Hong Kong - 10-14 December

Tuesday -  the plan was to do some sightseeing and go to the Peak on the tram. After breakfast at a local cafe we caught the MTR into Hong Kong station and walked across to Central.  I found that my old Octopus Card still worked and better still had $HK200 or so loaded on it. Kemmy's card (borrowed from his mother) had some value on it as well.  We walked from Central to the Peak Tram and since we has Octopus cards we did not have to line up to buy tickets.  The ride up was pretty spectacular.  Sure it was vey hazy but Kenny seemed to enjoy it.  Up the top we wandered around taking photos and looking through the tourist shops. We bought some tacky souveniers and then. Kenny saw the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurant.  Named after Forest Gump, the movie, Kenny convinced me we should have lunch there.  Well, it was only 12.00 noon and we only finished breakfast at 9.30, but why not. So I made a booking for 2 PM.  We wandered are undo the peak for 2 hours, took photos and window shopped.  Back to Bubba Gump where Shrimp (what we Aussies call prawns) was king of the menu.  So that's what we got.  I ordered a Coronarita. That was a big mistake as it consisted of a large glass of margarita and a corona beer sitting upside down in the glass.  It must have held 5 standard drinks because I was sure woozy afterwards.  We had a window table looking over towards the city.  After lunch, which lasted nearly 2 hours, I had to return to the hotel for a snooze.  Actually I slept for nearly 2 hours.  While I was sleeping Kenny wandered around Tsuen Wan.  That night we did not feel like much dinner so we just had Mos Burger.    

Wednesday was what I really wanted to do, to go to Lantau Island: visit the Po Lin Monastery, and have their beautiful vegetarian lunch.  We took the MTR out to Tung Chung and took the cable car to the top.  We got a crystal cable car which meant the car had a glass floor.  It was a beautiful ride up to the top.  Here are some photos. 

Up the top we wandered around Nayong 360 village.  This is a completely tourist creation, but it's so well done you feel right at home. We visited a tea shop and the lady there was demonstrating how to brew and serve flower tea. I was immediately taken, it was such a beautiful tea to drink.  So I bought a flower tea set. Then we visited the big Buddha.  We climbed to the top and looked around.  It's an amazing statue and many Chirnese people were kneeling saying prayers both up the top and down the bottom.  If you find yourself in a Hong Kong be sure to visit the Big Buddha.  More pictures:

After this we had lunch at the Po Lin Monastery restaurant.  This is another must do.  The meal is amazingly delicious and it's all vegetarian. Unfortunately for Kenny some  of the dishes had mushroom in them. But he was able to avoid them. (He is allergic to mushrooms.) we walked around the monastery, but unfortunately much of it was closed to to renovations.  I made a small donation to the building fund and we watched the devotees burn insence and pray.  After that we headed back down on the cable car and back to Tsuen Wan.  That evening we went to the Jordan night markets. I was disappointed as they sold mainly tacky stuff.  Plus no food like they have at Taiwanese night markets.  Kenny told me I was in a bad mood.  He was probably right. Don't get me wrong, I like Hong Kong.  But it isn't Taiwan, which I love.  Maybe I was just missing my friend and Taiwan.  And maybe I was also missing home and my wife Nilda.  It had been 5 weeks since I left and a week in Hong Kong seemed just too long for me.  Kenny decided I was useless and selected a restaurant near the night markets.  I had a nice mild curry (and that tested my stomach which still gave me grief every now and then) and Kenny some chicken.  We caught the MTR back to the hotel and I fell asleep while Kenny was watching the national Geographic Channel.

