Mark Smalley: April 2005

Unusual colours in the sky this evening.
This shot is of the Amsterdamse Bos, close to our house.

Amsterdam from the South-East

Funny coincidence: we've flown 40000 km, driven 4000 km and walked 400 km.

Amsterdam from the North-East

London

Hong Kong, HK Island to the right.
Back to Amsterdam via London.

Twilight skyline

Star Ferry

Thursday, 7 Apr - Hong Kong
We buy a couple of souvenir items in the Salvation Army hotel shop, where the assistants phone rings with the Halleluljah Chorus ringtone.

Our last little trip is 2 MTR stops North of the hotel, to a bird market where they also sell birdfood: live grubs, grasshoppers and salamanders at $10 a bag. Then it's the flower market, not really a market but the area where all the flower shops seem to be concentrated, as the Chinese usually do. This leads us to the goldfish area and after that Ladies market. Close to this we stumble on a three story market building, mainly food, some alive, dead on in between, like a fish with the top quarter sliced off, showing the digestive system.

Some young teenage girls approach us and ask whether we'll pose with them for a photo. I assume they've mistaken me for a basketball player and don't like to spoil their day so we oblige. I can only just resist showing the peace sign alongside my smile, something lots of kids do when having their photo taken.

Speaking about resisting things, after a few days as a tourist in a new place I have to resist the urge to give other tourists unsolicited advice. Am I alone in this, I wonder.

The illusion of HK efficiency gets cracked when a drinks vending machine refuses to deliver or refund and nobody arrives with 2 minutes, having automatically been paged that a machine has malfunctioned.

Go for a haircut at Nice Hair Salon on the corner of Bowring St and Temple St. Have to wait a bit but get togged up in a gown with a piece of paper pinned on the back with my order. Young chap arrives, pleasant enough but looks unfamiliar with the equipment. It's like the unorthodox Chinese table tennis grip, I convince myself, trying to look inscrutable. This look seems to misfire, generating a "Why you look scared?"
He's a nervous kind of guy, regularly glancing out of the window as if he's expecting somebody who's collecting long overdue gambling debts.
He cuts away for ages, glancing inquisitively at me from time to time. I've dropped the inscrutable look by now and have adopted the look I use while walking and coming across other walkers. It's a cross between a smile and the grimace of somebody who's constipated. As my hair gets shorter and shorter, I wonder whether it's the custom here that the customer says when it's short enough, so I say "Looks good to me" and he prepares for landing. Takes about 35 min or so in total and costs $68, less than half what I pay at home but more than four times the price in Bangkok.

I return to Kowloon Park, where I left Marijke, who comments that this is the first time in 6 weeks that we haven't been doing anything or going anywhere. There'll be an opportunity to do some more nothing when we get back home because I imagine the idea of 1000 holiday photos and 8 hours of video will be enough to keep everyone at bay for a while.

Early evening meal is Beef breast noodle soup and BBQ pork and rice for $44 and not bad at all.

Walk down to the TST promenade for a view of the twilight skyline, briefly taking a look inside the cultural centre on the way. Mesmerising, as it slowly gets dark.

We take the same transport to the airport as coming in, the Cityflyer A21. A bus every 10 min, takes 40 min.

And then it's joy o joy, our early check-in strategy works, we ask for favourable seats and get row 71 allocated, where instead of 3-4-3 they've got 2-4-2 and we've got one of the pairs, much better for a 13 hour flight. Mind you, we checked in at 2100, 4 hours before departure (with 25 before us) but it's not too bad hanging around at HK airport. Big place, between 5 and 10 eateries, plenty of shops, prices not too bad for airport standards but the Canon S70 we looked at in town for $3800 costs $4570 here.

Costs: 5x548 + 50 + 140 = 2830 on the credit card + 3000 - 187 cash = $5643 of which:
- 2640 was lodging for 5 nights
- 3003 food and other costs for 7 days.
That's 553 euro or 92 a day (the previous destinations I've calculated on the number of nights but this was 5 nights and 7 full days so I've reckoned with 6 this time). Tasmania was 139 euro, NZ 95, Brisbane 92, Bangkok 88.

I've put some more photo's in an album on http://community.webshots.com/user/marksmalley.

Wednesday, 6 Apr - Hong Kong
Check with reception about the 1985 $100 note and am told it's still valid.

Walking towards the Museum of History (www.lcsd.gov.hk/hkmh )we see clothing sizes from S, M, L, XL to XXXXXL.

