Wednesday 11th May
The day was about to start with an early morning walk. Think again Nicko, message that a server was down, several phone calls, emails and chat sessions later, all is resolved. What a way to start!
So then the walk – down Nathan St to the harbour. Actually, it starts uphill first – tricked me for a while, so added a few blocks to the walk. Not the best in hot and steamy weather.
Along the way I ran into a cat:
Down at the harbour is the Art Centre, including a steel ice cream cone (well to my jaundiced eye anyway)
Note the portable tree in the foreground.
These are scattered all around the grounds.
Now the locals are an inventive lot. So the fake grass can be made to serve other purposes:
Finally sweated my way to the harbour, knowing full well I had a long and even sweatier walk back up the hill.
And also to run the gamut of the pushy ‘Custom Tailor’ shills, and the watch salesmen who sidle up, point to their wrists and whisper ‘Rolex’. A simple shake of the head gets them to slink away, whereas the shills require a boat hook and a sledge hammer to get rid of them.
Still the walk was well worth it.
Afternoon was a guided tour of Hong Kong. After a pickup in a mini bus, we eventually transferred to a coach, but quite a wait was involved.
First stop was the Peak Tram. It climbs the mountain at an alarming angle, but great views. One of the poor hovels on the hillside had three Porsches parked in the carport.
Finally at the top, the view is magnificent.
Rather than the tram, the descent down was in a coach on a steep and windy road . Now this is an interesting ride in its own right. However when you meet a concrete truck coming the other way it becomes more interesting still. Bottom line – they don’t really fit. Took 5 minutes of backing and filling to finally pass. The scenario was later repeated with another coach.
On to Aberdeen fishing village. At least that’s what the brochure said. It was a wharf with an ‘optional extra’ sampan ride or sit on the wharf for 30 mins. Another $60 down the tube.
Some interesting boats on the ride though:
As my mother would have put it ‘After the lord Mayor comes the dust cart’
Finally on to Stanley markets. Annie nearly bought a purse:
Back at the hotel after 8pm- no air conditioning, no power – just the lights.
After the trip back I have revised my opinion of Hong Kong traffic – it can be heavy. And the system seems to be might is right – the bigger the bus, the more rights you have.
The guide said, ‘there are a lot less accidents than on the mainland. We obey rules, they don’t know how to’
From past experience, on the mainland, one of our guides said ‘There are no rules, just suggestions and recommendations’
China last year had an estimated 250,000 road fatalities.