Hong Kong
Day 1-Kowloon
I woke early on my first day, not a surprise considering I had slept for hours on my Cathay flight the previous day! I tried not to get up and managed to stay in bed until 0700 when I was well and truly bored with that! The day looked liked it would be overcast, and maybe even rain so I decided to go out early. The plan was to go up to the top of Nathan Road, visit a lot of the markets as I wandered back down to the hotel.
I walked along the Avenue of Stars towards the Star Ferry and took in the amazing sight of the Hong Kong skyline and harbor. I walked past the other Intercontinental hotel, the more expensive one, and was actually surprised at how close it was to the Intercontinental Grand Stanford - for the price difference it really is not far away at all - 6-7 mins walk. I saw folks doing Tai Chi on the side and marveled at the beautiful scenery.
My airport express ticket also got me 3 free days traveling on the MTR - the Hong Kong equivalent of the tube or subway. I decided to live like a local and hopped on the MTR at Tsim Sha Tsui and headed up to the Prince Edward stop. This did not involve a change of trains but just figuring out which line to get on so that I did not end out in the suburbs of Hong Kong was adventurous enough thank you!
This took me to the top of Nathan Road where I headed off to the Yuen Po Street Bird Garden and the Flower Market. The Bird Garden was a bit bizarre - it was little old men selling tiny birds in tiny cages! Seems the birds are lucky and were very cute but I did feel a bit sorry for some of them as a couple of stalls had them crammed into cages that were far too small for the numbers.
Then I walked to the Flower Market which pretty much does what it days on the tin - sells lots of fresh flowers! The smell was gorgeous and the flowers were beautiful and exotic.
I then wandered down a street where I arrived upon a food market. You could buy every part of the animal and fish species. When you walk past a whole dead pig on the floor, a woman gutting and chopping up a fish with bits flying everywhere and then you walk along the 'butchers' part where the floor is covered in what I hoped was animal blood and bits so it was super slippery, you know you have found the real Hong Kong! I was fascinated - I also think I may now be vegetarian.......!
Dragging myself away from the massacre, I headed back to the very touristy Jade market. I am convinced that no item I saw was actually made of jade, and a lot of signs said items were jade colour....ie green! It was interesting to walk around but I did not buy anything for fear that it would be green glass or the like! However, I was to return!
I then ended up in a fruit and veg market - luckily no blood and guts here! Some very weird looking fruit though and I tried something that I thought was of the same family as an orange - no - think a lemon on sour steroids! I swear I heard the little old Chinese lady laugh at my facial expression as I ate the thing walking away! I don't think my taste buds will ever be the same again!
Eventually I ended up on Nathan Road with the very posh shops and Indian men trying to sell me a handmade custom suit. I started to walk back to the hotel, and I walked along the water front - I don't think I will ever get fed up with that skyline. As I walked past the Intercontinental Hong Kong (the very expensive sister of my hotel), I decided to re-live a memory and have lunch here. I stayed at this hotel (on a very great rate) when I was here in 2009 and thought it was one of the best hotels I have ever stayed in. The view from the lobby bar/restaurant is phenomenal and I had another good meal of a salad and mini burger.
I was a little tired from the early start and mini marathon so had a couple of hours sleep - fatal! I felt like death warmed up when my alarm went off at 6pm but I was determined to go out. My to do list had the Ozone Bar in the Ritz Carlton on it - it is on the 118 floor and is the highest bar in the world - well a girl has to go and visit that! The place is very pretentious - and lacked any sort of atmosphere. Although the weather hampered the view a little today, I really don't think it would be worth the trip even on a good day. I was seated at a window table, after much huffing as they wanted me to sit at the bar as a single person but I refused. I ordered a glass of champagne that took an age to arrive and despite an abundance of staff they seemed only interested in pampering to a manager who appeared to be hosting a very young important person. The view was OK but the screens were dirty. I could not get out of the atmosphere vacuum fast enough! I think this place was the biggest disappointment of my holiday.
