Blogs from Hong Kong, Asia - page 357

When I met my friends at the ICF Building at 11am last Sunday (actually 11:15am—husband couldn’t find his swimming trunks), the question was simple: expensive seafood, nice beach/cheap seafood, unknown beach. Decision: Cheng Chau. Though no one had made it past the below-cost garlic squid on our selected island destination, the light-on-the-wallet refreshment was a venerable reward for risking the Cheng Chau beach. We boarded the appropriate ferry and were fortunately forced into the middle seats. No easy harbor-view, but no green faces either. Upon arriving at Cheng Chau, we skirted the menu-toting restaurant-walas, and followed the smell of shrimp paste. Within 5 minutes, the beach was in sight. Ok, so the obviously human-made sand was hot enough to roast a whole chicken, and no person was permitted to exceed his or her 4x4 allocation of ... read more

Jo and Kath moved to the Silvermine Hotel on Lantau yesterday so we made today our explore Lantau day. Met them at the ferry port at Mui Wo in the morning and it was chucking it down so we bought some cool old style english gentleman umbrellas that we're now going to have to carry round the world - they are ace but far too big! We caught the bus up to the Ngung Ping monastery to see the Tian Tan Buddha. The island's beautiful - covered in forest and hills and little sandy bays. The 30m high Buddha sits on top of a hill and in the pouring rain, with the mist rolling around it, looked very spiritual and atmospheric. It wasn't really worth the HK$60 to go inside unless you're Buddhist - you feel ... read more

Mmm had a lie in. Hot and sunny - no rain - the weather forecast lies. Dave got his photos put on CD on Lockhart Road. Met Jo and Kath and went to see the inside of HSBC - I'm sure they thought we were casing the joint with all the photos we took! Then returned to Lan Kwai Fong for vietnamese in a scary little place where they took us upstairs in a lift - it looked like a bit of a dive but it was packed with locals for a good reason! - and XTC on ice ice cream (if only we'd got a loyalty card sooner!) Finally got to go on a star ferry - apparently you haven't done hong kong if you haven't done this but it was all that - we ... read more

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 ... read more

Taxi to the bus station. Bye bye Fred see you in a couple of years. Plane. Hong Kong. Hi Dave. Cool shuttle train with TV's in the back of the seats. Octopus card (prepay card like an oyster card for the tube). Ace. We're staying in the very swish Wharney Hotel, Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, which appears to be in the centre of the red light district but in a non-threatening, lots of normal bars and restaurants, kind of way. Think it's just the ex pat hang out. Met up with two of dave's friends from MET, jo and kath, and went and had a mini banquet at La Fian, Pork Dumplings on the street behind our hotel. Very nice classic dishes although my chopsticks pride came before several falls! Went on to Joe Bananas (B-A-N-A-N-A-S!) ... read more