Hong Kong
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The train ride from the airport to Kowloon, about 25 minutes, got a taxi to the hotel (West Hotel) that took 10 min. Everything from the Airport to the train station is very organized and orderly. There are people everywhere to help out.
Once we got settled and showered we went out to explore the Temple St. Night Market. We wondered for the better part of 2 hours through the stalls. I picked up a deck of Mah Jong cards that I have been looking for. We looked for a place to eat, but this requires more research, most of the restaurants had their meals, still alive, and on display for all to see. We finally stopped at a bakery and got some almond cookies.
We got up at about 6:30, jet lag and all, and left the hotel at 8:00. Leaving the hotel we went to Jordan Road. Along the way we past a shop that killed and cleaned chickens. The chickens were stacked from floor to ceiling. There were very few people out and about this time of day. We expected the streets to be packed with people heading to work. As it happens most shops do not open until 10, 11, … or when they feel like opening. But they all seem to open until at lease 11 pm.
From Jordan Road we went to Nathan Road to see Kowloon Park. The park was made on a hill and had an assortment of terraced gardens. The most striking thing about the park are all the people through out the park doing Tia Chi. There are ponds and streams all over the park, with ducks and turtles in them.
We left the park and headed back down Nathan Road towards the water front. The last section of the road is called the Golden Mile because of the cost of having a shop here and the ability of these shops to get money out of tourist.
The water front at the end of Nathan Road provides a spectacular view of Hong Kong across the harbor. We were both getting hungry and needed a coffee. In our search for coffee we walked toward the Ferry Terminal and ended up in Harbor City Mall Complex. This place has over seven hundred shops. We found a coffee shop and had a croissant and coffee and read the news papers. Looks like we may have a problem getting back to Canada. There is going to be a pilots strike with the airline.
Next we went to the Star Ferry Terminal and took a ferry to Hong Kong ($2.80 HK). Then took a bus to Aberdeen. It was a beautiful ride up the mountain and down the other side. The small busses stop anywhere along its course to drop off and pick up people.
In Aberdeen we took a ride in a Junk around the harbor for 30 min. The captain with his broken English was very informative. We went around the Jumbo floating restaurant and through a fleet of fishing boats. These small boats will stay out on the South China Sea for 2 months at a time. At the end of the boat ride we walked around the water front where an old lady was trying to sell us straw hats.
From Aberdeen we caught a double decker bus to Stanley and walked through the famous Stanley Market. Noel was looking at buying name stamps or Chops. We managed to get the price down from $120 HK to $55 HK or about $11 Cnd. The chops are hand carved with the Chinese symbols for your name and the English name under it. Noel and I were taken with the onyx ones. All the chops had zodiac characters on the top of them. The chops could be bought all over the market but you had to watch the quality of the carving. I had one of the art galleries write in the front of my journal China and Hong Hong in Chinese calligraphy for $35 HK.
By this time it was 2 pm and we were getting hungry and still have not figured out the food here yet. We stopped at a small shop called “The Wok”. Noel had won ton soup and I had noodles and vegetables, and 2 liters of water. The meal was great and the portions perfect.
We went looking for a temple in Stanley that we saw signs for, but when we found it, it was being renovated. We caught the bus back to Hong Kong.
The ferry ride back to Kowloon was much fuller this time and the wind picked up. The boat was rocking pretty good. We went back to the Harbor City Mall to wonder around and get out of the oppressive muggy heat. There were two cruise ships docked at the Mall taking on passengers and getting ready to sail.
Earlier in the day we tried to get some money exchanged into Chinese Yuan and had no luck. The Hong Kong back directed us to the Kowloon Hotel where we found out that the money exchange places were about the only place to do this. Also Sunday and Monday are state holidays and all government offices will be closed.
We started heading back to the hotel as we had a full day and were getting tired. Along the way Noel starting looking at South Sea pearls. We stopped at several places and got prices ranging from $500 Cnd to $800 Cnd for 10 mm to 15 mm. We also looked at a string of pearls for $650 Cnd.
It started to rain again so we went back to the hotel and called it a day.
Highlights:
1) Noel giving change to a Monk in Kowloon Park.
2) Junk ride around Aberdeen Harbor.
3) Bus ride around Hong Kong island.
4) Ferry ride to and from Hong Kong.
5) Watching the Tia Chi in Kowloon Park.
6) The hotel bed is a hard as a board.
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