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Emma's Travels
It's now Friday 2nd June and I've been in Hong Kong 2 days already, time does fly! It has done nothing but rain, but I'm not letting that dampen my spirits. I slept most of yesterday, I knew that would happen as I have been really tired in the week leading up to this and then basically losing a day, as we are 7 hours ahead. Tracey I got the hotels mixed up, the swimming pool and massage treatments aren't until I get to Bangkok, so I haven't had my pamper session yet.
Have just completed a half day tour of Hong Kong Island, saw the floating Jumbo restaurant, which doesn't actually float anymore due to there not being as much water, apparently!, well there has been alot of water around the last 2 days! Went on a small tugboat and toured around the Aberdeen Harbour and saw all the boats that the elderly people still live on, very bizarre!
Unfortunately because of the weather we couldn't go all the way up to Victoria Peak, so we stopped midway. The views were quite misty, so that was a real shame, never mind, maybe it will lift before I go so I can go back and get some really good piccies!
Went to the Dynasty Jewellery factory, lots of nice shiny things, didn't buy anything even though the assistant tried her hardest, me thinks she was on commission!
Yuka our tour guide very funny, great sense of humour and a great accent. Everyone says vely solly!
Saw the Jockey Club race track and lots and lots of tall buildings. Also went to Stanley Market where there was lots of nice clothes, etc. I'm going to wait to go to the night market and ladies market before buying anything.
Am now typing all of this in the Kangaroo Bar, the bar which Andy Young recommended I try. I have asked after the owners Rod and Jake, but they don't start until 6pm, so I will probably come back tomorrow night for a few drinkies and to say hello to them!
I can't get over how small the residential apartments are here, people live in 20 sq.metres with sometimes up to 4/5 family members! Land is very very expensive (hence all the high rise blocks) and people just can't afford anything else. They hang their washing out on either bamboo stilts or actual washing lines from their windows. The skyline is littered with washing, not very funny though in high winds and you have to go all the way to the street to collect your clothes!
Another amazing fact is that grave sites are so very expensive (because of land being very expensive) so only the rich people have their families in graveyards, everyone else rents a plot of land for the burial for around 6/7 years, the body then gets dug up and cremated, as after this time they believe the soul will have been reborne anyway, amazing!
I'm going to go looking for my name sakes avenue, I saw it on the map this morning 'Emma Ave', will have to get a piccie of that. Signing off for now, cheerio.
3/6/06 - I'm very tired today, was still awake at 4am! so have slept in until 3pm!! Went to Ladies Market this afternoon/early evening in Tung Choi Street, bought some sunglasses and a watch. Lots and lots of stalls, very busy, ladies kept calling me 'Missie' and kept saying 'come have a lookie, you want nice handbag?' Lots and lots of street side food stalls, Graham Day you would probably have a fit!
Also walked through the Fish Market, lots of aquarium stalls/shops very colourful and the weirdest thing was lots of plastic bags hanging outside the shops with little fishies in them, they looked like an OTT fairground stall!!
Thyen went down to the harbour front and watched the light show. The view was beautiful, it was now dark and the buildings were all lit up and you could see clearly across to HK Island.
Missed Rod and Jake in the Kangaroo Bar again, I don't think we are destined to meet.
I'm getting the knack of the MTR now (underground). By the way all the scaffolding here is bamboo and not metal, they swear it is just as strong, if not stronger! I have taken a piccie.
4/6/06 - Went to Lantau Island to day via ferry, weather was looking good first thing, but as the coach approached the Po Lin Monastery up the mountain we plunged right into a swirling mist! It took a while for my eyes to adjust and see anything in front of me. What a shame, I climbed all the way up to the Big Buddha statue, but mist seemed to be getting worse, so couldn't see a thing! It did add an air of mysticism, which was quite spooky!
Monastery itself very peaceful, but there was a touch of tourism about it, which I thought was a shame. I encountered my first squat toilet, very bizarre! Fortunately, I only needed a number 1!
I was peacefully enjoying my lunch in the monastery when all of a sudden I could hear Justin Timberlake, then realised it was my mobile phone! It was Mumfie! It was sooo great to hear her voice, but I was so aware that it may not be the right thing to do, sit there breaking the peace talking on a moby, so unfortunately didn't talk for long, sorry Mumfie!
Just as I was leaving to get coach back to ferry port the mist cleared for about 3 minutes, so I managed to get some great piccies of the Buddha, pity it wasn't when I was up there though!
Got back into Kowloon around 6pm, walked through Kowloon Park on way back to Hotel, very busy, probably because it's Sunday, a very family orientated day here in HK. Also popped into Temple Street market, just the same as Ladies Market so didn't stay for long, my feet were very tired and a little sore.
By the way saw a cruise ship in the harbour called 'Pisces'.
5/6/06 - Had a busy day today. Went downtown to American Express to cash in some travellers cheques into US dollars ready for trip to Vietnam, etc., went shopping in Grand Century Place, went to the beautiful Bird Garden, saw lots of 'Corrie's'! also walked through the Flower Market, very beautiful.
Saw a few landmarks which Stuart Barnes had highlighted on the map he gave me (Stuart this map has been a great help, thank you very much).
Went back to Ladies Market and tried some local delicacies from the street side food stalls, yum yum! Picked up my Malaria tablets from a very nice helpful pharmacy.
When I got back to the hotel, I settled down for my last night and watched 'Walk the Line', the film about Johnny Cash. Joaquin Pheonix and Reese Witherspoon were very good.
Off to Bangkok tomorrow.
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