Thursday was shopping time.  I had promised we would go to Shenzen and the IT mall.   So after breakfast at the hotel we caught to MTR out to Lo Wu and crossed the border into the special economic zone of Shensen, PRC.  After some initial confusion we sorted out their metro system and caught the train to the SEG centre.  Wow!! 10'floors of IT stuff.  We bought up big on gifts and stuff for ourselves.  We bought bluetooth speakers, iPad cases, computer stuff and lots more.  We also bought some more luggage.  I bought a roll along backpack and Kenny a really good backpack.  We got them both for less than $50. We probably could have done a little better with the bargaining, but who cares. I reaction we got a good deal for the price compared to what a similar product would cost back home and the shop owner probably thought he did better than normal. I knew they were genuine reproductions as well.  So everyone was a winner.  I another we bought 3 Bluetooth speakers at one place. They quoted 270 Yuan for them and I  just bargained very lightly. The sound quality was not too bad and at only 250 yuan I thought good value.  As we walked away the shop keeper was obviously happy at not having to be bargained down very much as he had a big smile on his face.  Sure I probably could have got them for under 200 Yuan, but who cares. We returned to the border and Kenny bought some 'genuine' Ray Bahns for Alfred and agift for his mother.  That night we had dinner at the Dim Sum restaurant we are at on Monday night.  

Friday we decided to go to Stanley for a look around.  I like Stanley. It is a seaside town with markets and cafés and restaurants. We caught the bus from Central to Stanley and when we arrived there was a Tesla demonstration. Here's a few photos of Kenny looking at the car.  After that we wandered around the market area. I didn't buy anything though as I was worried about packing it all into our bags.  I have plenty of baggage allowance but with a bike another bag would be just too unwieldy.  We then had lunch at a cafe and after some more strolling around decided it was time to head back to Tsuen Wan.  This is where I found that I had lost my Octopus Card.  When I got back to the MTR station I bought another and headed back to the hotel. I had a nap and Kenny wandered around the local shopping malls.  That night we had dinner at Melissa's Seafood and steakhouse restaurant and it was a lovely meal.  Then we set off in search of an iPad for Alfred's Xmas present.  It took some finding I can tell you as we were after a specific one - a 32 gig retina display mini iPad. Just as I was ready to give up, this is the most popular model apparently, we found a shop that had one.  I handed over my card and we finally had one.  

Now Mr Laszlo Montgomery of the China History Podcast was in town. And I had arranged to meet him for lunch on the Saturday. We met Laszlo and his friend at the Peninsula Hotel.  We decided to have lunch at the Peninsula.  Laszlo is an amazing guy.  He has worked in China for nearly 3 decades and he really knows the place.  It was a real pleasure and honour to meet up with him. I have been trying to convince him for some time to come to Australia.  Maybe in 2014 he said.  I hope he can come and I will show him around Canberra and some local sites with a Chinese history flavour.  Like the  museum at Young where the infamous Lambing Creek massacre took place.  If you want to get a flavour of the canvas of Chinese history have a listen the the China History Podcast.  You can download it from iTunes. Laszlo is well over the 100 episodes now.  I can tell you it's a great podcast.  My Chinese friends are always impressed by my knowledge of Chinese history and it's all because of Laszlo. All I have to do it turn on the play button of my iPhone or iPad and he does all the work.  

That afternoon we went out to the airport and checked in. The Qantas club beckoned and I had a shower and change of clothes before boarding the plane. So did Kenny. A G&T or two and before long we were called for the flight.  It was an uneventful flight. I can hardly ever sleep on a plane and this was no different.  I talked to the couple next to me a little and they were travelling to Wollongong for their daughter's graduation.  I told them that I had also gone to Wollongong University and that their daughter had a good degree from a very good university and that they should be very proud. That made them very happy.  Again, I am sooo smooth.  We touched down on time at Sydney and after getting through immigration and customs, transferred to the domestic terminal.  Another shower at the Qanntas club and then the flight to Canberra. Just as we were about to taxi out I saw our bikes. Being carried away from the plane. Kenny got worried.  Hey, that's great I told him.  Now we don't have to worry about finding a taxi van big enough to take them home. Qantas will put them on a later plane and courier them to our house. Which was exactly what happened.  We arrived home just after midday.  I was pretty tired, but relieved to be back home again.