Mark Smalley

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.

posted by Mark Smalley @ 8:25 PM