Hong Kong January 18-20, 2007
We arrived in Hong Kong on Thursday January 18, 2007... after a very long flight. This was Mom's first trip to Hong Kong... so, it is a must to see all of the sites. We arrived in the early evening... checked into our hotel and went to bed, after 14 hours on Air Canada... sleep was all that we wanted. With only 2 full days to look around, shop, and experience the culture... we took off running.
January 19th, 2007
Our first day in Hong Kong... we did a self-guided walking tour of Kowloon in the morning. Our objectives for the day were to find sunglasses and a Sim card... not difficult objects to find in Hong Kong as it is brimming with hundreds of electronic and optical shops. We left our hotel and walked towards the harbour, past the Peninsula Hotel, and up Nathan Road. Nathan Road is also known as the Golden Mile. On every corner, there is someone asking you to buy watches, purses, or custom tailored suits. During the day, the neon isn't lit up... but Nathan Road is still an amazing site to see. Wall to wall shops, selling everything imaginable!!
In the afternoon, we took the Star Ferry across the harbour to Hong Kong Island. There are two levels on the ferry, the upper deck is considered 'First Class'. The upper deck allows visitors to have great views of the harbour and the city.
Our first stop was to find our Camera shop... since we were in Hong Kong in 2004, they have built a new terminal for the ferry, which left us totally lost. We wandered around for a little while and found a walkway that linked all of the buildings, so we walked inside and followed the signs to William's Photo Supply. If only Vancouver was as well connected, we would never have to walk outside in the rain. With our camera shop detour out of the way, we were able to start another walking tour of Hong Kong. We visited Statue Square and met up with a local man who pointed out that it is possible to have a view of the city from the Bank of China Tower. What a tip!!! Outside the Bank of China is a beautiful waterfall garden, which seems like a nice place to have a rest on a hot sunny day.
The views from the 43rd floor are spectacular... we can only imagine what it is like on a clear day!
Hong Kong Harbour Gardens behind the Bank of China Statue Square and Chatur Gardens
Next a much needed Starbucks rest for Mom and Dad... followed by more walking, lots of stairs to the pedestrian overpasses, and our first trip on the MTR. Our last stop was at Times Square.
January 20th, 2007
Our next day in Hong Kong we took a guided city tour... a good way to cover a lot of ground and get some history and background for Mom. The first stop was Man Mo Temple, built in 1847, it is dedicated to the gods. Inside the red and gold interior of the temple, smoke curls from the incese burned by the faithful.
We then proceeded to Victoria Peak, which was a huge disappointment because of the weather. Since colonial days, the Peak was the place to live in Hong Kong. Politicians and wealthy residents built their homes on the Peak to escape the summer heat and humidity. In 1888, the Peak tram was built. It was impossible to see any of the city through the fog. So, post cards will have to do.
We then moved onto Aberdeen Fishing Village. Which seemed a lot smaller to us than when we were here in 2004, our guide believes that the floating village will soon disappear as more and more children are not following in the footsteps of their parents. We took a ride in a Sampan to get a better look at the floating homes. The boat filled harbor is the center of all activity. Many of the boats that we sailed through are part-time residences for the fishermen and their families.
Views of Aberdeen Floating Village, Mom and Dad on the Sampan, and the Jumbo Floating Restaurant.
The last stop on the tour was the Stanley Market, where there are a variety of shops with souvenirs. You can buy anything that you want here from silk to luggage. The aisles are crowded with shoppers and sales people. Bartering is a must.
From here we headed back to our hotel and a quick trip to see the Temple Street Night Market. When we arrived, the market was not completely set up... but we wandered through anyway. Finally, back to our hotel to get ready for dinner with Dad's friends Patrick and Lily. We dined in the Kowloon Pacific Club, which overlooks the harbour and the Festival of Lights. The Festival of Lights is the largest nightly light show in the world. Most of the buildings have a light display that changes and laser lights from the tops of the buildings. A nice way to end our stay in Hong Kong... in the morning it is off to Shanghai.
Please send us an email at daleandheather@shaw.ca
