In the groove

Our first day at sea and I had a hot date.

We went for a spin…

Oh yes.  Life goes on including the laundry.

But a day at sea also means an afternoon Tea Time Trivia, and today, we had a great set of questions.  We didn’t know all the answers and had to guess at some, but our team played a blinder and every one of us contributed to the outcome.

WooHoo!  How lucky was that?

We celebrated with a posh dinner tonight, just the six of us.  We dressed up in our finery and gathered in the lounge on this, the first of the “optional formal” nights.  I’ll admit to feeling slightly odd wearing a posh frock and flat sandals, even if they were sparkly!  (and Lesley, in case you are worried, the travelling companions assure me that duffel coats and cardigans were perfectly acceptable this evening!)  After Gs and Ts and Margaritas we took our table in the restaurant.

I chose a lobster salad to start with, which was dressed with a spicy mango dressing.  Yum.  It was served with a delicious Pouilly Fuisse…just right.

I passed on the soup, but we all enjoyed a little pina colada sorbet before our main course arrived.

My duck breast was delicious and cooked to perfection.  It was served with a little apple tart and a few vegetables, accompanied by a Chateauneuf de Pape.  Delicious.

Dessert was equally good, but sad to say that by the time we’d reached that point, I had forgotten to take pictures!  Conversation was as lively as always and the evening was such fun.  We are so lucky to have great friends who share the same sense of humour and make for excellent company.

We had coffee and made our way to the theatre, where there was a show to entertain and amuse us.  Afterwards, we said our goodnights and made arrangements for tomorrow, when we’ll be in Taipei.  It’s going to be a great day and we’re looking forward to our first port of call!

Love it.

Always have.  From the moment we first set foot in Hong Kong, we have loved the place.  Though it’s been a while, the old magic is still here and I suspect it won’t be too long before we’re back. 

It’s that kind of place.

So, on this, our last day in Hong Kong (for now) we wanted to make sure we used every last minute to best advantage.

We had a great time last night at The China Club with our friends.  Oh my, what a memorable evening that was!  The art work there is simply amazing, but sadly, photos are not exactly encouraged.  Still, I managed to capture the rather startling goldfish bowl, which contained a few interesting figures in addition to the fish.  All the works of art in the building have a strong Chinese theme, of course, including some lovely portraits on the staircase and one particularly captivating arrangement of figures surrounding Chairman Mao, in the bar.  I loved them all!

Anyway, back to today.  We took the MTR over to Central, so we could ride the Star Ferry back.  Seemed funny, but we were keen to take some photographs of the place we’re going to call home for the next three weeks.  Our favourite ship arrived yesterday and we had caught glimpses of her from the bus and from the window last evening, but this was the first opportunity we’d had for a good look.

She’ll do! 

We were in good spirits, the clouds were clearing to reveal blue sky and even the deck hands on the Star Ferry were in unusually sunny mood.

Actually, we’d made our way to Tsim Tsa Tsui to see this exhibition, which Ellis and Mary had seen yesterday and really enjoyed.  Never ones to miss out on a good thing, we wanted to see for ourselves, so here we were.

Not a particular favourite of ours, we were a little cool until we got inside.

Within seconds of seeing the first, simple drawings completed in the 1950s, we were sold.  The “Marilyn” screenprints and the Campbells soup cans were remarkable and we loved being able to see them close up and admire the precision, the colours and of course, the brilliant concept.

No photographs inside, but my favourites were the Mohammed Ali collaged prints, the various layered prints and drawings taken from Polaroid photos and, best of all, the Mao series.  How appropriate was that?

Ellis had spoken enthusiastically about the “time capsules” of ephemera from various times of Warhol’s life and these little collections of tickets, maps and hotel bills from his time in Hong Kong chimed with us all, because we’ve all been squirrelling away the ticket stubs, the luggage labels and suchlike.  Good to know I’m not the only one, eh?

By now, it was getting near lunchtime and we reckoned we had time for one last adventure.  The skyscraper next door to our hotel is the fourth tallest building in the world and we’d noticed that there was an observation deck.  Now the clouds had cleared a little, how about going up there?

No sooner said than done.

The screen in the lift recorded our progress.

Remarkably smooth and hardly noticeable that we were moving at all.

In no time at all, we were at the top.

Well, actually, in less than one minute.

The view was astounding.  Yes, there’s our ship down there, beside the Chinese one.  The hydrofoil that just did the loop is the Macau Turbo Jet; the same one as we took the other day.

