Sunday January 28, 2007: Hong Kong
It was a long hot flight through to Hong Kong, the cabin was not cooled down “overnight” as is normal. Progressed through Customs with ease and found the airport bus to our hotel.
We also purchased MTR Octopus cards for use in our three days plus one trip to the airport. HK$220 each. The bus ride cost HK$100 and took about 45 minutes. We got to our hotel, The Charterhouse, in Wan Chai at 11:15 which is the equivalent of 4:15 NZ. After checking in it was straight to sleep.
The morning was clear and sunny, and the day ranged from 13 to 18 degrees. We headed straight for the Victoria Peak tram via a MTR from Causeway Bay station to Central. For some reason our passes wouldn’t let us out of the station and we had to call a guard for assistance, but after that there were no problems with the passes at all. The ride up & back cost HK33. It is an impressive ride up at very steep angles. The view from the top was stunning.
We then went for a walk around the hill which gave us views all around Hong Kong Island and views over to the mainland. After the descent down we wandered around central and had lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant, Nah Trang, costing only HK122 for a main and a beer each it was an excellent meal.
Refreshed we finally made it to the escalators to the Mid-levels. In morning peak they go downwards but for the rest of the day they head upwards. Traveling close to apartments and shops gave us another view of HK life.
One noticeable thing was the mass number of foreign ‘servants’, the imported labour, the Phillipinos, Indians etc who congregated in spaces. Sitting on cardboard boxes, eating chatting and playing cards etc, this was their day off and meet up time. We took the Star ferry across to Kowloon and walked around the harbour front and along the avenue of stars. It was a popular walking spot with the locals.
We finally stopped and had a very expensive coffee, about NZ$10 each, but it what we needed so the exorbitant price wasn’t so important. We walked back past the peninsula hotel and saw a number of the new fleet of 16 Rolls Royce’s the hotel had recently acquired.
At 6:30 we went out into the Wan Chai area and it was buzzing with people everywhere, still shopping. We found a Chinese restaurant near our Hotel called the Orchid and had a pleasant meal, although overpriced compared to lunch.
The next day we were on the road reasonably early and took the MTR in rush hour – very packed – to get the 9:30 TurboJet to Macau. Very smooth with a lot of activity on the water. Immediately in view were the brash, OTT Casino buildings. We cleared customs and got bus #3 to the old town $2.50 p.p.
The square had display of statues for the Beijing Olympics – some were impressive viewing. Walked through streets to the façade of the ruined church of St. Paul.
Then up the hill to the Mount Fortress with its approximately 30 canons dotted around the ramparts. There were good views over the city showing major contrasts and lots of new development. Some tired accommodations, and much new construction underway – lots of bamboo scaffolding. Saw ladies weeding the glass almost with magnifying glasses.
We walked back through the city streets, lots of European building flavour, but never any doubt you are in Asia. There were plenty of watch and jewelry shops.
We returned to Hong Kong on the Hydrofoil, which was quite loud and not noticeably faster. Back in Hong Kong went to British airways to endorse tickets for changes due to BA airways strike. No problem. Went IFC mall attached to Hong Kong’s tallest building and the airport express check-in and train terminal. Had a beer in a bar then came back to Causeway Bay.
On way back to hotel went to the New Zealand focus store, selling ice-cream, wines, meat, cosmetics and other NZ products. Great store showcasing NZ and reasonable prices. Excellent ice-cream. The length of the MTR trains were quite amazing. Open carriages seemed to stretch on forever. The stations are pristine and very well ordered. Went out to a Thai restaurant next door to our hotel and had a pleasant meal