The Majesty of Hong Kong
On Wednesday October 24th we arrived in Hong Kong, which means "Fragrant Harbor". The Sapphire Princess docked at the bustling commercial port. A comfortable bus ride took us to Harbour City in Kowloon, where we could start our adventures for the day. We're glad not be to tendering any more on this trip. Taking the tenders into port is time consuming, and you end up losing about an hour.
Just a short walk from our drop off point we entered the pier for the Star Ferry, transport across Victoria Harbour to Hong Kong Island. Since 1888 double-decker ferries have sailed back and forth between Kowloon and Hong King Island. It is still a common way for local people to commute. There are several routes; we were sure to take the "Central" ferry. First on the sightseeing agenda is Victoria Peak. We were waiting in line for the tram when numerous Princess Cruise excursion buses pulled up, with priority boarding on the tram. Seeing this, we decided that we would be wasting too much time, awaiting our turn, so we opted to grab a couple of taxis as an alternate means of getting to the Peak.
Victoria Peak is 1,800 feet above sea level, the highest point on Hong Kong Island, and provides an incredible panoramic view of the area's majesty... the beautiful harbor and world reknown corporate skyscrapers. The Peak is also the most fashionable, and expensive, area to live in Hong Kong. They say that if you haven't been to the Peak, you haven't been to Hong Kong. To reach the observation deck one travels on a series of many (many!) escalators. Each floor is lined with retail shops, and strategically, you must walk 180 degrees to get to the next "up" elevator, so you are forced to look at the shops. I call that an ideal situation and clever marketing. While others were using the WC, halfway up, I bought a decorative wall fan, and cloinsonne Christmas ornaments (including ones with Pandas and in the shape of elephants!). I can always use the WC later.... shopping is the priority! We enjoyed the views, although are photos didn't turn out perfectly, due to smog (lots of smog in the Asian cities). Hong Kong is truly a beautiful city, with lots of hills and greenery.
In one wing of the Peak's shopping mall there is a multi-storied atrium. In celebration of Halloween, this area had been decorated as a "Pumpkin Garden" (that's what they called it).... a multitude of hanging orange Chinese lanterns, with smiling pumpkin faces, and dangling tassles. They were wonderful. Since I love Halloween and everything about Halloween decorations, I truly thought I needed to have one of these lanterns, but we didn't find any for sale. Perhaps in Shanghai.... we shall see.
We caught another set of cabs (we need two for our party of eight) and headed downhill to Aberdeen. This is the one remaining place where you might see a sampan or a junk in the harbor. We strolled the waterfront, seeing how the women are shelling shrimp (from the day's catch) and drying various types of fish. The people who live on the boats in this area are called the "water people". It was a colorful step back into time. Our cab drivers waited for us, and we headed to the Stanley Market. On the way we passed by Repulse Bay. The hills surrounding the bay are strewn with luxury apartments, including the large complex called "Repulse Bay" with a giant square hole in the middle. Our driver told us that this is a feng shui design. There is a hillside behind the complex. In the morning the dragon flies from the hills, to the bay; in order to do so he passes through this opening. At night the dragon returns to the hills. I told the driver I wanted to see the dragon, and he laughed.
We did not have enough time at Stanley Market. It is marvelous, with merchants selling everything from casual clothes to art and knick-knacks. But, it's an organized chaos, and the merchants are very nice. We quickly adapted to $1 US = $7.75 Hong Kong dollars. I was enchanted by a black and gold silk sleeveless dress. It was lovely. You must remember that the local people are tiny, so the XL would have been my size. Fortunately, before I went to the trouble to try it on, the honest sales lady told me it would be too short for me. Duh, of course that would be true! You don't see local women towering around at 5'8". We never lose sight of Al because he definitely stands out in any crowd!