Over there towards the Island, the piers are clear to see and somewhere in there is the HSBC building and the other Central landmarks.

No chance to make use of the “Loveseat” for a canoodle….someone got there first!

But good to look down on the neighbours – that’s our hotel down there, with the empty, grey swimming pool which is being refurbished.  Maggie, this is Kowloon West…all reclaimed land.

But that really was the last chance to take in one of our favourite cities, and in no time at all, we were in a taxi, heading towards the pier.

Our lovely suite awaited us, the champagne was on ice and we looked forward to unpacking and settling in.  in the short distance between pier and suite, we already encountered several familiar faces, met some old friends and felt immediately at home.

After a lovely dinner, we set sail.  The colourful city lit up the dark sky and quietly, at 10pm, we left the pier behind and began our journey.

There really can be no better way of leaving than this.

Of course, some still had work to do.  In the dark harbour, people were still going about their business, getting on with their lives and doing what they could to make a living.

Thankfully, we were able to bid everyone Goodnight and come up to our comfy bed!

Good night Hong Kong.  See you again soon…we hope.

Light, durable, flexible

Remember the pile of bamboo scaffolding stacked on that Hong Kong street a couple of days ago?  Well, whilst we were out yesterday, I took a couple of photographs of it being used.  Like cities the world over, Hong Kong is in a constant state of renovation, refurbishment and further development.  Since there’s limited land space available, the main direction for expansion seems to be up – and up and up!  These two tower blocks in the Deep Water Bay area are covered in scaffold and plastic sheeting – and the scaffold is a complex structure of bamboo and nylon cable ties.  Quite an art!

The base of the scaffold isn’t necessarily fixed to anything, but is more likely to be merely standing on a secure surface.

Over busy streets, protective shelves are built out to catch falling debris and prevent if falling on the people underneath.

The scaffolding around this particular building in WanChai was remarkably elaborate and very carefully constructed around the shape of the building.  it was high above a busy marketplace and must have taken some time to complete.

One way to make a living?

I couldn’t do it.  Could you?

There is some interesting technical information here, together with more photos.

A long time ago…

when we were young, we went to a bus station almost like this one and caught the number 6 bus.

We went straight upstairs and sat in the front seats; the ones with the best view.

The bus took us along Queens Road, Central, past the City Hall

and we were as thrilled to be here then as we are now.

The building wrapped in green plastic was the Prince of Wales Barracks in those days.

and we don’t recall there being anything like the number of tall skyscrapers then as there are now.

As we passed by the dragon emblem planted into the hillside, by the sign for Ocean Park, we remembered the day we were stuck on that gondola when the typhoon warning sounded all too well. 

But Repulse Bay is a rather different place now, and though we were delighted to be revisiting some old, familiar places, we felt pleased to have been here when it was an altogether simpler, greener part of the world.

But when the sign came up with “Stanley Plaza”, we couldn’t believe our eyes.  What on earth has happened here?  We thought we were coming to the small village with the lively market and here we are at some shopping mall.

Making our way down to the seafront, we began to see a few traces of the place we remembered so well.

Smiling, as we passed the “dog park” with tethers placed at a strategic distance apart from one another and this cute little chap sitting waiting patiently for his owner to return.

Once down on the front, the harbour looked much the same, albeit with a smart new pier.

But had someone told me there was now a Pizza Express in Stanley, I wouldn’t have believed them.  This is an altogether different place – because, of course, we live in an altogether different world today, don’t we?

It was time to stop thinking back and noting changes, time to appreciate what is here now and make the most of it.  How good that the place has prospered, attracted so many businesses and managed to move into the 21st century so well.  Free wifi on the street, modern amenities for young families and a clean, attractive seafront.

And of course, the “old” Stanley is still here, just beyond the new buildings.  There’s still the old market selling much the same things.

(though I never bought a pair of such cute shoes here on previous visits!)

Stanley market is still where to come for the tacky souvenirs and cheap clothing

- and you can still buy an extra suitcase here to carry it all home, too.  Actually, when we were at the night market last evening, we commented on how little there is to sell these days.  No rip off CDs or DVDs, computer software or suchlike – the internet has destroyed the market for such things.  Every other stall on that market seemed to be full of Ipad covers, cellphone jackets and headphones and there was little to interest us.  Here, the market was a little more varied, though in spite of that, the shoes were my only purchase.

But it is quite entertaining at times.  “no fitting, no exchange” seems perfectly reasonable when buying men’s underwear, wouldn’t you say?

