Days in Hong Kong and Kyloon

Monday February 22nd


There was no delay in getting ashore here and we set off from the ship at about 10 am yesterday. We are berthed right next to a huge shopping mall so we have to walk through it to exchange money and get the ferry to Hong Kong island. It takes a few minutes to work out the token machines for the ferry but they are so frequent that in no time we were sitting on the slatted wooden benches and riding over to HK island.


We guided Liz and Audrey that far and then took off walkinng into the middle of the Hong Kong banking and luxury shopping district. We headed always uphill towards the Peak Tram, our final destination being Victoria peak. We called in to St John's Anglican church on the way up and watched the Chinese ministers start the opening ceremony of Sunday matins. When one of them read the liturgy his accent was straight out of Oxford or the BBC. Many many more people speak English in Hong Kong than in mainland China....because as one of the other Profs said to George it is "an ex-colony of your ex-country!"


On Sundays all the thousands of Phillipino nannies and maids have their day off and they congregate in down town HK near the Banking Centre. They make up about 3% of the total population. We saw as many if not more Phillipino faces than Chinese.


We finally reached the Peak tram station and queued for about twent minutes before reaching the two carriage tram. The ascent feels perilous and the skyscrapers on each side seem to be standing at angles, almost falling over, but it is dramatic and wide sweeping and ultimately from the top all of Hong Kong lies below, reduced to copeable dimensions. There is a contained feeling as you walk around up there: sky above you, crowds more spread out so that walking doesn't become a battle of shoulders and body thumps as it does slowly manoevering the streets and markets in the central city.



We walked and relished the view and had an easy snack lunch before taking the tram down again and making our way back to the ship through the Sunday crowds. It had remained cloudy but no rain. i was pretty tired after the days up hill activities and we chose to eat a Vietnamese supper in the port terminal.



Here is our personal meu for Sally who must be growing skeletal on vicarious meals! I had a delicious spiced beef soup with noodles...a huge bowl which should have been the meal in itself but I had ordered a Sizzling Saigon Omelette(!!) to follow: George had a plate of large suchi-like rolls followed by pork breast slow boiled in coconut milk! It was all quite delicious Sal but we staggered back to the ship feeling as though we should take a ten mile walk to shake it all down. I had green tea and George a couple of beers.



I am now writing at 6.30 am on Tuesday morning Fenruary 23rd.



Yesterday George and I relaxed in our cabin until about 11 am. It was a miserable looking day and we intended to stay on Kyloon and make our way to the Jade market. There's something very luxurious about having a home base on board so close to everything. Many of our interior mainland China explorers returned tired and happy to the ship and it lost its peaceful spacious feeling very quickly.



The walk to the market is very Chinese, unlike the western look and feel of Hong Kong but it is more open because the buildings aren't as tall and the shops far less elegant and more colourful. i wanted to go to the jade market...not far said George who was studying maps. i had a cold and was dragging somewhat so after walking what felt like miles I suggested a cab. Those of you who know him will know that if it is possible to get there any other way G. will not hail a cab. Oh come on he repeated it really isn't far. I was beginning to slow him down so we opted for the subway. It's only one station said G. meaning it's hardly worth it. It was only one station but it was a really long ride to it! Then of course he had to figure out where we were and we walked another mile or so to find it.

When we did it was a reveation. I have never seen so much jade in one place: it was not unlike the flea market on Hwy 5 where Beryl has her stall but all jade! Buried among the myriad of Buddhas was a small, fat, smiling cream coloured one. It was love at first sight and I had the joy of bargaining for it. She accepted my much, much lower price far too easily so I may have paid too much but he was exactly the man for me....and how often can one say that? I also wanted a heavy and very cheap carved pendant. George was sitting in a chair he chanced upon looking bored stiff and I thought I had better step up the pace. I saw one hanging up and thought it was beautiful but probably too expensive which the seller confirmed. Thinking there may be no point in haggling I turned away shaking my head vigorously. She grabbed my arm with her calculator and said 'you put your number' and I knocked off about 75%. She came up with a still too high figure, I went up about 1% and she finally met me only 5% or so higher. I am very thrilled because a woman on board who knows jade held it up to the light and said "Oh yes! see the light go through it...that's a nice piece of jade." It had taken me less than 15 minutes to make those two purchases. George was suitably flabbergasted.

We came home the same route and I collapsed on the bed exhausted when we reached the cabin. G wanted to eat out and had in fact booked a table for four at a little restaurant we had visited with Ted last year. I knew couldn't face another walk so Liz, Audie, Chris Hill (another Prof) and the two of us went to a Thai restaurant in the port terminal. We had a marvellous meal and lots of laughs....see what meditation and congenial company can do for flagging spirits.

More later.