Hong Kong birthday!

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Hot and sunny - first day didn't put suntan lotion on - got sunburt!
My Birthday!
Got up early (6.45!) to make it to the Mandarin Oriental to join a pink dolphin watching boat trip - though not before opening my birthday cards (thank you everyone!) and opening dave's M&M shrine to Hello Kitty (aw sweet) in an ashtray (you can picture it can't you!) The boat trip was run by a green peace type of group trying to get the pink dolphins some recognition since all the harbour reclaiming and pollution (they only live in the Hong Kong delta) has reduced them to a population of about 1000. They're apparently pink because the mud in the delta means they don't need protection from the sun. Saw some almost straight away and they really are bubble gum pink - it was quite amazing! Didn't see an on the way back so enjoyed a relaxing boat trip in the cooling sea breeze (hence the sun burn). Got lunch at can-teen in exchange square - not fantastic but quite funky and got to see the peking ducks hung up by their necks - nice.
Met Jo and Kath and tour guide Dave took us on the lonely planet walking tour of the skyscrapers of Central. Went up to the viewing gallery of the Bank of China tower for fantastic views - including my favourite skyscraper the International Finance Centre designed by Pelli. The Bank of China is definitely the funkiest though and Dave's favourite - designed by IM Pai it reduces by a triangular quarter every 100 floors or so (alhough that's apparently very bad Feng Shui).
Walked to Hong Kong Park and walked through the opening in the circular waterall (v refreshing) and tried out the foot massage path which was lovely if you relaxed into it but Kath got a great video of Jo and Dave in great pain! Saw the first people I've seen doing tai chi as well. Walked through a really touching memorial garden for the doctors and nurses who died during the SARS epidemic about 3 years ago. The aviary closed at 5 but relived our childhood with a visit to the toy bus/plane/digger. Finished with a visit to St George's church and HSBC. HSBC closed at 4.30 but we visited the outside. It's not as tall but very Feng Shui with a 'windy' walkway under the glass underbelly - designed by Norman Foster and built by Arup woohoo! There are two lions at the front called Steven and Schmidt after employees when the first HSBC on the site was built and you can still see bullet holes in them from when the Japanese used them as target practice.
Before our tour we went up the world's longest escalator which takes 20 minutes and walked back down (don't say anything - it was fun honest!) Hong Kong is the only city crazy enough to build an escalator from the business district Central all the way up a hill to the suburbs in the Midlevels. It goes through Lan Kwai Fong and Soho - where there's lots of international restaurants and bars so we chose our destination for dinner on this trip and went there (Peak bar and cafe) for dinner (pizza :o)). Jo and Kath bought me a cake (:oD) and we wandered back to Wai Chai.
Wan Chai's seediness does have its upside - wednesday night is ladies night which meant free drinks - much to dave's annoyance even though we shared the bill so his drinks were quarter price too! Went to venue near the Wharney for cocktails but were a little freaked out by the lecherous men and the free gift mini vibrators so we got a couple of beers and went to watch Rockstar INXS (pop idol to become the new singer for INXS after Michael Hutchins death - better than it sounds!) in our room. Had our first taste of the typhoon over Taiwan with a little thunder and lightning storm.

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