26 July 2011

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Just 5 of us for breakfast in the hotel this morning as Tux has gone off in search of a new memory card for hi camera, which he finds and cures his problem.

With no definite plan for the day we headed over on the Star Ferry to Hong Kong Island. We decided to catch another ferry to another island, but which one and which village should we aim at? Along comes a very bronzed looking Brit who was very helpful with advice and afterwards Eryl said that she thought it might have been Sir Paul McCarthy’s brother! Needs checking out but I know what she meant.

So we decide to take the ferry over to Lantau Island and the village of Moi Wo. The trip was in an airconditioned catermaran and took about 45 minutes, but it wasn’t particularly smooth. We were glad to get off. However, it was like arriving in the Caribbean – an amazing difference from the hustle and bustle of central HK. We initially walked round to Silver Mine Bay which was a nice and sandy beach. We visited the market there and saw some pretty strange lives fish and vegetables. We then returned to the Ferry point and caught a bus to Po Pin Monastery and the site of the Big Buddha and what a big Buddha! Stephanie and Tux walked up to the top.

We then caught another bus to the small fishing village of Laio. The main attraction here is that the village is built on sticks about the water. As well as stroll through a market selling all types and style of fish, we took a dolphin trip in a small boat. For the equivalent of just £2 we were given a tour of the stilted village followed by a trip out to see to spot dolphins for about 20 minutes and we were lucky enough to see a few, which were almost white in colour. We then travelled by bus to Tung Chung, which is not that far from the airport and is one end of one of the MTR lines that goes into central Hong Kong. Its like a tube train but spotlessly clean, efficiently run and cool on a very hot day! In fact nothing like the London underground!! Stephanie and Tux stayed on for some shopping while the rest of us returned to the hotel.

I thought it was time we tried to get onto the internet because at 7pm we were going to have to check in for our flight tomorrow to Melboune. My netbook didn’t seemed interested in trying so we used Samantha’s. The wireless reception in the room was absolutely dreadful so when Tux got back, he and I took Samantha’s Notebook downstairs. I initially tried checking in via BA.Com but found we needed to go to Qantas website. It was far more complicated to check in than via BA but we did eventually end up with seats next to each other right at the back of the plan.

So next decision was where to eat this evening. As yesterday we had had no lunch at all, but a reasonable buffet breakfast. As Tux pointed out, the obvious thing was to have a Chinese in China!! We’d been told that the cheapest Michelin restaurant in the world was in Hong Kong, but it was a little way away and as you couldn’t pre book and there were often queues, we asked the Concierge for another recommendation nearer to us. They made a great suggestion of a Chinese restaurant in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre which was jut opposite our hotel, called Serenade. Food was excellent but we were the only non Chinese in the place and the waiters all had a very limited knowledge of English. As I was ordering away, the waiter eventually told me that he thought I’d ordered enough and it did turn out about right.

The highlight of the evening, if you call it that, was a dish cooked at your table of prawns cooked in liquier. In fact I nearly order it for us, but I was glad I didn’t!! The prawns arrived live in a bowl. They then had hot alcohol poured over them and they continued flapping around for some time. The final straw was when, still thrashing around, they set light to the alcohol! That sorted them out!

Afterwards Eryl and I retired to our room to read and me to write this blog, while the others went off to I think a Ladies Market a taxi ride away. We’ll ask them in the morning what it was like.

Off to Melbourne tomorrow where hopefully we will be able to have good quality internet available in our room, so I can finally put this up on the internet, long with some pictures.

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Comments

[Steve]

Received loud and clear
All blogs arrived together as I assume you had pre written them and just sent in one go once internet sorted. Sunny day today and over 100 people at Saltford Station meeting last night !! Can't believe I haven't read the word lobster yet!!! I would have liked to have seen Eryl's face with the prawngate incident