Heading to Hong Kong...

---

Entry from Rich (02/12/08 4.20 a.m)

Yesterday morning I managed to sleep right through with no sign of jetlag but this morning I was awake at 3.30. This is as good a time as any to start writing a blog entry I suppose. Maybe writing this will help me get back to sleep. I was reasonably confident that my blog entries would prove useful in battling insomnia but I must admit I was considering the reader rather than the author.

There are a couple of days to report back on so far. Our journey from Bristol was a successful one in that it deposited us safely in Hong Kong. It was good to get our longest flight out of the way first and we both managed to get some sleep. Sunday was my birthday and shortly after midnight the lady in the seat to my front and left gave me a surprise. I don’t want to dwell too long on the incident. You will probably understand if I say that whilst her airline dinner didn’t go down too well, it came back up far more easily.

I visited Hong Kong four years ago and the journey into Kowloon to meet Margaret and Dave (my aunt and uncle) was familiar. Many cities come alive at night and this seems particularly true of Hong Kong. The lights of the skyscrapers and tower blocks are a stunning sight but at street level the shops, restaurants and market stalls glow even more brightly.

On Sunday evening we visited the USRC, a recreation club which is a short walk from Margaret and Dave’s flat. It was great to walk out into the evening without needing to wear a jacket and we enjoyed a beer and some Chinese food before heading back for some much needed sleep.

With only four days in Hong Kong we were keen to get out and about on Monday. We took the metro to Hong Kong island and then a 45 minute bus ride to Stanley on the south side of the island. Famous for its market, Stanley is also home to Murray House, a colonial building which was moved brick by brick from its original location and rebuilt overlooking the bay. On completion of the project there were a number of stone columns left over and these stand in a row at the front of the building. Had I been managing the project I would have been tempted to dispose of these columns rather than advertise the fact that the building could collapse at any minute.

Our bus driver for the journey back into the city was keen to make the experience as exciting as possible. The windy hillside roads had plenty of opportunity for disaster and he clearly enjoyed throwing us round tight bends and veering expertly into any potholes that presented themselves.

Once we were safely back in the city I was keen to show Jules around the incredible buildings which make up the financial centre of Hong Kong. New York may have the most recognisable skyscrapers on the planet but from an architectural and design perspective Hong Kong is hard to beat.

My favourite building is definitely the HSBC headquarters designed by Norman Foster. The exterior design is spectacular but the best view is from underneath where escalators descend from a glass floor to the street below. Standing beneath the construction and looking directly upwards it is possible to see up several storeys into the heart of the building.

With a plan in place for the evening we had a few spare hours in the afternoon so we took the Star Ferry across the harbour back to Kowloon. There wasn’t much purpose to the trip other than to enjoy the ferry journey. The metro, buses and cars may all be quicker but the Star Ferry is the most charming way to get between the mainland and the island. Before the tunnels opened up to transport commuters from Kowloon to Hong Kong island, the ferries were the only means to travel and were extremely crowded.

We headed up to the peak which towers above even the tallest skyscrapers on Hong Kong island. The observation platform and shops at the peak were very busy and at the end of a long day we weren’t really in the right frame of mind for mingling with big crowds of people. The views however were superb and we got some great photos.

---

Photos

Introducing Bob
Bob the dog is going to pop up from time to time. Bob was a present from my sister Kath and came from a PDSA shop (little plug there Kath!)

Weird bear artwork thing
There was a square in Stanley with lots of strange animal artwork. These cartoony animals are very poppular with the Chinese community.

Comments

[Katharine]

Bob
I would have missed Bob if it hadn't been for the Armytages. What an idiot I am. I'm delighted he's gone with you but a bit concerned he's not gone through quarantine.