I have written this blog in some pretty strange places and my curren
t location is up there (literally) with the weirdest of them – I am sitting by the swimming pool on the 21st floor of the Harbour Grand Hotel in Kowloon looking out over bustling Hong Kong harbour. This is skyscraper city, a fact emphasised as I look to my left by the next-door skyscraper continuing upwards for a further 51 floors. Mind you, these are pretty much small fry in the quest for height as a short distance from here stands the International Commerce Centre. Since our last visit to Hong Kong the ICC has been completed and now has an incredible 108 floors and, standing at 1558 feet, now ranks as the 4th tallest building in the world. 
Leaving Sydney was always going to be tinged with sadness – particularly for Sandra who is going to miss her only grand daughter. Johann drove us to the airport and dropped us off at 7am and promptly left – thus avoiding both a long, drawn-out, tearful farewell and having to pay for parking! Minutes later Steven, Ana, Lex and Anatalia arrived for a final photo call before leaving for a day at the beach and finally we were alone – our yearlong Australian adventure was just about over.
We had arranged the three day stopover in Hong
Kong partly to help overcome the jetlagging effect of doing the trip in a oner and partly to have a few days rest and relaxation before hitting the challenges of home. Having already explored Hong Kong as much as I wanted to, my intention was to curl up with a book and a bottle of wine and do nothing – this however did not fit with Sandra’s plans. On one of her expeditions in Sydney she had come across a small book called “The Markets of Hong Kong” with details of what they sold and how to get to them – obviously a challenge not to be missed!
As our Cathay Pacific flight was about to land the Captain, giving us our destination weather details, touched upon one of the major problems emerging from China’s economic boom – pollution. If the wind is in the wrong direction, as it was for us, Hong Kong is blanketed with a smoggy gloom through which the sun has difficulty penetrating and during our three day stay in never really fully cleared. Despite this, the views from our rooftop eyrie overlooking the harbour
were fascinating. The harbour was very busy with all sorts of craft criss-crossing between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. The bustle initially reminded us of Sydney Harbour and it took a few minutes to spot the main difference – all the harbour traffic was commercial. In Sydney, whilst there is obviously a commercial trade particularly with the fleets of ferries, pleasure craft – from massive motor cruisers and yachts down to sailing dinghies and canoes – made up a substantial and very visible proportion of harbour traffic. In Hong Kong I don’t think we saw a single pleasure craft.
The transfer to the hotel (by private limous
ine) was luxurious, the hotel location was superb, our room had wonderful views and the food was excellent - what more could we want? Well a bit of spending money wouldn’t go amiss! I have learnt through painful experience that hotels are not the best places to change money. I have also learnt that oriental cities are usually teaming with unofficial moneychangers who will give you a much better deal than the banks – so off we went looking for one of these shady characters.
Within minutes of leaving the hotel we had what I can only describe as a surreal experience. Population density in Hong Kong is incredibly high and the housing complex to the rear of the
hotel consisted of 88 skyscraper apartment blocks incorporating huge shopping complexes mainly catering for the local market rather than tourists. As we turned a corner there in front of us, squeezed in between apartment blocks, was a massive ship – the Whampoa – looking as if the captain had taken a wrong turn and come down the street. Still naively thinking this was a real ship (well I was, Sandra said she had sussed it out straight away) we made towards it only to discover it was actually a shopping mall. Like an iceberg the superstructure was only a small part of the complex with escalators taking shoppers down to a vast labyrinth of underground shops – 
horrendous!
With no luck finding a moneychanger and with the banks now closed for the night, we bit the bullet and headed for an ATM – which immediately refused to take my Scottish bank card (quite rightly as it transpired as it was passed its expiry date) My Australian bank card, despite being valid, was similarly refused. So, risking a serious bout of dishwashing if they didn’t take plastic, we found a Thai restaurant and had a meal and a few drinks – and luckily they accepted my credit card. Giving up for the night we made our way back to the hotel after
unsuccessfully trying to buy wine in a corner shop where the female Chinese proprietor steadfastly refused to accept any type of plastic, Australian Dollars or British Pounds.
