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Published: August 13th 2007
Macau was slightly uninspiring, interesting but the heat melted any enthusiasm I had about exploring the city. Met some Philippino bead traders. Oh yes. Bead Traders. They bought us lunch and showed us some of the city, they were very nice and not at all going to kidnap us, but we'd left our bags in the care of a restaurant and were rather anxious to get back to them, so we said our goodbyes and decided to head straight to the Hong Kong Ferry terminal. Macau's streets were small and winding, at least for the most part, just the way I like them. The Portuguese architecture was suitably juxtaposed with the gleaming casinos towering over the little plazas and fountains. We took a road up to the mysteriously named 'Ruin's of St. Paul's', being offered strips of meat jerky and egg tarts on the way. The ruins were just a facade, a single front panel of what may or may not have been a church.
So we caught the next ferry to Hong Kong, me barely able to contain my excitement as we bumped along the waves, being passed by Hydrofoils, Hydrofoils! And then the mountains of the peninsular came
into view and we pulled up into Kowloon Harbour.
We'd decided to stay on Nathan road; we'd heard the stories and that only made me want to stay there more. Nathan road is like a long neon tunnel, you get sucked in one end and squeezed out the other as part of a big urban sausage, slightly grimier then when you went in but endeared to everything going on around you. We end up at Chungking Mansions, tower block of legend and infamy and a gauntlet if you look like you don't want to be bothered. Leaflets are thrust at you from every direction; '
Room? Curry? Gucci Bag? Copy Watch? Tailors? Massage?!' It's impossible to avoid. All I needed was a shower. A fruitless search for cheap beds (it's Dragon boat racing season) leads us to 'New Garden Hostel' (where it turns out later, Lauren, Wade and Dylan are staying) which is in Mirador Mansions, Chungking’s equally questionable opponent. Located just a few doors from Chungking, Mirador has been lovingly renamed 'Murder Mansions'. We talk to a guy who owns a bar in Hong Kong's famous SoHo district, when he first moved to HK he lived in a dorm
on the top floor of Mirador (about 16 floors), there are some very dodgy walkways and stairs down the back, and he would regularly find someone murdered or dead there apparently. New Garden wanted to charge us HK$700 for 4 nights. Okay so it was a nice room but this is not the authentic Murder Mansions experience we are looking for. Well, I'm looking for, Nilam is quite happy somewhere without the element of death.
We eventually find a HK$ 60 dorm room in the Travelers Hostel, on the 16th floor of Chungking. In terms of quality it is the worst accommodation we've ever stayed in and it is sufficiently seedy for me. I slip into Daurevilly mode, quoting Les Diaboliques in my head and wondering what Henry Miller would say. Nilam bags the top bunk, away from the rats. I like to play a little game in the kitchen of the hostel (praised in the Lonely Planet as a pioneer in the building) at 3am. I creep up to the kitchen an turn on the light switch, then I run to the window as quickly as I can, chasing the rats round, trying to get there before they
do (there is a hole in the window they get in and out of). It's a fun game when you're a little drunk.
After 2 nights we move into a nicer dorm room in the New Garden in Mirador Mansions, closer to the action. We go out to see the sights and sounds with some of the guys. A girl called Hannah accompanies us on a walking tour of Hong Kong Island, which is thoroughly enjoyable. We wander past old spice markets and traditional medicine shops selling birds nests for soup and cure alls in huge great jars, past the road where England claimed HK for 99 years and narrow alleyways stuffed with vegetables, dumplings and ginseng. I caught a glimpse of something high up, what looked like the reflection of a huge Eagle, distorted as it weaved across the reflective faces of the copper coloured skyscrapers they do *so well* here. But no, I thought, that’s silly; unless Eagles can survive in an urban jungle on Dim Sum and Oolong.
We hang out with the Kiwi guys for a few nights before they have to fly back to Shanghai and it's a good laugh. We spend far
too much time in PJ Murphy's, our local Irish bar, where a Guinness will cost you a whopping HK$68 (nearly 5 pounds!) Even meet more Irish guys as I'm walking across to the bar and I hear a shout of 'Hi! Are you Irish by any chance?' Apparently I have 'That Look', good or bad, I'm not sure; possibly it changes with the amount of alcohol consumed.
We went to the Hong Kong Botanical Gardens with the guys, taking the metro over. I got myself an Octopus card, the HK equivalent of the Oyster card, and while 'The world is your Octopus' doesn't quite have the same ring to it (would certainly not appeal to the mariners) it is so much more useful, you can use it in shops, restaurants and cinemas, McDonalds, for parking charges and even in some bars. We walk up the amazingly steep paths of the skyscraper jungle that is the commercial area. It seems like a rather impractical place to have a world financial hub, but that adds to the charm. Huge old fig trees live where the glass and steel doesn't, vines reaching down to the roads and clinging to the lampposts.