As we walked towards the bus stop, we looked back and saw Stanley exactly as we remembered it.  No vast shopping mall with doggy day care centres and Starbucks coffee shops.

The public lavatories were even in the same place.  Mind you, they have improved somewhat!

We took the #6 bus back to Central and felt pleased that we’d spent our morning revisiting old haunts.  Stanley is still a great place to visit and the journey itself is very entertaining, especially if like us, you can bag the front seats upstairs.

We hopped off for a spot of lunch in Pacific Place, with an army of bank and office workers and considered what it must be like to live and work here.  I found myself gazing up at those huge tower blocks and simply cannot imagine what it’s like to live in one, cheek by jowl with the neighbours.  It’s another world.

Any further musing was interrupted by the sound of car horns and sirens, as the traffic on Queens Road was stopped by a police cordon.  We’d read that the Prime Minister of Thailand was visiting today, so presume that this was his entourage.

Meanwhile, we did a little topping up of the funds…

and hopped on a passing tram to WanChai, just because we could!

We spent a happy hour mooching about, watching people and enjoying being here.  We took care when crossing the road, too.

On our way back to the MTR station, we remembered to look up, to see what was going on behind the facade.

whilst keeping our eyes open for any cuteness which might be going on!  Yes, of course I had to buy stickers!

Leaving everyone to gather the ingredients for tonight’s supper, however, we made our way back to the station.

We’ve had a lovely day here and have a fun evening to look forward to, at the China Club with the Super Six!

Not only that, but thanks to my tailor, I have a couple of new dresses to choose from!

I highly recommend his service, which is reasonably priced, efficient and knowledgeable. I took along a dress and he has copied it faithfully – improved the fit, actually – and both dresses are beautifully finished and promptly delivered to our hotel. Now of course, I rather wish I’d had a green one and a blue one too

Are you ready?

Come and walk with us in HongKong!

First, we’ll have a spot of breakfast, though.  OK with you?  The hotel is pricey and a little over the top for our simple needs, though, so we’ll dip into Pret a Manger next door.  Feels like home!

Before we can go anywhere, too, we’ll need to buy a ticket.  The counter should be around here somewhere.

We’ll buy an “Octopus” card each, shall we?  Just like a Metro card or an Oyster, but different seafood!  We can use this on the MTR, the tram, the bus and the Star Ferry too.

Off we go!  Funny how it’s possible to see from one end of the train to the other. So clean and quiet too.  We are soon in Central Hong Kong.

Mind you, there’s a long way to walk through the station to find the correct exit, but there is a moving walkway to speed things up a little.

There, at the top of the stairs is the sign we were looking for – Des Voeux Road.  We have an idea to catch a tram to take us to the Western Market and start our meanderings from there.  OK?

The trams are old and a bit rickety, but a good way to get from one end of the island to the other, and since they travel in a simple straight line, we’re not going to get lost.  We’ll get on at the back and work our way forwards to get off at the front, like everyone else, of course, but don’t forget to swipe your Octopus card as you pass the driver, or you’ll be in bother.

Oh my, do please maintain your cough manners too, will you!

In no time at all, we’re here at the Western Market.  hop off quick and take care crossing the road.

This old building houses several small shops, including a few gift stores downstairs and some fabrics on the first floor.  Guess where we’re heading?  Let’s buy some pretty silks to make a couple of scarves, shall we?  We can pretend they came from some exclusive store.

What do you mean can we make them before we get on the ship, so we can wear them with a posh frock? 

OK, I’ve got some sewing needles with me, but we’ll need to go up Pottinger Street steps to buy some thread.  Let’s look for the escalator to the mid-levels.  There’s a sign there on the lamp post.

But look over there!  There’s heap of bamboo and a bundle of cable ties – they are about to erect it as scaffolding.  My goodness, I’d not feel too secure with that, but I understand that it’s even better than metal scaffolding in this climate.  Can you imagine building a skyscraper with only bamboo to support you?

Ok, let’s go over the road and along the bridge which leads to the escalator.  Not many people about at this time of the morning.

We’ll stay on as far as Hollywood Road, shall we?  That’s the street where we bought the lovely old embroideries we have framed on our staircase and perhaps the shop is still there?

Well, no, it isn’t, but there are a few other interesting places along here and it’s good to get off the main streets and into a quieter area, isn’t it?

There are a few interesting bits of heritage around here as well.  This is old Hong Kong, where some things really haven’t changed a great deal.