We had to keep watching the time, and it was time to head back to Kowloon, lest we get caught in rush hour traffic. We took the Star Ferry back, and in our quest for a dim sum lunch, we consulted the Lonely Planet book on Hong Kong, determining that the Window Cafe in the Kowloon Hotel (19-21 Nathan Road) would be a relatively short walk from the pier. This turned out to be a good choice, with a lovely menu of dim sum. Since Al and I were the only ones in the group who have any experience with dim sum, we did a boys' table and a girls' table. Dim sum delicacies are typically steamed in small bamboo baskets. In Seattle we are accustomed to the baskets being stacked on push carts and rolled around the dining room. In this swanky hotel, you ordered from a menu. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The girls left the boys, to pay the bill, and we went on our way to explore shopping a bit further. As it turned out, we didn't have much time at all, before we needed to catch the last shuttle bus to the ship at 4:00.
The bottom line is that we didn't have nearly enough time in Hong Kong, and as we chatted with other passengers, it seems everyone felt that we needed more hours in this gorgeous port. A good reason to return someday, and spend several days in Hong Kong's majesty.
When we returned to the ship, the girls decided it would be a good idea for me to have my "first haircut" now that I am seemingly sprouting "real" hair. Even though Al and Jan trimmed it before the cruise, it has grown enough that a professional's touch could help it grow out in a more tame fashion. We made an appointment with Daria in the ship's salon. She laughed and said it was certainly the fastest haircut she's ever given. She was delightful (from Slovenia), and we took pictures to commemorate the event. Later that evening, I was showing off my new "do", and Ernie and Gary donned the wig. I must say, both of them looked quite good as blondes, with lots of locks. The color went well with Gary's beard. All that they were missing was gold chains around their necks. Rock on....
Our captain arranged a very special departure (presumably by doing some gift exchanging with the local port authorities). As the sun set, and night fell, we were able to cruise through Victoria Harbour, and witness the display of neon lights and a laser show among the skyscrapers. More than 30 buildings are decked out in lights, which glow and pulsate in a myriad of colors. One of the brochures described it as "A Symphony of Lights", which is a beautiful way of phrasing this multimedia event. This was a once in a lifetime, energizing experience. The ship's DJ, Matt, had compiled a CD of music, which played as we sailed away, amazed by the lights and colors. We girls met up with a Russian couple, Alla and Sasha, and chatted up a storm. They own a German restaurant in Perm, which is a city of one million people, by the Ural Mountains. Our fellow passengers are a very international bunch. We do not hear much American English spoken on the ship. It adds to the exotic feel of the cruise.
Just a short walk from our drop off point we entered the pier for the Star Ferry, transport across Victoria Harbour to Hong Kong Island. Since 1888 double-decker ferries have sailed back and forth between Kowloon and Hong King Island. It is still a common way for local people to commute. There are several routes; we were sure to take the "Central" ferry. First on the sightseeing agenda is Victoria Peak. We were waiting in line for the tram when numerous Princess Cruise excursion buses pulled up, with priority boarding on the tram. Seeing this, we decided that we would be wasting too much time, awaiting our turn, so we opted to grab a couple of taxis as an alternate means of getting to the Peak.
Victoria Peak is 1,800 feet above sea level, the highest point on Hong Kong Island, and provides an incredible panoramic view of the area's majesty... the beautiful harbor and world reknown corporate skyscrapers. The Peak is also the most fashionable, and expensive, area to live in Hong Kong. They say that if you haven't been to the Peak, you haven't been to Hong Kong. To reach the observation deck one travels on a series of many (many!) escalators. Each floor is lined with retail shops, and strategically, you must walk 180 degrees to get to the next "up" elevator, so you are forced to look at the shops. I call that an ideal situation and clever marketing. While others were using the WC, halfway up, I bought a decorative wall fan, and cloinsonne Christmas ornaments (including ones with Pandas and in the shape of elephants!). I can always use the WC later.... shopping is the priority! We enjoyed the views, although are photos didn't turn out perfectly, due to smog (lots of smog in the Asian cities). Hong Kong is truly a beautiful city, with lots of hills and greenery.
In one wing of the Peak's shopping mall there is a multi-storied atrium. In celebration of Halloween, this area had been decorated as a "Pumpkin Garden" (that's what they called it).... a multitude of hanging orange Chinese lanterns, with smiling pumpkin faces, and dangling tassles. They were wonderful. Since I love Halloween and everything about Halloween decorations, I truly thought I needed to have one of these lanterns, but we didn't find any for sale. Perhaps in Shanghai.... we shall see.
