Hong Kong islands

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Entry from Rich (05/12/08 8.00 p.m.)

I am writing this entry from Governor Robinson’s hostel in Perth. We have had a very busy few days and not much time to write blog entries so this one is a bit of a catch up.

On Wednesday we went to Cheung Chau, one of the outlying islands in Hong Kong. The only means of transport to Cheung Chau is a ferry ride from the central ferry pier. This journey didn’t agree with Jules but once we reached the island we spent a very relaxing day exploring the quiet streets, beaches and paths up to observation points.

There are no cars on Cheung Chau but there are lots of bikes and some small delivery vehicles which seem to be powered by lawnmower engines. The emergency services use scaled down versions of their usual vehicles and we encountered a tiny police van closely followed by a miniature fire engine, both with their sirens running as they whizzed by. The narrow streets wouldn’t allow any larger vehicles and the whole island seems to function well with its mixture of old world and toy box transport.

After visiting a beautiful temple we walked through the main shopping street, no more than ten feet wide but filled with fantastic fresh fruit, seafood and freshly baked buns. Alongside these traditional shops were other tiny units selling 42” flat screen televisions, air conditioning units and all sorts of other luxury items. It seemed as though the community provided anything the residents could conceivably need.

We had a dim sum lunch in a little restaurant on the harbour front (less than £7 for the entire meal!) before heading back to the mainland. In the evening we had an excellent meal in a beautiful old pawn shop which has been converted into an upmarket restaurant.

Thursday was our last day in Hong Kong and we wanted to make the most of it despite having to leave for the airport in the evening. We decided to visit Lantau, the largest of the islands in Hong Kong. Lantau is home to the airport and also a Disneyland resort, neither of which were the purpose of our visit. Instead we headed for the village of Ngong Ping and the beautiful monastery nearby. The main reason for the visit was to see the huge Bronze Buddha which sits on a hilltop overlooking the village.

It was my turn to feel uneasy at our method of transport. After a straightforward metro journey we then took the cable car ride (all 25 minutes of it) up into the hills. I would love to report back on the views but my primary view was of the floor of the cable car. I did venture a look out of the car at one point but decided quite rapidly to return to my original plan. The cable cars dangle hundreds of feet over a reservoir and numerous deep valleys on their way up to the village. They are of course perfectly safe with the exception of the one which fell off some time ago. Fortunately on that occasion nobody was hurt.

The journey was well worth it as the Buddha is a truly spectacular sight. The climb up the steps to the statue itself offered some excellent photo opportunities and also the chance to burn off some of the Chinese food we have been eating. We decided (OK, I decided) that a bus journey would be preferable to the return trip by cable car so we took a marginally less terrifying return trip along some very steep and very bendy roads.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Hong Kong and despite looking forward to the adventures ahead in Australia, I felt sad to leave. We have been very well looked after and it has been a real pleasure to spend some time with Dave, Margaret and their family. As we waited for our flight to Perth last night, a gentleman from the Hong Kong tourist board asked us some questions about our time in the area. He asked about a number of activities and sights in Hong Kong and as he went through them we realised just how much we had crammed into a few days. Lets hope that Australia has plenty of exciting experiences in store for us too.

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Photos

Suspended above the reservoir
The cable car stopped for a couple of minutes here!

Comments

[Kaff]

Buddha's got no chance