So today I was planning to get to the airport early, drop off my bag and go visit the giant Buddha on Lantau Island. It worked well for the most part, I was able to check in at the train station before even getting to the airport, and so I was here by about 9:20 for a 14:00 flight, and went looking for a way to get to the buddha, but apparently it is a 45 minute drive to the buddha so I could not go and be back in time for customs etc... so I have had to amuse myself here at the giant airport instead....
Oh well in a few, OK 7 hours I'll be in Beijing on my way to finding the Mongolian Consulate YAY!!!!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Indian holy man fortune tellers, fuzzy hair and the symphony of light
I am making the most of fast and user friendly internet in Hong Kong to get my blog fill before I head into the wilderness of outback china.
So what a day....
I left the hotel at 9:15 this morning and have only just arrived back now at 21:45 and I am buggered!!
So I walked to the metro stop and caught the train to Hong Kong Island and headed up the Peak Tram, I now understand why the girl at the info stand at the Airport's eyes nearly poped out of her head when I asked about walking up Victoria Peak, I would have died I'm sure!! But the tram was very cool, although scarily steep in places, but the view from the top was amazing, the smog wasn't so bad today, as I was able to see the mountains surrounding Kowloon. After finding the Hard Rock Cafe (if I didn't see the ad I would not have gone, but now I have another guitar pin) I went on the Victoria Peak Circut Walk. It is always interesting doing a circut walk when you have no idea whatsoever how far the circut is, in this case it turned out to be a very enjoyable 3km stroll around the peak, surrounded by rainforest and beautiful scenery.
From there it was back down the Peak Tram to Hong Kong Central where I wandered for a couple of hours, had lunch in a massive shopping mall and then found my way to the ferry terminal where I thought for a moment I was in London as there was the Big Bus Company double decker bus tours, so I decided that I should see all the highlight sights of Hong Kong, seeing as I am really only here for one day. The tour around Hong Kong island lasted for 1hour and 15 minutes and we saw most of the highlights I guess, on our travels I noticed a series of escalators going up the hill so I decided that I wanted to find them and see where they go, as it tuns out there is only one escalator on each section and it was going up, this realisation really hit me after 30 minutes of following the escalators up the mountain and I realised that I then had to walk all the way back down the stairs, so although I did not reach the top, I turned around and headed back to the ferry terminal to catch the ferry back to Kowloon.
The lovely comentary on the bus was nice enough to remind us that the humidity was around 80%, like i needed telling, my hair had let me know when I woke up this morning as it had doubled in volume, at it was this point when I realised why my hairdresser was in shock for not being able to straighten my hair....
Anyway once i had made it back to Kowloon I made my way along the avenue of stars, said hello to Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee and Chow Yung Fat and joined up with the Big Bus Tour of Kowloon, that took us around the major highlights of this side of Victoria Harbour and pointed out the area where I am staying as the true Hong Kong, so there you go...
After another 1 hour and 15 minutes of sitting on the top of an open double decker bus I had truely turned into a beetroot and was feeling a little conspicuous, and as I was walking back along to the avenue of stars I was stopped by an Indian Holy man from Punjab who then proceeded to tell my fortune, aparently I am a lucky person and am going to live a long life, although I am a little worried as he then asked me for $1000 for the privelige of being told my fortune, I ran away after giving him about $180, I am just hoping that Indian Holly Men can not bring curses onto people....
Once I had recovered from that experience I settled into my position to watch the amazing Symphony of Lights, this is a light and laser show that runs every night on victoria harbour, it was very cool and I think I even managed a couple of reasonable photos.
13 minutes later it was all over and I began the walk back to the hotel, I headed up Nathan road past all the night markets and late night shopping, and finally made it back to the hotel.
A most enjoyable day, my only hope is that I am actually able to move tomorrow.
Off to Beijing tomorrow afternoon.
PS. I am using this blog as a journal so I don't have to write it all twice so that is why it is a touch verbose.
So what a day....
I left the hotel at 9:15 this morning and have only just arrived back now at 21:45 and I am buggered!!
So I walked to the metro stop and caught the train to Hong Kong Island and headed up the Peak Tram, I now understand why the girl at the info stand at the Airport's eyes nearly poped out of her head when I asked about walking up Victoria Peak, I would have died I'm sure!! But the tram was very cool, although scarily steep in places, but the view from the top was amazing, the smog wasn't so bad today, as I was able to see the mountains surrounding Kowloon. After finding the Hard Rock Cafe (if I didn't see the ad I would not have gone, but now I have another guitar pin) I went on the Victoria Peak Circut Walk. It is always interesting doing a circut walk when you have no idea whatsoever how far the circut is, in this case it turned out to be a very enjoyable 3km stroll around the peak, surrounded by rainforest and beautiful scenery.
From there it was back down the Peak Tram to Hong Kong Central where I wandered for a couple of hours, had lunch in a massive shopping mall and then found my way to the ferry terminal where I thought for a moment I was in London as there was the Big Bus Company double decker bus tours, so I decided that I should see all the highlight sights of Hong Kong, seeing as I am really only here for one day. The tour around Hong Kong island lasted for 1hour and 15 minutes and we saw most of the highlights I guess, on our travels I noticed a series of escalators going up the hill so I decided that I wanted to find them and see where they go, as it tuns out there is only one escalator on each section and it was going up, this realisation really hit me after 30 minutes of following the escalators up the mountain and I realised that I then had to walk all the way back down the stairs, so although I did not reach the top, I turned around and headed back to the ferry terminal to catch the ferry back to Kowloon.
