Just paid to log on to the net from our hotel and the commands came up in Cantonese. As we are not great experts in picture writing a certain amount of guessing has been involved its amazing that we have got this far!
Friday, 11 March
We had to be up early in time to finish packing and leave for the airport at 0900 for our 9 hour flight to Hong Kong.
The flight was relatively uneventful and didn't even seem that long (we must be becoming seasoned travellers!).
When we arrived in HK there were very long queues for customs and the baggage reclaim area was vast and there was no sign of the Special Baggage reclaim for my stick. I asked one assistant but she obviously didn't understand as she directed me to the ladies toilet!! Then I saw a huge mass of suitcases and so I went up to the assistant there and he said “Ah, Mrs Kirk”!!!
Then we had a panicky moment or two in the arrivals area because we had a transfer booked from the airport to our hotel in Kowloon but couldn't see anyone holding up a KIRK sign. The arrivals area was huge and very busy and eventually we realised that there were two exits from the baggage reclaim hall and our pick-up was waiting near the other exit!
It was then that we first heard the dreadful news about the earthquake in Japan. We had noticed a small group of cameramen and TV crews waiting at arrivals. We asked someone and they told us about the earthquake and tsunami and that the reporters were waiting to interview people arriving back in Hong Kong from Japan. We were then concerned about Clare's friend Jo who is teaching in Tokyo but Clare texted us later to say Jo was alright but had camped out all night with the schoolchildren.
Our driver was really nice and he spoke some English so Jane asked him to point out any places of interest on the journey from Lantau Island to Kowloon. He took it all very seriously and made a huge effort to tell us about everything on the way.
The Hotel we are staying in “Harbour Grand Kowloon” is very large and has a grand entrance lobby. It is right on the quayside and our room looks out across the water to Hong Kong Island. Even having lived on the Thames we have never seen such an array of ships and boats before! There is everything from tugs to ferries to junks.
Saturday 12 March
Looking out of our bedroom window first thing this morning was rather interesting and a bit different. Down on the promenade outside were up to a dozen people all doing their various versions of Tai Chi the elegant exercise routines! More surprisingly there have also been swimmers in the Victoria Bay (rather them than us)!
Unfortunately it has been rather hazy ever since we arrived. At first we thought it was smog but it doesn't smell and on the news it was said to be as a result of a monsoon in China. It makes all the tall buildings look very eerie and a bit surreal. While it is like this there isn't much point us going to The Peak for the views or even taking a harbour boat trip.
The hotel has a shuttle bus to the ferry terminal at Kowloon about 15 minutes drive away. This is the same area as the Walk of Stars which I have to say is much nicer setting than the one in LA! There is also an art gallery and a cultural centre. We spent an hour or so in the art gallery and really liked some of the early pottery and paintings and calligraphy. One gallery showed a collection amassed by a Hong Kong collector on the merit of the artists' good character – in the West that would rule out many of our greatest painters!
The cultural centre building is very controversial for it's architecture. Having just been in Sydney where the Opera House is one of the world's most iconic modern buildings, Hong Kong would appear to have missed a golden opportunity. The building is windowless which given it's waterfront location is rather odd as it could have had one of the most dynamic views in the world.
We also went into “Harbour City” HK's largest shopping mall but we got confused because it was vast (an understatement) and very crowded. Steve said it made Bluewater look like a corner shop! Note for Steve Stevens – it even has a Brooks Brothers!!
In the evening we watched the Symphony of Light sound and light show which takes place nightly at 8pm across Victoria Harbour. It's a spectacular show of lasers and flashing lights set to music on some of the buildings along the waterfront on Hong Kong island and Kowloon.
Throughout the day we came across several wedding groups. In all but one case, the bride and groom were wearing typical Western wedding clothes with the brides in very, very over the top white wedding dresses. In one pretty little square only yards from the busy streets there were 3 different groups all posing for their official photographs. We actually saw one bride and groom plus photographer crossing a busy road at the traffic lights which made a very odd sight!
Something that has amused us in a nice way is the level of hygiene and cleanliness in most public places. As soon as we arrived at the airport we noticed a lot of people wearing face masks. In the art gallery there were signs saying that the toilets and public areas were disinfected 8 times daily! It is common to see hand disinfectant dispensers. This is all because of outbreaks of bird flu and SARS back in 2003 which other than the obvious health implications to the residents of Hong Kong, drove tourists away.
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