We caught another set of cabs (we need two for our party of eight) and headed downhill to Aberdeen. This is the one remaining place where you might see a sampan or a junk in the harbor. We strolled the waterfront, seeing how the women are shelling shrimp (from the day's catch) and drying various types of fish. The people who live on the boats in this area are called the "water people". It was a colorful step back into time. Our cab drivers waited for us, and we headed to the Stanley Market. On the way we passed by Repulse Bay. The hills surrounding the bay are strewn with luxury apartments, including the large complex called "Repulse Bay" with a giant square hole in the middle. Our driver told us that this is a feng shui design. There is a hillside behind the complex. In the morning the dragon flies from the hills, to the bay; in order to do so he passes through this opening. At night the dragon returns to the hills. I told the driver I wanted to see the dragon, and he laughed.
We did not have enough time at Stanley Market. It is marvelous, with merchants selling everything from casual clothes to art and knick-knacks. But, it's an organized chaos, and the merchants are very nice. We quickly adapted to $1 US = $7.75 Hong Kong dollars. I was enchanted by a black and gold silk sleeveless dress. It was lovely. You must remember that the local people are tiny, so the XL would have been my size. Fortunately, before I went to the trouble to try it on, the honest sales lady told me it would be too short for me. Duh, of course that would be true! You don't see local women towering around at 5'8". We never lose sight of Al because he definitely stands out in any crowd!
We had to keep watching the time, and it was time to head back to Kowloon, lest we get caught in rush hour traffic. We took the Star Ferry back, and in our quest for a dim sum lunch, we consulted the Lonely Planet book on Hong Kong, determining that the Window Cafe in the Kowloon Hotel (19-21 Nathan Road) would be a relatively short walk from the pier. This turned out to be a good choice, with a lovely menu of dim sum. Since Al and I were the only ones in the group who have any experience with dim sum, we did a boys' table and a girls' table. Dim sum delicacies are typically steamed in small bamboo baskets. In Seattle we are accustomed to the baskets being stacked on push carts and rolled around the dining room. In this swanky hotel, you ordered from a menu. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The girls left the boys, to pay the bill, and we went on our way to explore shopping a bit further. As it turned out, we didn't have much time at all, before we needed to catch the last shuttle bus to the ship at 4:00.
The bottom line is that we didn't have nearly enough time in Hong Kong, and as we chatted with other passengers, it seems everyone felt that we needed more hours in this gorgeous port. A good reason to return someday, and spend several days in Hong Kong's majesty.
When we returned to the ship, the girls decided it would be a good idea for me to have my "first haircut" now that I am seemingly sprouting "real" hair. Even though Al and Jan trimmed it before the cruise, it has grown enough that a professional's touch could help it grow out in a more tame fashion. We made an appointment with Daria in the ship's salon. She laughed and said it was certainly the fastest haircut she's ever given. She was delightful (from Slovenia), and we took pictures to commemorate the event. Later that evening, I was showing off my new "do", and Ernie and Gary donned the wig. I must say, both of them looked quite good as blondes, with lots of locks. The color went well with Gary's beard. All that they were missing was gold chains around their necks. Rock on....
Our captain arranged a very special departure (presumably by doing some gift exchanging with the local port authorities). As the sun set, and night fell, we were able to cruise through Victoria Harbour, and witness the display of neon lights and a laser show among the skyscrapers. More than 30 buildings are decked out in lights, which glow and pulsate in a myriad of colors. One of the brochures described it as "A Symphony of Lights", which is a beautiful way of phrasing this multimedia event. This was a once in a lifetime, energizing experience. The ship's DJ, Matt, had compiled a CD of music, which played as we sailed away, amazed by the lights and colors. We girls met up with a Russian couple, Alla and Sasha, and chatted up a storm. They own a German restaurant in Perm, which is a city of one million people, by the Ural Mountains. Our fellow passengers are a very international bunch. We do not hear much American English spoken on the ship. It adds to the exotic feel of the cruise.
posted by Sniglet's Mom @ 6:55 PM
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