Day 2 - Hong Kong Island
I managed to sleep in to a normal time today so that by the time I was up and about, so was Hong Kong! I walked the 10 mins to the MTR station so that I could get across to Hong Kong Island like a local. This time I knew how to navigate myself onto the correct line and waited for a train. It is then at I realized that all the folks on the platform would fill a train never mind accounting for anyone who was already on it - I felt it may be a tight squeeze! I normally feel like a giant walking around Hong Kong but I see that my height would now give me an advantage - intimidation - or so I thought! The sweet little old Chinese ladies are, in fact, undercover dragons who only come to light when boarding a full train. Nope that is OK, I will take the next one........ Eventually I arrived at the Central station where I was to get off - if it were not for my sharp elbows and UK Tube training, I may still have been on the blasted thing! After negotiating my way out of the largest station I have ever seen - just keep going up seemed to be the way ahead, I arrived in the hustle and bustle of the financial and shopping district of Hong Kong Island.
This was again a mesmerizing experience - sights and sounds of massive Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Prada stores mixed in with tiny homemade stalls selling everything you could imagine and some stuff you couldn't! I decided to put the map away and just wander to see where I ended up. Going through the back streets, I found myself at the world’s longest moving walkway. Well a girl has got to try that ....so I did.....or at least I tried. It seems that the walkway goes the way of the predominant traffic depending on the time of day - I happened to be going the wrong way so had to walk up the mountain of steps rather than getting the moving walkway to help. In fact, the predominant direction at this time of the day was down - who on earth needs a moving walkway to take them down hill when there are hundreds of steps to negotiate the other way - no, the Chinese did not seem so clever on this occasion!
I carried on going up the steps just so that I could say I had ridden on the walkway - halfway up in the humid conditions I was beginning to regret that decision but I was not to be defeated - ironically 20 mins previous I had no idea this bloomin walkway existed and now I was determined I had to ride on it!!! What this stubbornness did achieve was to place me in an area I probably would never have gone to - the artistic and market area, which was a highlight of my visit to the Island.
I haggled poorly for some nik naks - I am sure the stall owner is now better off with the proceeds, however I was happy that I got an Ox (for my birth year) and a jade/green glass snake (it is the year of the snake). I also went into the Man Mo Temple, which was built in 1847. The smell of incense is very strong and inside I found it quite basic but enchanting.
I then wandered my way back down towards the busy part of town. I had read a review of a place called 10 Feet Tall that was a spa that did great foot massages. I found the place and went in and treated myself to something called a 'why not' which was 50 mins of a foot massage and shoulders and neck massage. It was great and I would recommend anyone that finds themselves with a spare hour or so on Hong Kong Island to go there.
I left the place and entered the hustle and bustle again and after walking around I ended up at the International Financial Centre Mall - I can describe this place in 1 word - massive! I just kept walking and walking past some great shops. I left the IFC Mall and decided to take the Star Ferry back to Kowloon - this is always a great experience and I love the simplicity of the whole operation.
Day 3 - Kowloon
I decided to stay on the Kowloon side today as I just wanted to wander around for a few hours prior to departing for my flight. I managed to sleep in again until a reasonable time and headed out just after 10 when things were starting to liven up. I found myself walking back up towards the markets, specifically the Jade market. I had not made a purchase last time I was here and although I doubted many of the items were real jade, I wanted to say I had bought something here from my travels. The market was very lively and the stall holders were trying hard to catch my attention. Some were downright pushy and I avoided them but there were a couple that had some lovely items on them and a sign that said 'real jade' - well if they have a sign it must be real......!! Other signs I noticed said real jade colour which I avoided as that basically means green items! I found a lovely old Chinese man and had fun bartering for a couple of bits.
As I meandered back to the hotel, I realized my time in Hong Kong was coming to an end and was sad. Although I was excited to get to my next port of call (Bangkok) on my next flight (Emirates A380 First), I found myself thinking about how I could get out here again as I really love this City and its people.
Back to the hotel for a shower and pack before heading off to the Airport Express bus and train.