The Ham Nomads

28 May 2019. <HK> Hong Kong —

Woke up. Got ourselves moving. Went down to the Cafe on the Park (part of the hotel) for an American Breakfast — not the full buffet most people seemed to be ladling into their bodies. It was nice but, when we got the bill, we vowed 'Never again!' For people who always have a very light breakfast, 360 HKD ($66 Australian) seems a little exorbitant. Tomorrow, for breakfast — McDonalds!

Our day today was to be mainly spent with the Big Bus, the hop-on, hop-off tourist buses that take you round the city with a guided commentary. We were exploring the island of Hong Hong (leaving the Kowloon peninsula for tomorrow).

It was an experience and a half. First of all, we had to make the Star Ferry crossing from Kowloon to Hong Kong. This is a tourist treat in itself. The trip takes only 10 minutes, across this magnificent harbour. The walk from the hotel down Canton Road is only about 800 metres, past stores to die for — Armani, Louis Vuitton, Yves St Laurent, Prada ... the list goes on and on! And Gucci is just around the corner. Warren was amused yesterday when he went out to reconnoitre, and observed a few girls coming out of the Gucci store in obviously newly-bought dresses, going straight out to the taxi stand outside and posing for 'fashion' shots to share with their friends. They had gone all the way, and were properly made up like fashion models!

First up, we were hit with a massive thunderstorm just as we reached the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The square outside it, Golden Bauhina Square, is usually populated with numerous little stalls selling souvenirs, paintings and other touristy paraphernlia. But today much rain, much thunder and lightning, no tourists, no stalls! And to cap it off, Warren's camera battery suddenly gave up the ghost and, as he had left the spare back at the hotel, no photographs. (Spoiler alert: on Wednesday afternoon we went back over parts of this day's jaunt and filled in some of the gaps — but the Convention and Exhibition Centre wasn't considered worthy of a revisit.) Oh, and to cap it off, Warren's umbrella decided there and then to succumb to the elements. We had to laugh — and anyway, there was a shop inside the Centre that had a supply of umbrellas!

Next stop was Sogo, a big department store in a a shopping precinct. We jumped the bus here, and did a bit of shopping (not finding anything we wanted), but mainly taking in the atmosphere. The people of Hong Kong seem to have a shopping mania. And the footpaths — nothing like the 'keep to the left' policy we have at home — here, it seems to be just a mad scramble! And the traffic on the roads is no better! But the whole place is so alive — and more alive the later it gets in the day! The night time is simply frenetic!

Got back on the bus and continued round to 100 Queens Road Central, at the foot of the Central to Mid-Levels Escalator system up to the dormitory areas around the peak. These escalators are the world's largest system of outdoor undercover escalators, running over 800 metres, and rising 135 metres up a steep hillside. It is not one single escalator, but a system of 20, plus 3 inclined moving walkways. Riding the whole system one way takes about 25 minutes, which we did.

But we only came part way down, to Hollywood Road, where we walked about 800 metres eastward to the Buddhist Man Mo Temple, one of Hong Kong's oldest temples (dating from 1847), dedicated to gods of literature ('Man'), holding a writing brush, and of war ('Mo'). Fascinating, quiet, in spite of a continual visitations by tourists, for whom the temple simply commands quiet respect. Worshippers throughout the day ensure that the whole place is filled with incense.

Outside the temple we caught the Big Bus and used it to get back to the Star Ferry Terminal, and back to the hotel.

In the evening we were going to use the ferry to cross the harbour after dark — it's apparently quite spectacular. But before we did that, we went out onto the promenade looking out over the harbour, only to find out that this was the prime viewing position for 'A Symphony of Lights', a famed Hong Kong extravaganza where all the buildings opposite are linked to a central control, and their lights, which are individually spectacular, are all choreographed in synchronization with a musical sound track which is played through speakers around the viewing platform. Hang the ferry trip — this was going to be much better!! And it was!! You can get a good idea of it, in a slightly earlier incarnation, in this 10-minute YouTube clip.

After all this entertainment, it was time to pack our weary bodies back to the hotel for a good night's sleep!