Advertisement
Published: January 4th 2008
Edit Blog Post
Hotel View 2
Hotel view across harbour Hong Kong
We arrived on Hong Kong Island at around 7pm local time on the 27th Dec. By arriving at night we were able to see the fabulous cityscape at its best. When the skyscrapers and bridges are enormous silhouettes dotted with illumination against the backdrop of the surrounding mountains, you really get the feeling that you are entering one of the world's great cities.
The coach passed through downtown Kowloon to drop some other guests off at their hotel, and we were given a brief glimpse of the bustling Hong Kong CBD which seems so familiar from film and television. All the businesses spill from their modest units onto the pavement, including one chap who was busy removing lorry tyres using a sledgehammer and a crowbar. The general public seemed quite happy to afford him the space he needed, suggesting that the Hong Kong is not yet as claims-conscious as the UK.
First impressions of the hotel are extremely positive. It's a palace! The lobby is impressive enough, but when we get to the room, we are stunned by the views: Hong Kong harbour lies before us in all its glory.
We don't spend too much
time admiring the view before a knock at the door announces the arrival of a celebratory cake and bottle of wine compliments of Trailfinders, bless 'em. A slightly awkward situation concerning the etiquette of tipping hotel porters in this part of the world is swiftly tied-up when I realise that the smallest note I have is a fifty. He seemed just as satisfied with my heartfelt gratitude for a job-well-done to be honest.
Anyway, the next morning we rise early assisted by jet-lagged body-clocks and make our way to the pick-up point for our half-day city tour. This starts in the way that most tourist trips do - with the "optional extra" trip - a boat tour around Hong Kong's Aberdeen (steady Cath) Harbour. Reluctant to sit it out in a litter-strewn layby in what has just been described as Hong Kong's "low income" district, we shuffle onto the awaiting Sam Pan, which is the name given to the boats that the fisherman use here for the traditional practice of fleecing tourists. In fairness the tour is good fun. We are shown the houseboats which are moored within this harbour and are offered brief glances into the lives of
Aberdeen Harbour
Jumbo Floating Restaurant - Aberdeen the hard-working folk who inhabit these vessels. Our guide earns his HK$20 with a constant, if sometimes desperate, commentary: "Houseboat dog"; "Houseboat washing machine"; "er... houseboat dried fish".
Our fisherman/ guide asks for his payment when we reach a point approximately 300 metres from the shore, obviously he's keen to remove the temptation for fare-dodgers to swim ashore without stumping up. When he has received his fares he pilots the boat to the jetty and we clamber off only to have a photo taken by the "official photographer", who later presents us with said photo on a tasteful commemorative plate. Having never seen my own face on crockery before, I am only too keen to pay him the HK$170 (about 15 quid) he charges. A future Humphreys heirloom right there - assuming it survives the rest of the journey!
After some cynical hard-sell tactics from the tour guide, things pick up when we are taken to Victoria Peak, from which you can view the city in all its glory. Fantastic views of the harbour are worth it. Even for Cath who feels a little queasy as the coach driver negotiates the tortuous road to the summit. The plucky
Houseboats
Houseboats - Aberdeen harbour old girl was fighting fit again after a lychee and ginger sorbet from Hong Kong's highest Gelateria.
Tourist activities continue the next day as we take the Star Ferry from the island to Kowloon. We are initially unimpressed, as we seem destined to spend our time there politely refusing offers of copy handbags and rolexes at "very good price". Fairly certain that we would not share their view on what constituted very good price, we headed for the Hong Kong Museum of History. The museum was a perfectly fine distraction for an hour or so before we had to get the ferry back to the island to catch the bus to the airport. We learned about the history of Hong Kong (funnily enough) which was actually pretty interesting. Lots of stuff about the Opium Wars and also the period of Japanese occupation during the Second World War.
So that was our Hong Kong experience. We both agree that having whetted our appetites with this short stay, we would definitely visit again to explore further.
Next stop Sydney!
Alex and Cath
Advertisement
Tot: 0.128s; Tpl: 0.015s; cc: 7; qc: 51; dbt: 0.0654s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb