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It seems like just as we're finding our feet here, off we go again. It's been close to 30 degrees at times, so we've taken in the sites while dashing from air con to air-con to cool down. Also, we had our final supper with everyone on the tour. It was sad to say goodbye - we've been really lucky with the group. I think Jenny, our tour leader, had her hands full, so hopefully she'll enjoy the rest now!
We took the Peak tram up to Victoria Peak and the view would have been amazing were it not for the smog! Temple Street night Market was a good place to spend the evening as there's lots of places to eat as well as lots of bargaining to be done if you're so inclined. We'd read that Yuen Po Street Bird Garden was an interesting place to see lots of small birds being paraded around by men.... and that's exactly what it was. How queer!. There were small gatherings of guys, their bird cages hung up for all to see, all perusing each others birds in appreciation! Some men were literally just walking up and down brandishing their cages at anyone who was interested. The whole thing would have been quite upsetting to see (as the cages were very small) had it not been for the new friend we met in the shape of Lai Shing Fat. He appeared out of nowhere with a parakeet on a stick and was quite happy for us to take photos of them both, in fact he insisted we held the stick and made sure we had the correct lighting for our photos too!
The Avenue of Stars down by the harbour was good too. We watched the Syphony of Lights which is on every night at 8pm - for free. It was uber cheesy but we enjoyed it all the more for the 'Oohs' and 'Aahs' that were eminating from all around. It wasn't that good.
The award for most overwhelming meal probably went to 'Maxim's Palace' in City Hall. A Lonely Planet recommendation, what they don't tell you is that when you arrive, three ladies with trollies full of dim sum will descend on you and start waving plates at you, shouting words you can't understand. They don't seem to go away until you get something off their trolley. We soon realised this was going to be expensive if we didn't stand our ground, so bravely declined all further offers. They were actually just doing their job really well and making sure we didn't go hungry, but terror and good digestion don't really go hand in hand. Would definitely go back now that we know how to 'play the game'.
Well that's it for China and Hong Kong. We've really enjoyed ourselves here and it's been a good experience travelling with others, if only to give Rob a rest from his role as my main carer. Hong Kong was a good place to finish as it feels a lot calmer that Beijing, so I think we did things the right way round. The Great Wall and travelling through the forest have been highlights for me. Hope you've enjoyed reading! Catch up with you in Australia.
Just read that it's raining in Sydney.....
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