Hong Kong Day Two & The End of China

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The overnight thunderstorms left us with an even more diminished view than we had seen from our hotel window the previous morning and it was obvious we would not be taking a tram to The Peak on this visit which was a real disappointment.

After another good breakfast, we checked out of our hotel and headed to a street Market where the traders peddled everything from clothes and tacky souvenirs to bamboo plants, fake designer watches to ‘100 year old eggs’ (real eggs caked in black soil) and cuts of meat. From here, we took a taxi (for the first time we could travel in a 5-passenger taxi together) to Central for the Star Ferry Harbour Cruise. We noted Hong Kong has the most expensive metered taxis in China, starting at $HK16 although still cheap by Western standards (mainland China had ranged from 7-11 Yuan). The Harbour Cruise is not well sign-posted but goes from Pier 6 and you wait at the ticket office on the upper floor where a crew member will collect you for the hourly departure and tickets are $HK50 (about £4.50 / $9) for the one-hour trip. Despite the storms, we were lucky enough to enjoy a clear view across and along the harbour and thoroughly enjoyed the trip.

Leaving the Pier, we found our one and only camera shop in Hong Kong where I used the money I had been given as a leaving gift by the Partners at LSH to buy a new digital SLR camera. Hilary negotiated me a special price and all the extras thrown-in for free: what a woman!

Later in the afternoon, we travelled back north across the harbour to Kowloon on the MTR to visit the Bird Market. We found it after a bit of a struggle and when we got there, many of the stalls were closed owing to the heavy rain. This did allow us the opportunity to borrow some of their chairs so we could eat another very late alfresco lunch.

Heading back to Wanchai we stood behind a young boy on the MTR escalator. He was wearing a tee shirt bearing words of great encouragement to us: "I know the plans I have for you.......plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11. We were moved by the timing and significance of this message and took this as a great endorsement of our decision tomake the move to Brisbane.

We returned to collect our luggage from the hotel where we were advised to cancel our previously-booked airport MPV and take the airport express train because of unpredictable flooding and road accidents. This turned out to be great advice as we saved some money and were able to take advantage of the railway station check-in facility and never saw our bags again until we arrived in Cairns. This was a ‘first class’ finish to our visit before departing for our final destination and intended new homeland in Australia.

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