Day 15
We've made a reservation for dinner buffet tonight at The Regal Kowloon, using dad's vouchers for The Regal Club. So we try and limit our food intake today.
It's tough though, as we head to the A1 Bakery for 1 item and come out with 4; cheese twist, choc croissant, backberry scone and cranberry and custard danish, plus drinks. Quick free.gov.wifi update on the steps outside the Town Hall before making our way to the Hong Kong Heritage Museum in Shatin. Luckily most of the route is through shopping plazas. Travelling exhibition "Picasso-Masterpieces from Musee National Picasso, Paris" is here from May till 22 July. Disappointingly for us, all tickets are sold out for the rest of our stay, so we miss out on a once in a lifetime opportunity to see 55 of his original pieces. C'est la vie. Money raised from the tour will fund renovations in Paris (source-Sharon).
At Shatin Park, I head to the bike kiosk to find out about hiring; $80 (£6.50) a day or $30/ hour. They open at 9 so maybe something to do at the weekend although the guide books do not recommend it as the cycle paths will be heaving. There's a designated path all the way to Plover Reservoir, about 11 miles and we have done it before but I am reminded that it was before Su-Yin had arthritis, Kai had knee surgery and I was probably a couple of stone lighter, so it's a maybe.
We meet dad for the #87D heading for Hung Hom and get off at Nathan Road near the infamous Chunking Mansions. Kai is accosted 5 times within a few footsteps. Does he really look like he's interested in a tailored suit/shirt/rolex/handbag? He is not amused. Su- Yin and I barely notice the sales talk and I even stop to take a picture of the entrance. I realise it's still a bit of a trek to the hotel, so we grab a taxi. Well worth $20(£1.60) min fee. The Regal Kowloon looks more majestic than the Regal Riverside but lobbies can be very deceptive! They all come with sparkling chandeliers. The buffet at the Cafe Allegro meets our expectations. Dad immediately heads for the seafood; crabs legs as long as your forearm and other crustaceans and molluscs I couldn't even begin to describe. Every table comes with sharp scissors to cut into whatever. Less messy and dangerous than smashing with a hammer. The table next to us have had at least 3 platefuls, each, of seafood. They are no different to
the other tables. Where do all those monster crab legs come from, night after night?
Drinks are $50(£4.25) for "All you can drink" beer AND it's "buy one get one free" so 2 people drink all the beer they can. Soft drinks same deal for $30.
The desserts are something else. There's even bread and butter pudding with vanilla sauce plus all the little individual dishes, rainbow tower of coloured macaroons, chocolate fountain, fruit, italian desserts, chinese desserts, ice creams and Kai starts a trend when he asks for a pancake. Well there was a bare griddle and batter mix there. Bees to a honeypot.
We finally succumb. Kai doesn't think he has ever eaten as much in his life as he has the past 2 weeks. Can we really face a boat trip tomorrow?
Out of the hotel and straight into a red taxi to take us to Hung Hom station. Dad immediately starts a very animated conversation with the driver. Turns out the driver asked dad "How old" his wife was?? Not quite sure how to respond to that!!
Hung Hom is the East Rail train terminus( looks like a swanky new airport) and links to mainland China. We are first on the bus so get our favoured seats; upper deck, front row. Annoyingly/amusingly some person (adult) plays a noisy video game for the 45 minute journey complete with ping ping/ birdy cheeps/ ting ting effects.
It's 2230 and people are still jogging/ walking/ flailing around the Ma On Shan floodlight athletics track.
Time for us to get to bed if we're going to make a 10.00 start tomorrow.