The following morning, with Sandra’s market expedition looming, money was urgently required. A trip to the local HSBC bank revealed a high commission charge and, even more off-putting massive queues to get served. There was nothing for it, we did what we should have done the day before and changed money in the hotel.
Armed with wads of HK Dollars Sandra set off by
herself to explore the Hong Kong public transport system (which is very good) and navigate her way to the various markets. I, having been totally shopped and marketed out, refused to go and took my book and laptop up to the swimming pool on the roof where I spent a very peaceful, relaxing day.
The following day we took the Star Ferry across to Hong Kong Island and wandered the concrete jungle through mazes of raised walkways linking skyscraper to skyscraper until we were completely disorientated. Hong Kong is busily preparing itself for the Chinese New Year and, with this being the Year of the Rabbit, much of the city, particularly the shopping malls, is decorated with enormous rabbits.
Little did I know but Sandra still had her little red book “The Markets in Hong Kong” with her and she tracked down a number of little alleyways incongruously hidden at the foot of skyscrapers and jammed full of stalls selling silks of the
orient, cheap clothes, watches and all things plastic. Incongruous, as inside some of these skyscrapers were dozens of expensive designer shops selling high fashion items to the rich.
Another incongruity was in some of the building techniques. In third world countries I have often noticed the use of bamboo scaffolding when building or repairing buildings. Whilst I would not classify Hong Kong as third world I was amazed to see buildings clad in bamboo with workmen scurrying around like ants. And these were not low-rise buildings but skyscrapers with bamboo poles rising hundreds of feet up the side of buildings – see photo.
After a few hours of this concrete purgatory Sandra announced that she was totally phased by cities preferring a more rural, lower density existence – “Let’s get out of here” she said. So it was back to the hotel for a final afternoon of relaxation before tomorrow’s flight back to low density living.
t location is up there (literally) with the weirdest of them – I am sitting by the swimming pool on the 21st floor of the Harbour Grand Hotel in Kowloon looking out over bustling Hong Kong harbour. This is skyscraper city, a fact emphasised as I look to my left by the next-door skyscraper continuing upwards for a further 51 floors. Mind you, these are pretty much small fry in the quest for height as a short distance from here stands the International Commerce Centre. Since our last visit to Hong Kong the ICC has been completed and now has an incredible 108 floors and, standing at 1558 feet, now ranks as the 4th tallest building in the world. 
Leaving Sydney was always going to be tinged with sadness – particularly for Sandra who is going to miss her only grand daughter. Johann drove us to the airport and dropped us off at 7am and promptly left – thus avoiding both a long, drawn-out, tearful farewell and having to pay for parking! Minutes later Steven, Ana, Lex and Anatalia arrived for a final photo call before leaving for a day at the beach and finally we were alone – our yearlong Australian adventure was just about over.
