The first views from the train were thrilling, all greenery and skyscrapers.
click on the pic for moreIt was beautiful. When we got to HK we took a taxi to Repulse Bay Road to the people we were staying with.
My aunt lived in HK for a while and we were staying with her friends, Jo and Mike and their children. Their apartment was lovely and they are a lovely couple. They had guidebooks for us and octopus cards and even mobiles if we wanted them.
Jo and Mike were at work when we arrived so we dropped our bags and headed to Stanley market. We got on one of the buses and had not gotten far when I felt sick and had to get off and managed to be very sick at the side of the road. At the time I blamed the airplane breakfast but on reflection it was the anti-malarials. So we walked the rest of the way to the market. I thought it was about 25 degrees. It was not.
The market is vast and full of clothes and nick knacks. It is attached to a lovely pier. We did not buy anything but soaked up the atmosphere.
We had a stroll around the market and went for a tea and then hopped on a bus to repulse Bay beach. We had noodles at a stall on the beach and then went for a paddle in the water. The beach itself is pretty, with trees growing all over it but the water was manky, so we sat under a tree for a while trying to fight the need to sleep. A sign on the beach indicated that the actual temperature was 37 degrees. No wonder we were sweating!
We strolled back to the apartment and continued to try and fight the sleep. We hung out a bit with the kids and wrestled toys from the dog. We had lovely barbequed steaks with Jo and Mike and then we gave in to the sleep.
On Thursday, after a relaxed breakfast we got the bus to central and had a stroll about, eventually wandering over to the funicular tram.
click on pic for more
We got the tram to Victoria Peak and enjoyed the amazing view. I was able to the house my aunty Lu and her family lived in when they were in Hong Kong.
The tram up is fairly cool and is well worth it.
We then got the escalator to the mid levels, after a quick stop at China Bank. I tell a lie terry went the whole way but I stopped and had a cup often. The escalators only go one way!
We got the ferry to Kowloon and strolled about the Jade Market and the Ladies Market where I bargained down a daypack from HK$800 to 400. I was delighted but was later told I should try and get the price down by 2/3's.
Friday we went to Lantau and got the bus to Tian Tan Buddha, which is said to be the biggest seated, bronze Buddha in the world. We had a look around the Po Lin Monastery first and then climbed the 260 up to see the bronze Buddha at the top. I had to take a rest half way and then have an ice cream at the top.
This is the best bit, we got a cable car down to the MTR, and when I say down I mean down. It was very high up and a 25-minute cable car ride down.
We went out that night with Jo and Mike and their friends, first to Red Bar and then to lan kwai fong which is the place for expats to go drinking. I was wrecked so I was on vodka/redbulls. It was a great night and a bit difficult to get up this morning.
We went to causeway bay and got a little bit lost and had a look about the shops today.
Things that amazed me about Hong Kong:
It is really green.
Most people do not wear facemasks.
The public transport system is excellent and really cheap.
In central all of the shops are designer stores so they are really expensive but the shopping centers are a lovely break from the heat.
It would be a good destination for a city break if you could cope with the jet lag.