Lots of industrious school kids at the museum running around and finding the answers to questions on their forms. The museum is very well done, taking you from Stone Age to Cyber Age. And on Wednesday it's free admission.

Moving on, we ask a security lady the way to the KCR (Kowloon Canton Railway) station and she walks us through the university campus until the station's in sight. Ticket to Sha Tin in the New Territories, about 10 km from Kowloon station, costs $5.50 each, extraordinary good value. We walk 500 m to the Ten Thousand Buddha Monastery (www.10kbuddhas.org ) but take entrance to cemetery next door by mistake. Good opportunity to talk to the cemetery guard, who blames the immigrants from the mainland for making the place more dirty and thinks that the education system is too focussed on learning facts instead of learning to think. His daughter studies in the UK.

The Monastery is well worth the visit. Hundreds of life-size statues alongside the steps going up to the temple and the main building has thousands of little figures adorning the walls. Also a giftshop where we buy some stuff. Eat good Sharks fin and bamboo fungus soup and adequate Fried rice with vegetarian fish and chicken for $63 in the temple eatery.

Next stop on our walking map of Sha Tin is Snoopy's World, which we can't find but somebody points it out. Just before reaching it we drop into a branch of Marks & Spencer and a minute later I feel a tap on my shoulder "This is not Snoopy". Our 'guide' was watching whether we were going the right way.
Lots of kids in Snoopy's World and we notice that the sun's out, quite warm as well.
Sha Tin Park, alongside the Shing Mun river, is elegantly designed and well kept (our friend at the cemetery told us that the government introduced lots of low paid cleaning and sweeping jobs). . .
The Heritage Museum (www.heritagemuseum.gov.hk) has some interesting exhibitions.

We get lost looking for old Che Kung Temple but some old women playing Majong point us in the right direction and later on somebody else walks us over the road to point out the last corner. Have experienced the locals as very friendly.

The KCR and MTR take us back to town where we eat at Cafe de Coral in Harbour City for $61. BBQ duck and chicken with lettuce-like cabbage and rice, Shanghai style ribs. By the time we've finished it's dark and the Central skyline is very clear to admire. Sit and watch for at least half an hour. We also want a look from the other side looking back so take the Star Ferry for probably the 8th time by now and possibly the last time. The view isn't anything like the classic view of HK. We take the MTR back home. The various times we've taken a train, we've never had to wait for more than 2 minutes, quite amazing.

Yes, give us HK for the transport and skyline, Bangkok for food, Tasmania for the clear air and nature, NZ for the green colours and empty beaches.

Boeddha at Po Lin Monastery

Looking down on Sha Tin

Figures at Che Kung Temple

Best skyline in the world

Tuesday, 5 Apr - Hong Kong
Not only very hazy this morning but cloudy as well. Fitting weather for the grave tending public holiday.

Walking through park it occurs to me that HK would be a good place to retire, not that it would be on the cards, I suppose. It seems a safe place with plenty of peaceful parks to reflect in. And as deafness sets in, the volume of the incessant babble elsewhere would diminish.

Unfortunately Central market is closed for renovation, so that's the first part of our programme for today scuppered.

We take the escalators to mid-level for about 600 of the 800 meters. Then via Ladder St to Man Mo Temple, very misty with incense. Antiques on Cat St.

2 custard tarts, $2 each, very tasty, with a trace of coconut. Later on, lunch is a Vietnamese vegi rice paper roll and sesame chicken roll ($61) from mall close to ferries.

Fast ferry at 1340 to Lantau $31 each today, $10 dearer because of public holiday. Takes about 30 min. At 1420 bus 2 to Ngang Ping for Po Lin Monastery, $25 each (also PH price) in 30 min.

The main attraction at Po Lin is the 22 m Buddha on a hill. Hilly place Lantau, twisty roads, 1:6 grades, highest point is 934 m. We walk up the many steps to see the Buddha from up close then down again to walk around the Monastery grounds. No regrets but not one of the highlights.

Still overcast, about 23c.

Bus 23 at 1600 to Tung Chung, also $25 each, where we can catch the MTR back to the hotel. Takes 40 min. Have to break down $100 into smaller notes to pay for the 2 $17 tickets and 2 $2 ice creams from McDonalds is a painless way of doing it, bringing the cost of our Island Trip to exactly $100 or 10 euro each, not bad at all for an afternoons amusements. The train leaves at 1705 and with 1 change we at Yau Ma Tei at 1735 and 5 min later we're back 'home'.