With so many antique and art stores around here, too, who knows what you might find in the bin outside?  One man’s trash is another man’s treasure and all of that.  But really, I’d rather you didn’t hang around and take a look because how would you get it home?

Anyway, look, there’s some interesting street art over there.

On the other side of the street, there’s a food market.  Fresh fish!  Still swimming! 

Let’s go down the hill; down Graham Street, and see what we can spot as we walk.  Do you recognise any of those vegetables?  They look so fresh and of good quality, don’t they?

I’m not sure what I’d do with a “salted” duck egg though, are you?

The street is bustling with morning shoppers and the produce looks remarkably good, doesn’t it?

In no time at all we’re back on Queens Road though.  I know Li Yuen Street is around here somewhere, and Pottinger Street too, where I might find some thread to make the scarf.

Oh, and what were you looking for, Jane?

Here we are, stalls selling thread, buttons, ribbon and so on.  I’ll get a reel of black cotton.

Up and down the steps is pretty tiring, isn’t it?  But if you’re ok with it, would you mind if I popped in here?  I’ve read about this place, might have a coupon in my bag back at the hotel, even.

But actually, it’s nothing much.  Mostly imported American things and nothing I couldn’t buy at home.  Never mind.

Let’s carry on and make our way over the bridges towards the pier and catch the Star Ferry back over to Kowloon, shall we?

You know, I don’t remember it being quite so far from here to the water.  I wonder if there’s been a bit of land reclamation going on?

When we are at home, I’ll take a look at some of our old photographs and see where the HSBC and the Mandarin Oriental hotel are in relation to the pier. 

OK, come on, we need Pier 7 and our Octopus cards again.

Swipe the card through the blue gate and we’re in.  Of course, one is boarding right now – they are so frequent, we won’t have to wait a minute.

No sooner are we on than we’ll be away.  Hold tight!

Look over there.  See our hotel?  No, not the very tallest one but the smaller one alongside. 

That’s where we are headed, by the clock tower.  Forgive my hero and I a little momentary reminisce as we recall the time when we stood there, watching the last Governor, Chris Patten and his family arrive in 1992.  Our boy was just seven then, and was thrilled to be witnessing a piece of history that afternoon, as were we.

And, of course, we shared “the thought”.

Approaching the Ocean Terminal, a cruise ship is there – the Silver Whisper.  I think Ellis and Mary’s friends were aboard that one when it arrived yesterday.  I wonder if our lovely Voyager will be in that spot in a couple of days?

Here we are then, back in Kowloon.  We’ve to be at Pete’s tailors at 3pm for our fitting, so there is time to nip into Shanghai Tang for a little look around, I think. 

Oh look, there’s a bride and her bridesmaids, having photos taken.  Don’t they look cute!

OK, here we are, almost at Pete’s.  I wonder if my dresses are going to be ok?

Well, this one certainly does, wouldn’t you agree?  Very good copy of the original and so carefully cut and stitched.  Sit yourself down on the sofa whilst the tailor makes a few adjustments, will you, please?  He’s going to finish the neckline to the single stitching line he says, and will top stitch the double line exactly as the original.  Gorgeous colour, I’m very happy with my choice.

OK, he’ll bring the finished dresses to the hotel tomorrow – I ordered a purple one too, to be made exactly the same.  Good man!

I have just one last piece of shopping to do if that’s ok?  Want to come into the camera shop with me, to look for a spare battery for my “big” camera?    There’s a Nikon and Canon sign just up there, let’s go.

Hmm.  Interesting.  I looked on the internet last night to get a feel of the price at home and found they cost around £13.  The first price this chap quoted me was HK$225 which is way more.  Let’s leave it.

Of course, he won’t let that one go, and offers to match the price eventually, so we buy it after all.  But one thing is clear – the days of finding a bargain here are gone.  The prices are much the same as in Europe and it seems as though they are no cheaper than the US either.  Anyway, I’ve now got a spare battery for both of my cameras, so I’m happy.

Are you?

But I think it’s time we were heading back now, isn’t it?  Especially if we’re going to the Night Market after dinner this evening.  Shall we get the MTR?  Get your Octopus card out then and hop on a train for “Central”, where we can change to the orange line which goes to Kowloon station.

We won’t have to wait long for a train, thank goodness.  I’m feeling pretty weary.

I rather like the metal seats on the trains, don’t you?  They look very clean, I think.

A short walk back through the shopping centre and we are back at the hotel.  Jane and Allan beat us to it and are probably taking a nap right now.

What a good idea that could be!