We had arranged the three day stopover in Hong
Kong partly to help overcome the jetlagging effect of doing the trip in a oner and partly to have a few days rest and relaxation before hitting the challenges of home. Having already explored Hong Kong as much as I wanted to, my intention was to curl up with a book and a bottle of wine and do nothing – this however did not fit with Sandra’s plans. On one of her expeditions in Sydney she had come across a small book called “The Markets of Hong Kong” with details of what they sold and how to get to them – obviously a challenge not to be missed!As our Cathay Pacific flight was about to land the Captain, giving us our destination weather details, touched upon one of the major problems emerging from China’s economic boom – pollution. If the wind is in the wrong direction, as it was for us, Hong Kong is blanketed with a smoggy gloom through which the sun has difficulty penetrating and during our three day stay in never really fully cleared. Despite this, the views from our rooftop eyrie overlooking the harbour
were fascinating. The harbour was very busy with all sorts of craft criss-crossing between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. The bustle initially reminded us of Sydney Harbour and it took a few minutes to spot the main difference – all the harbour traffic was commercial. In Sydney, whilst there is obviously a commercial trade particularly with the fleets of ferries, pleasure craft – from massive motor cruisers and yachts down to sailing dinghies and canoes – made up a substantial and very visible proportion of harbour traffic. In Hong Kong I don’t think we saw a single pleasure craft.The transfer to the hotel (by private limous
ine) was luxurious, the hotel location was superb, our room had wonderful views and the food was excellent - what more could we want? Well a bit of spending money wouldn’t go amiss! I have learnt through painful experience that hotels are not the best places to change money. I have also learnt that oriental cities are usually teaming with unofficial moneychangers who will give you a much better deal than the banks – so off we went looking for one of these shady characters.Within minutes of leaving the hotel we had what I can only describe as a surreal experience. Population density in Hong Kong is incredibly high and the housing complex to the rear of the
hotel consisted of 88 skyscraper apartment blocks incorporating huge shopping complexes mainly catering for the local market rather than tourists. As we turned a corner there in front of us, squeezed in between apartment blocks, was a massive ship – the Whampoa – looking as if the captain had taken a wrong turn and come down the street. Still naively thinking this was a real ship (well I was, Sandra said she had sussed it out straight away) we made towards it only to discover it was actually a shopping mall. Like an iceberg the superstructure was only a small part of the complex with escalators taking shoppers down to a vast labyrinth of underground shops – 
horrendous!With no luck finding a moneychanger and with the banks now closed for the night, we bit the bullet and headed for an ATM – which immediately refused to take my Scottish bank card (quite rightly as it transpired as it was passed its expiry date) My Australian bank card, despite being valid, was similarly refused. So, risking a serious bout of dishwashing if they didn’t take plastic, we found a Thai restaurant and had a meal and a few drinks – and luckily they accepted my credit card. Giving up for the night we made our way back to the hotel after
unsuccessfully trying to buy wine in a corner shop where the female Chinese proprietor steadfastly refused to accept any type of plastic, Australian Dollars or British Pounds.The following morning, with Sandra’s market expedition looming, money was urgently required. A trip to the local HSBC bank revealed a high commission charge and, even more off-putting massive queues to get served. There was nothing for it, we did what we should have done the day before and changed money in the hotel.
Armed with wads of HK Dollars Sandra set off by
herself to explore the Hong Kong public transport system (which is very good) and navigate her way to the various markets. I, having been totally shopped and marketed out, refused to go and took my book and laptop up to the swimming pool on the roof where I spent a very peaceful, relaxing day.The following day we took the Star Ferry across to Hong Kong Island and wandered the concrete jungle through mazes of raised walkways linking skyscraper to skyscraper until we were completely disorientated. Hong Kong is busily preparing itself for the Chinese New Year and, with this being the Year of the Rabbit, much of the city, particularly the shopping malls, is decorated with enormous rabbits.
Little did I know but Sandra still had her little red book “The Markets in Hong Kong” with her and she tracked down a number of little alleyways incongruously hidden at the foot of skyscrapers and jammed full of stalls selling silks of the
orient, cheap clothes, watches and all things plastic. Incongruous, as inside some of these skyscrapers were dozens of expensive designer shops selling high fashion items to the rich.Another incongruity was in some of the building techniques. In third world countries I have often noticed the use of bamboo scaffolding when building or repairing buildings. Whilst I would not classify Hong Kong as third world I was amazed to see buildings clad in bamboo with workmen scurrying around like ants. And these were not low-rise buildings but skyscrapers with bamboo poles rising hundreds of feet up the side of buildings – see photo.
After a few hours of this concrete purgatory Sandra announced that she was totally phased by cities preferring a more rural, lower density existence – “Let’s get out of here” she said. So it was back to the hotel for a final afternoon of relaxation before tomorrow’s flight back to low density living.
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