The walking's catching up on us so we want to eat close to the hotel and do, the first place on the Nathan Road, but end up with a fairly bland Shredded pork and noodles and Assorted meat and rice for $99. The back streets have served us better.

Tendering a $100 note in a shop, it gets refused and I see that it's dated 1985, so that might be the reason.

With 2 days to go, we've still got about $1000 of the $3000 we started with.

Monday, 4 Apr - Hong Kong
Quite hazy this morning, from our window the Peak is almost invisible and the skyscrapers on Central are very vague silhouettes.

Enquire about camera prices at a couple of other shops. One starts off at 3750 for the S70, drops to 3200 when I stand up and to 3000 when I walk away. Others quote 2800, which I presume to be a representative figure. A G6 costs 3380.

Bus 260 in 30 bumpy and twisty minutes to Stanley ($10.60).

Stanley Market nothing special, too many tourists. Find place without tourists to eat. Chicken noodle soup, Roast duck, pork and rice for $43.

Bus 73 to Aberdeen ($5.60).
We get off close to where freshly caught fish are being 'dispatched' by a guy whacking them on the head with something like a cricket bat, and then loaded on lorries.
A lady selling trips on a sanpan keeps offering her services but a say we just want to walk around. The price is $60 for a 30 min trip around the harbour, which she eventually brings down to $100 for 2, "very good price". I say yes it's a good price but what's her best price and we take her up on $90. She phones her sister and soon a boat turns up and she's off with her only 2 passengers - apart from her friendly dog.
It's well worth doing, weaving about the floating restaurants and other boats, chatting to her and playing with her little dog.

Bus 70 back to Central, $4.70.

Enqure in a 'normal' camera shops why their price is $1000 more than in Nathan Rd. Parallel imports from Japan he says, and watch out for used cameras.

We've seen it before but some scaffolding is made of bamboo, very clever.

Back to the hotel to regroup and then back to Central. The trams are packed full, both sitting and standing. The first four we can't get on. Then a short walk to a friends apartment in Happy Valley.
A delightful reunion after decades, we are treated to pasta and salad, fruit salad, cheese and biscuits.
A greater compliment couldn't have been paid that that of a local - and a Yorkshireman at that - being impressed by the value of our accommodation.

We return at 2325 by a 15 min walk to Causeway Bay MTR and then to 10 min to Jordan ($11 each) and 15 min walk to the hotel. Most impressed by the super-modern MTR. Advanced travel info. Absolutely spotless! Just 1 min wait, also for the change at Admiral to the other line.

Another enjoyable day comes to an end, and our friends have given us some thoughts for tomorrow.

Dog on sampan boat

Aberdeen harbour

Sunday, 3 Apr - Hong Kong
Clearer day this morning, we can see Victoria Peak from our hotel window and it's much clearer than yesterday.

Phone Vodafone customer support about lack of GPRS and they advise using another network (CSL), which solves the problem.

Walk though Kowloon Park and watch the tai chi and martial arts being practised.
Further down to the harbour, Star Ferry, walk to the tram that takes you up the 400 meters to Victoria Peak (www.thepeak.com.hk ). It's been running since 1888 and costs $20 each for a single. Notice on the ticket that Getronics is a sponsor. Good views but still a little hazy. Helicopters flying below us. Little chat with Chinese from San Francisco.
Plenty of joggers and runners as we walk down. Take a detour along a narrow concrete path on the side of the hill. End up at Old Peak Rd, very steep and taking us to the Zoological and Botanical Gardens. Jaguar, birds, escaped parrot being recaptured.
Back to the hotel via Kowloon Park where we've just missed a weekly kung fu demonstration Have a bite to eat at the Cherry Garden Rest in Tak Hing St. Steamed chicken and noodle in soup, Barbequed pork and roasted goose mix with noodles and soup for $61 incl constant flow of tea.

Look at cameras in one of the many telephone/camera shops on Nathan Rd. Canon S70 for $3200, but $2800 if we buy today. Looked up price in NL: $539, so almost an extraordinary 50% cheaper.

Couple of beers from 7/11 shop (saw those in Australia as well), $12.

Phone an old friend to arrange meeting her for dinner.

Eat chicken with noodles and a deep fried chicken cake at the same place as last night, $55.
Short walk through Temple St Night Market.

A second good day in HK comes to an end, again we walked and walked and wondered at the activity, the cameras and phones, the modern buildings, the number of people sweeping and cleaning.

