16 – Hong Kong

Arriving at Hong Kong airport was like landing on a different planet, so much more modern and organised than the airports in Vietnam.  We made our way by bus into Kowloon. We found our accommodation really easily, whether it was a fluke or good research – who knows. We got off the bus and went through the shopping mall at Prudential Hotel and out the back door. 

 The entrance to our accommodation was just across the road. We had booked into the cheapest hotel we could find online. Comfort Lodge is best described as an apartment block where someone has taken over a few of the apartments on different floors and converted them into letting rooms. The second floor flat is the reception. Our room was on the fourth floor. Due to the distance from reception our internet access was extremely patchy. It also didn’t help that I dropped the netbook and damaged it. Ended up having to buy a new one. At least we got a really good deal. It cost about a third of the price we paid for the original one.  We couldn’t have asked for a better location. It was on a small street parallel to Nathan Road, not too far from the harbour front and had easy access to transport systems.

The transport system in Hong Kong is great. They have an underground rail system “The MTR” which is very easy to use and gets you wherever you want to go in no time at all. We used it all the time to get about.

The ferry between the mainland and Hong Kong island is good but it can be a bit rocky.

It was quite cold and misty in Hong Kong. We bought a two day hop on hop off big bus ticket which enabled us to see all the sights in Kowloon, Hong Kong City and the other side of Hong Kong Island where Stanley and Aberdeen are located.

We went on a Sampan boat tour through the harbour in Aberdeen.  It is a fishing port, mainly catching prawns.

There is a large floating restaurant in the harbour called “The Jumbo Seafood Restaurant”. It looks like a floating temple.  Stanley was a prettier place.  It has a beautiful beach and a large market.

Hong Kong City itself is just packed with massive skyscrapers. Every evening they have a light show along the waterfront.  Many of the tall buildings have various coloured lights and lasers which are used to create a spectacular light show called “Symphony of Lights”.  We viewed it from the Kowloon side at the Avenue of Stars, where they have a commentary and music which the lights are timed to.

The Hong Kong exhibition centre is located on the waterfront and is where Hong Kong was officially handed over from British rule to Chinese rule in 2007.

A golden bauhnia (flower emblem of Hong Kong) statue has been erected in the exact spot where the handover took place.

If you look hard you can find some greenery in Hong Kong.  We spent quite a few hours in Kowloon Park. It was a Sunday when we went there so there were many people about. A school was holding a fete in one part of the park. 

They had a group of students dressed as two Chinese dragons. They were quite acrobatic, jumping about, climbing up onto higher and higher platforms while dancing. It was fantastic.
 

All through the park there were individuals and groups of people practising Tai Chi, Kung Foo and various other martial arts. There are many ponds, fountains and floral areas.  In the centre of the park they have a Heritage Centre which shows how Hong Kong has changed architecturally over the years.  It was very interesting.  The park is really beautiful and well used.  Overall it is quite small but it’s layout gives the illusion of being large.

Each area is separated by shrubs and walls with paths that meander through.

We took a trip by tram up to The Peak. The highest point on Hong Kong where you can get a spectacular view over the whole island and across into Kowloon.

Unfortunately due to the hazy weather the view wasn’t too clear. We met a Canadian couple while we were there. The man had been in Hong Kong ten years ago and he said it was amazing how much it had grown in that time. Seemingly the waterway between Kowloon and Hong Kong island has reduced by about a third due to land reclamation. There is a lot of construction still going on.

Madame Tussaud’s is located at the Peak.  Most of the wax works are Asian Stars but there are some more well known stars. We had some fun taking photos with the stars.

We decided to do something completely new to us while we were in Hong Kong.  We went to the Opera.  We went to see Lucia Di Lammermoor.  The opera is based in Scotland and taken from the book written by Walter Scott. We both enjoyed it.

Hong Kong was quite a change after Vietnam. I don’t think we saw any motorbikes at all while we were here.