I've been wanting to see the Botanical Gardens for about three years; it's one of the oldest in the world, set up along the lines of Kew. I'm on a mission to see all the old colonial Botanical Gardens in the world, which means I'll be applying for a Burmese visa.
Wikipedia entry on Botanical Gardens The Gardens were surprisingly small, although they'd certainly packed a lot in between the orchids and flame trees and Latin Names. They had hundreds of bird and animal species: Toucans, Snakes, Giant turtles, Gibbons, Lemurs, beautiful Blue Cranes which look like the birds in traditional Japanese and Chinese paintings, and even the BIGGEST Orangutan I'd ever seen! He was impossibly huge, the size of an ice cream truck or something, with these huuge face flaps. He was asleep on top of his raised platform in the roof of his enclosure. We stood in awe, then we stood fidgeting, then we wondered if he was dead. We don't even know how he got up there without the whole thing crashing down.
Then. Then there was a rumbling, we held our breaths, he started to move. Slowly a hand emerged and he whacked his massive palm flat
of the surface of his dais. We he going to climb down? We could barely contain our excitement. He lifted his massive body and it was like the beginning of an eclipse. Then he sighed, and flopped back down in a different position.
Then we went to see the world's fattest Leopard, really, I felt kind of bad for him, he should be a fearsome predator and we where all just laughing at him, because he was really really fat. His belly almost dragging on the ground while he waited to be fed. We watched some people draw markers on the ground for a good old fashioned British Hash Run, then headed down the slopes to the shops. They know how to do shopping here in China! Went into A Bathing Ape shop, it was like an art gallery, like you shouldn't even be buying the clothes, just looking at them. Under your feet was this clear glass walkway, a steel conveyer belt beneath that, trailing coloured trainers around the room. Walls made of the most amazing shoes, each type of clothing had its own dedicated white arched room. Mental.
Then we found Marks and Spencer, and Prêt
and went a little mental at the prospect of a proper sandwich (the one thing I've been craving). We raided M&S for crisps, stuffed olives, a litre of the finest (okay, cheapest) Vin Rouge and Prêt for sandwiches and decided on a picnic. Unfortunately HK Island is a little short of lawn space so we headed back up the hill to the gardens for a picnic. We sat in the beautiful old pagoda, overlooking the fountain. Looking out past the thick green branches of the canopy you can see the gleaming skyscrapers of the waterfront, so odd. We read the paper, did the International Herald Tribune crossword (badly), drank red wine from paper cups and got bitten to death by mozzies. A lovely night.
When those guys had gone to bed in order to get up early for their flight to Shanghai, we headed back to our dorm and met up with a couple of guys who were staying there, who we'd met the previous day when they tried to convince us to do the Macau Bungee jump with them (the highest in the world at 233m). We declined; I'm working up to it, having never done a jump
before. As it was the last night for one of them we went out for a few drinks, ending up across the harbour in SoHo, HK Island's bar district, a few red wines, some Philippino prostitutes who will not go away and it starts to rain, really rain. We duck into the nearest open door which happens to be the best kebab shop in the world, they even had about 10 vegetarian options! We meet some guys from Cork and a guy from Denmark and get to talking, drinking the beer we bought in 7-11 and eating those good kebabs. Its 5am before we realise the rain has stopped and the staff would kind of like to go home. We get into a taxi eventually and make it back to Murder Mansions just in time to miss Lauren, Dylan and Wade leaving in a different lift, the one next to ours.
Up early to wander round some more, hit the shopping malls for Onigiri and sushi and the space museum for a 3D film of the origins of the universe. We are told we need to leave as the hostel has double booked our room, rather annoying as two
people turn up to find us in their beds. We look everywhere before finding a smaller 4 bed dorm for the same price one floor below! Sharing with a rather studious American who has been spending every day of his trip in the Hong Kong Library, and a French medical student with the Best. French. Accent. Ever. Who would correct me on my English pronunciation, apparently English sounds better in a French accent. I have to say sometimes I'm inclined to agree.
We head down to the harbour about 8pm as there is going to be a light show as part of the 10th anniversary-of-Britain-relinquishing-control celebrations, and it's pretty spectacular. The fireworks themselves are pretty tame (I suppose as it's a built up area the only thing they can stick to is the Roman Candles, shame as China is legendary for fireworks) but the whole thing is amazing, they managed to sync all the skyscrapers in with the fireworks. It seems buildings are not just buildings here, they all have some sort of built in laser show! Lights covering the faces, running along the lines of the buildings, lasers on the roof. All working with the music.