Fashion statement

Saturday, 2 Apr - Hong Kong
In the lounge at Melbourne airport we get used to Hong Kong. There are about 70 Chinese happily chattering away and only a handful of occidentals at the moment.

An interesting experiment will be performed during the flight, I'm going to measure by how much my legs expand. The 'before' measurements are 21 cm ankle and 34 cm mid-calf.

A guy opposite is folding paper planes almost all night.

As the approach customs, there's a special camera pointed at passengers to check who has a high temperature, very clever.

ATM $3000, about 300.

Check for a possible early seat allocation for next weeks long flight but told only at check-in.

Bus A21 ($33 each) takes 40 min and leaves us only a couple of minutes walk to Booth Lodge (http://boothlodge.salvation.org.hk ), just off busy Nathan Road.

What a contrast between tranquil Tasmania and hectic Hong Kong!

We're there very early and there aren't any rooms ready so we take a hike down to the harbour opposite Central, the island with the famous skyline.

Suprisingly there's no GPRS reception. I enquire in a camera/phone shop (where we buy 5 video tapes for $200) and apparently it's normal, you have to pay extra for HK.

We enquire at Visitor Information about the free trips for tourists on the Duk Ling junk and we're able to get the next one departing at 1000. There are about 12 of us in total and it's an hour in Victoria Harbour, giving us a good overview from the water. We get dropped off on the other side, Central, which suits us fine.

There are a few wedding parties simultaniously having photo's taken outside City Hall. Inside, on the 3rd floor there's a busy dim sum restaurant. The dim sum get wheeled past the tables on carts and the contents are shown and explained. If you fancy something you get it, with a rubber stamp on the card that is tallied up at the end of the meal. We have about 6 different dishes, coming to$233. Great fun.

Then we walk to HK Park with a walk-through aviary with 800 birds of 30 different species. Also a conservatory, pool with turtles and fish, Tai Chi garden, viewing tower.

It's warm but hazy, so the views aren't that good today.

Walk back to the harbour, take the world famous Star Ferry for $2.20 each back to Kowloon and walk back west of Nathan Rd through Kowloon Park, do a bit of shopping. At 1540 we're back at the hotel having already seen a fair bit of the place.

Our room on the 11th floor is fine; airco, fridge, tv, bath, but no tea/coffee facilities. Not all that spartan for a Salvation Army place.

I realise that I forget to do the 'after' leg measurement so that's a little project for our next long haul.

At 1830 we venture out again, to take a look at the Temple Street Night Market and to get an evening meal. The meal is at Hing Kee on Temple St. Deep-fried chicken 'cake', green veg, chicken and rice cooked in pot, with a couple of 640 ml beers for $90.
As a contrast, 2 coffees at our modest hotel cost $50.

Hong Kong, Junk

Hong Kong

Friday, 1 Apr - Hobart
Another sunny day. It's a 7 km drive to Lake St Claire where we do the Aboriginal walk. Clean air. Smell of eucalypta. Small birds chirping. See a big Black Cockatoo. Strongish wind, choppy water at Platypus bay but no platypus. They're difficult to see unless the water's flat and they're only out of their holes for a couple of hours a day, mostly at dusk or dawn. Talk to some girls who have just finished the 80 km Overland Track in 7 days.
We set off at 1100 for Hobart, stopping only for fuel: 28 l and $33. Possible sighting of a couple of eagles on the way. It's one of the warmest days so far, shame we don't have airco on this one.
Just running out of cash so draw out another $100.
Drop off car at 1430 after exactly 1200 km and get a taxi for $30 to the airport for a longish wait for our Jetstar flight to Melbourne, and then Qantas to Hong Kong, arriving before 0700 Saturday.

We now have $70 cash, which means $150+300+100-70=$480 cash expenses + $1155 on the credit card = $1635 of which:
- 605 was lodging for 7 days
- 210 car rental + 86 petrol (the car's done just more than 16 km/l)
- 734 food and other costs, incl 298 for the cruise.
That's 937 euro or 139 a day (NZ 95 euro, Brisbane 92, Bangkok 88). Without the expense of the cruise it would have been 114. Hope Hong Kong will break the upwards trend!

Mark Smalley

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Friday, April 08, 2005

Thursday, April 07, 2005

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Monday, April 04, 2005

Sunday, April 03, 2005

Saturday, April 02, 2005

Friday, April 01, 2005

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