Blogs from Hong Kong, Asia - page 362

HK exceeded my expectations. It was so easy to get around (especially with a Octopus card - HK version of our Oyster card) - buses, trams, underground, overground (wombling free!!), and ferries all easy to use. I had a list of all the places I wanted to get to and 9 days was only just the right amount, then the rain hampered me and I really could have done with at least another 2 - 3 days there. If you think HK is just high rises and shops - noooo way!!! The main parts of HK are high rises and shops, but hop on a train and in 15 minutes you can be in the suburbs and very much a local way of life. If anyone comes here, I strongly advise you leave some time for ... read more

The cooler temperatures have been a source of relief. Mom didn't quite enjoy Bangkok as the 30 degree heat + humidity was a bit much for her. We made the best of our last day in Bangkok by going to a weekend market that was monstreous. I think with 15 000 stalls you could go without seeing the light of day for quite some time. We shopped until we left with empty wallets. Now that we're back in Hong Kong we're catching up with family and friends. We went to visit my grandfather's grave on the Kowloon side. He's buried in a christian cemetary so its permanent - or so I thought. I've heard that if someone doesn't visit your grave within three years they'll remove the tombstone and soon enough they'll dig you up even ... read more

I love Hong Kong! Sure the streets are crowded enough to make one clausterphobic when crossing an intersection and there are strange smells wafting up from the streets but its great. The food here is fantastic and the Chinese sure do love to eat. From morning to late late evening there are always plenty of restaurants and stalls open to cater to any taste. The HK seem to be especially fond of tripe and tendon noodle soup (mm... tasty). Mom has gotten ahold of old friends in Hong Kong and they've taken us touring around and also taken us out for food. Yesterday, we went to the New Territories - an area roughly northwest of Kowloon. This area is supposed to be farm land (it was back in my mom's day) but now,people live in apartments. ... read more

Hong Kong Sevens Now that we had had a practice run at the Manila 10s, we felt sure that we were ready to take the infamous Sevens by storm. This weekend rates as one of the best in my life. We had absolutely perfect weather, not a cloud in the sky. Stashing hipflasks down our pants and applying our most innocent expressions (Kate means pure) we waltzed into the stadium grounds unscathed. It was only 9.30am but already the crowd was building. We scanned the area and headed straight for the most festive area, the South Stand. The South Stand is famous amongst rugby heads and other Seven’s supporters like ourselves. It is where all the madness begins, and the tournament would not be the same without it. We quickly located a group of fun loving ... read more

So what did we do here? If you read the previous post you know we traveled on escalators... Hong Kong park and its zoo are great. The skycrapers are amazing. Their architects are doing a great job. My favourite was China bank tower - you'll get a picture when I get a chance to load one. We climbed to the Victoria Peak - a famous place but for no reason. The view on HK from Kowloon (the other side of the bay) is much more impressive. We wandered in the markets of Kowloon, that are nice (I like Bangkok weekend market better, though). We went to the small towns in the south of the island. It was amazing that they have skycrapers there as well - in fact they have them everywhere, probably they must if ... read more