The lovely comentary on the bus was nice enough to remind us that the humidity was around 80%, like i needed telling, my hair had let me know when I woke up this morning as it had doubled in volume, at it was this point when I realised why my hairdresser was in shock for not being able to straighten my hair....
Anyway once i had made it back to Kowloon I made my way along the avenue of stars, said hello to Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee and Chow Yung Fat and joined up with the Big Bus Tour of Kowloon, that took us around the major highlights of this side of Victoria Harbour and pointed out the area where I am staying as the true Hong Kong, so there you go...
After another 1 hour and 15 minutes of sitting on the top of an open double decker bus I had truely turned into a beetroot and was feeling a little conspicuous, and as I was walking back along to the avenue of stars I was stopped by an Indian Holy man from Punjab who then proceeded to tell my fortune, aparently I am a lucky person and am going to live a long life, although I am a little worried as he then asked me for $1000 for the privelige of being told my fortune, I ran away after giving him about $180, I am just hoping that Indian Holly Men can not bring curses onto people....
Once I had recovered from that experience I settled into my position to watch the amazing Symphony of Lights, this is a light and laser show that runs every night on victoria harbour, it was very cool and I think I even managed a couple of reasonable photos.
13 minutes later it was all over and I began the walk back to the hotel, I headed up Nathan road past all the night markets and late night shopping, and finally made it back to the hotel.
A most enjoyable day, my only hope is that I am actually able to move tomorrow.
Off to Beijing tomorrow afternoon.
PS. I am using this blog as a journal so I don't have to write it all twice so that is why it is a touch verbose.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Don't eat noodles with chopsticks in a fancy restaurant
Well after all the predeparture dramas, I have finally made it safely to Hong Kong, it was a great flight, amazing to think that after 5 hours we were still flying over Australia, but the desert looked amazing from the air, we flew over Mungo National Park and Broken Hill and then straight across the desert to Darwin, then sea till Kong Kong, well that's what I think it was we were in cloud and being blinded by the reflections of the sun, so I watched movies...
Anyway, arrived at the hotel around 4:30, checked in and went for a walk, I have found my way to the train station so I am ready for my big adventure tomorrow. I asked the girl at the tourist counter at the airport about things to do and when I asked how long it took to walk up victoria peak her eyes nearly popped out of her head, so I guess I shouldn't try that, the cable car is there already anyway...
So I decided with my massively blood shot eyes from the plane, I should have an early night so I booked dinner in the chinese restaurant in the hotel, and yes they do do banquets for one person!! It was so very good too, although the waiter did come and give me a knife and fork half way through, I think he saw the state of the once pristine table cloth. Sorry.
It is a slightly unnerving feeling however to be waited on by people wearing face masks, it was the same on the flight over, some of the flight attendants wearing face masks. I do think however it is mainly people in service industries as most people on the street do not. It is however the first time I have had my temperature checked before being allowed to check in to a hotel!!!
Anyway, I'd better go as I have a big day ahead tomorrow.
Speak again soon,
Marni
Anyway, arrived at the hotel around 4:30, checked in and went for a walk, I have found my way to the train station so I am ready for my big adventure tomorrow. I asked the girl at the tourist counter at the airport about things to do and when I asked how long it took to walk up victoria peak her eyes nearly popped out of her head, so I guess I shouldn't try that, the cable car is there already anyway...
So I decided with my massively blood shot eyes from the plane, I should have an early night so I booked dinner in the chinese restaurant in the hotel, and yes they do do banquets for one person!! It was so very good too, although the waiter did come and give me a knife and fork half way through, I think he saw the state of the once pristine table cloth. Sorry.
It is a slightly unnerving feeling however to be waited on by people wearing face masks, it was the same on the flight over, some of the flight attendants wearing face masks. I do think however it is mainly people in service industries as most people on the street do not. It is however the first time I have had my temperature checked before being allowed to check in to a hotel!!!
Anyway, I'd better go as I have a big day ahead tomorrow.
Speak again soon,
Marni
Monday, May 4, 2009
The Journey Begins.....soon
So I will be offon another journey in less then 2 weeks, and I still don't have my Chinese visa yet, I am not panicing, just slightly concerned that the consulate is on holidays for a week so by the time I can put in my application it will be less than a week till I go, cool, nothing like leaving things to the last minute.
First stop on my journey is Hong Kong, where I will be resting for a couple of days before heading off to Beijing and the Great Wall of China for an overnight stay on an unrestored section of the wall, from there it is on the train, then another train and another and so on. I haven't done a total calculation but there will be over 160 hours spent on trains along the trip, hopefully they are nice trains...
First stop on my journey is Hong Kong, where I will be resting for a couple of days before heading off to Beijing and the Great Wall of China for an overnight stay on an unrestored section of the wall, from there it is on the train, then another train and another and so on. I haven't done a total calculation but there will be over 160 hours spent on trains along the trip, hopefully they are nice trains...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
