Markets, Food, Markets, Food, Friendly People

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Arrived at about 9am and a bit dazed and confused. Trying to locate a shuttle bus to our hotel got us even more confused, but we eventually made it to Hong Kong at about 11am, once booked into our room we discovered the hotel was undergoing a serious make over and there was not much chance of catching a nap with the jack hammers pounding away.

Instead we freshened up and decided to go in search of something to eat. There were a few restaurants close to the hotel but they looked very sterile. We noticed a market that had lots of fresh produce and a sign "cooked food upstairs" so we went to take a look. The second floor was crowded with local people eating various types of noodles with chicken, pork, etc. The place was noisy and crowded, a good sign, but all the blackboard menus at the stalls were only in Chinese so we had no idea what was on offer. Two very friendly women asked if we needed some help and invited us to join them at their table. They explained what some of the food on offer was and helped us order. We chatted with them over lunch and found out they were working as volunteers at the Médicien Sans Frontiers office across the street. They were two very happy, helpful ladies who we had a good laugh with over lunch.

Once we were partially re-energised we met up with Al and Melissa and took in some of the markets. The ferry ride to Kowloon was enjoyable. Then once in Kowloon we were immersed in commercialism big time. I lost count of how many people of Indian origin asked if I wanted watches, suits, jewelry etc. and that was before making it to the markets. Then it was a barrage of offers of fake designer handbags or anything else your heart may desire. By the end of the day my only purchase was a green tea with mango juice! How easy it is to have simple tastes.

Made our way to the harbor front near the Cultural Centre and marked out our little bit of territory to watch the laser light and music show we had been told not to miss. Got chatting to two Malaysian girls sitting next to us on the garden wall. They were visiting Hong Kong for a week and told us everything they knew about Australia. It's funny to get other peoples perspective of our country when we ourselves are traveling. The vision that people have is generally of white sandy beaches and lots of wildlife. Not far from the truth if you ignore our ever growing cities and bustling traffic.

The show was not bad, all the buildings putting on a light display with some co-ordinated music. Certainly a lovely harbor and very busy with commercial and pleasure craft. A huge cruise ship slowly made its way up the harbor during the show and some of the junks which were lit up gave the place an interesting atmosphere. A very busy waterway indeed.

After the show we indulged in a Chinese banquet meal, with some Argentinean wine to wash it down. The service was great, the food definitely interesting with a lot of fresh seafood. The waitress even suggested we may have been a bit ambitious with our order and suggested we cut back on a few dishes, she was right! A reasonably priced meal which left us very satisfied.

After dinner we took a train to another market area. Al and I sat at a street side eatery and had a few beers; Al had some seafood absolutely drenched in garlic. In fact I am sure it had so much garlic you could smell it back in Sydney. It had my eyes watering! While the girls shopped we watched the passing parade, we popped into the "Blue Girl Bar" for a drink (it's a brand of beer not an indication that the girls in the bar are blue). Even though the bar is named after a Hong Kong beer they were having a promotion for San Miguel and we found ourselves very quickly drinking 6 bottles of San Miguel, while the promotion girl kept topping up our glasses. The San Miguel girl told us that she had been to school for a few years at a boarding school in Armidale, but her education had not had much impact on her because she said she was much more interested in drinking and parties than contemplating a further education - each to their own I guess.

26th October 2007 - Stanley

Our flight back home was not until about midnight, so Lorenza and I wanted to make the most of our last day in Hong Kong. Despite a late night we decided to get an early breakfast and head to Stanley.

For the second time in our short stay in Hong Kong we were surprised by how helpful some of the local people are. We got some directions at the hotel how to get to a bus stop for Stanley and set out in that direction. We must have looked very lost and were approached by a woman who asked if we needed some help. She actually walked with us to the bus stop, which was a bit confusing to find, chatting with us along the way about life in Hong Kong. She had no problem going out of her way to help us and we really appreciated the fact that she did.

There are not that many places in the world were people approach you offering help before you even ask. That really is a credit to the people of Hong Kong and surprised me a lot.

Once we found out that the bus took about 45 minutes to get to Stanley we opted for a taxi. The ride to was interesting, not bad scenery along the beaches and Hong Kong taxi drivers are courteous and try to be helpful (Bangkok cabbies should take some lessons from them). Browsed through the markets. Strolled along the beach in front of the markets and had a relaxing lunch and some beers overlooking the water. Then back to the hotel and did our final packing, freshened up a bit and took a cab to the airport. Again a pleasant taxi driver who helped with our luggage and got us a trolley to carry the bags. You remember little things like that and they make you feel like you could revisit the place anytime.

On the plane I made a mental note that when traveling with other people there is not much point in trying to plan things together, it's better just to go do what you want, when you want, even if that does seem a bit rude.

Our only previous experience with travel partners has been a short tour in Vietnam and also a trip to Europe with one of my Uncles. Both times the situation was different. The tour was 10 days and more structured so not many joint decisions had to be made. The travel with my Uncle was easy enough because he was very independent and knew what he wanted to do and see - he just went and did it. Five weeks is a long time to spend with another couple and while we had no arguments or major disagreements Lorenza and I both agreed that we would probably not plan to do this again.

27th October 2007 - Back in Sydney

Arrived back in Sydney about 11am. Got the local shuttle bus back home and arrived here at about 2pm. Tired, sore ears because they blocked up when landing and happy to see my own bed for a change. Went and collected the dogs from the kennel and relaxed, trying not to think about going back to work.

I could easily just keep on traveling until the end of my days. The only problem being money and time. It's a bit of a Catch 22, when you have the time it's hard to find the money, when you have the money it's hard to find the time. Mmm, I must find the solution to that one day soon!

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Comments

[Chi]

I miss Hong Kong! :) Have a nice trip! :)

[Sharing the Journey]

Trip!
Looks like you had a great time. Keep the blogs coming and having fun!