On
our last day we go for an all you can eat Sushi buffet, me with my 'excuse me but do you have any sushi without fish in'? But it was epic, we stayed for 3 hours, it was the most expensive meal we'd been for so far at HK$113. There was a massive restaurant with loads of different sections of Japanese food, and not so Japanese food like Potato wedges. Sushi, Sashimi, Massive salads and fruit salads, a million kinds of noodles with toppings, soups, pastas, pizzas, even a roast. And don't get me started on the desert Buffet. Yum. We filled napkins with mini brownies and fruit for later.
We head with Hannah over to Aberdeen, a harbor town on the back of Hong Kong Island, in search of the old Junks, which have disappeared completely in Victoria harbour (this is very sad as I'd been looking forward to them a lot, the only one we saw was a mock up, a ship to take tourists out on the bay). It was worth the 15 minute journey just to see the front of the bus announce its destination, made us chuckle anyway. Although I think a bus to
the other Aberdeen would cost a little more than HK$2.
There are no Junks, but the harbour is full of colourful fishing boats covered in bunting and zippy little lacquered wooden Sampans used to ferry people to and fro. They have this area along the waterfront which I wish would catch on in the UK. It's an area of mock pebbles, concrete formed into mounds of varying sizes and compactness and is designed to be walked on barefoot. They do this in Asia a few times a day and it is apparently brilliant for the body, hitting all the pressure points on the feet like reflexology and improving muscle tone and circulation as the body has to work harder to keep you balanced. Hurts like hell at first until you get used to it. Feels great though, they should put them in offices.
Back in Central Hong Kong, we take a walk up to the tram and Victoria peak. This was another highlight, the tram is amazing, pulling you pretty much vertically up the side of the mountain on a narrow track, past houses and gardens and roads. It's red and wooden and gleaming, with a little wooden
light box at the front that indicates which stop you're on. The interior has a ridged wooden floor and wooden benches, its odd climbing into a tram at a 45 degree angle, having to climb to your seat, but it's awesome, I wish I could take the tram every day.
At the top you are filed out into a shopping mall. Surprise, surprise, a 6 story shopping mall which you must traverse by escalator to reach the viewing deck on the roof. At least it gives you better views. And it doesn't disappoint! You can see for miles! We were slightly worried about the visibility as Victoria Peak had spent most of the day covered by cloud but we got lucky. And if views aren't your thing you can always watch the eagles, they do exist! It wasn't just bad Tamago that had me hallucinating! There are honest to goodness HUGE EAGLES that circle in the currents nearby, hunting for small birds that roost in the dense tropical forest still covering most of the peak. They come so close, you could steal their wing feathers. Amazing. Really, really cool. I must have spent about and hour just watching them
and failing to get photos. And then the night fell and stayed clear and it was amazing all over again, just like postcards. We catch the light show again from a different side. Before heading down.
Last night so we go for a few beers with our new room mates, it's late when we get back and neither Adrian (French guy) or I am tired so we stay on the balcony, overlooking the gloomy (but suitably maudlin) interior of Murder Mansions, I am really, really going to miss this place. We get to talking and smoking bizarre Chinese cigarettes and it's already 4am. Nilam and I need to leave at 8am and before that I wanted to wander Kowloon park and catch people doing Tai chi, so sleep seems like a waste of time.
At 6am he heads off to bed and I take a walk with my mp3 player. Kowloon park is beautiful, all the parks here are perfectly landscaped, and there's a big pond with a bridge full of Koi and elaborately plumed ducks. There's even a load of flamingos to make your day more colourful. There are plenty of people doing Thai Chi all over
Crazy
Look at the building front centre of this photo (2nd left from the red building) Look how narrow it is! Mental.the park and I watch for a while. I think I'll retire here.
But now I have to leave, after I run down to the underground to get a refund on my Octopus card. All too soon we are getting off the bus at the massive Hong Kong Airport, biggest airport I've ever seen, so big in fact you have to take a train to get to the planes themselves. Built just before the British left, the Chinese government accused the British of building just to spend all the money china would be getting after the handover.. It certainly would have made a dent.
It's only a four hour flight to Bangkok, makes me sad to be leaving. Still, it's only a four hour flight back if I don't like it :D
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chung
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Message from Hong Kong
Hey Hey Still remember me? I am the Hong Kong guy you met at Gu Long Yu. Unluckily, we couldn't have a meet at Hong Kong. I am always look forward to reading your travelblog and taste your trip. It seems that Hong Kong gave you lots of amazing and interesting things, thats happy to hear it!! Indeed, there are many things you haven't explored at Hong Kong, hiking at greenry mountain with natural environment, swimming at the beautiful sand beach, trying the wonderful seafood, visiting the chinese traditional temple....etc Anyway, I think you would back to Hong Kong very soon, please do call me and have a drink together!!! take care and have a good trip!!! chung