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
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
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
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.
posted by Mark Smalley @ 10:29 PM
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