic escalators and shopping centres hidden in the middle of office blocks. Had a walk around a market and then headed back to the ferry terminal.
At the ferry terminal a new shop was being opened and a group were performing a Chinese Lion Dance to celebrate. Stood and watched for a while then caught the ferry back Kowloon side.
Walked back up towards the hotel using side streets parallel to Nathan Road, not sure I would want to use some of them at night, felt conspicuously tall and white in places. Using the side streets did mean I got to see the Tin Hau temple, Jade Market and Ladies Market. Now the Jade Market sells Jade, so guess what the Ladies Market sells? Wrong it sells everything. From dodgy DVDs through to Brass Buddha, also found a stall selling puppies, I think as pets, although there were a couple of Korean restaurants around.
I was approached several times by Indian gentlemen who wanted to make me a suit. One was so persistent that I negotiated with him for two double breasted suits and four shirts, then walked off in the opposite direction when he said we should go to his shop. He had followed me for nearly ten minutes, even though I said “No Thank You” several times at the start of his pitch so when he was still following me after 200 yards I thought I might as well wind him up.
I can’t believe how cheap the Rolex watches are here. Also designer handbags seem to be very cheap at the market too. I am sure they are all genuine. There are nowhere near as many camera and computer stores as I was expecting. I was talking to the waiter in Starbucks at the top of the peak and he said a lot of the electrical businesses have gone to Singapore and the internet. Evidently the overhead of a Hong Kong shop was so much that it was difficult to make a profit and the internet is much more attractive to them.
I am planning to go out in a bit and get something to eat and take a trip back down to the star ferry so I can photograph Hong Kong by night. I’ll post the pictures when I get home.
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