Homeward Bound

New Years Day 2011 was our last day in Hong Kong; our flight back to Dubai was leaving at 00:35 the next morning. When we got dressed in the morning we knew we'd be wearing the same clothes for the next 40 odd hours.

Luckily, Hong Kong is very efficient and well-organised, so we were able to check-in at the Airport Express in Kowloon Station, which meant that we'd be able to get rid of our bags and have the minimum of fuss travelling to, and through, the airport that night.

We had a good lunch with Laura, Scott, Charlotte and Rod in a restaurant near their hotel and then had a walk into TST, where there was a record-breaking chinese dragon event going on. Unfortunately we were too late and we missed it, but we did see a lot of the performers packing up the costumes. Sally and I then spent about an hour trying to find a flower shop that was open, to get some flowers for Laura - in the end we did find one and managed to get some lilies.

In the evening we went for our final meal with everybody, in a Thai restaurant in TST. I was still full from our big lunch so just shared a mixed starter with Laura, and Sally picked at a salad.

At 10:30 the time came to start our journey, so we said our goodbyes to Rod and Charlotte and got a cab to the Airport Express terminal at Kowloon Station with Scott and Laura. The trains come every 12 minutes and we had about 5 minutes to wait until ours arrived. It was obviously a very emotional 5 minutes, especially for Sally and Laura, and in the end I had to almost drag them apart so we didn't miss our train.

It was a quick but quiet ride to the airport and we were on the plane almost before we knew it. The 9 hour flight to Dubai seemed to pass very quickly, as we both slept nearly all the way, and the 2 1/2 hour in Dubai was just long enough for a couple of coffees and a bit of shopping.

Sally about to go through security

The Dubai to Larnaca leg seemed longer, even though it was only 4 hours, but we arrived at Larnaca Airport still feeling reasonably fresh and awake. Unfortunately, we arrived at 10:30 and our flight to Heathrow wasn't until 16:15, so we did have quite a bit of time to kill - but we had a drink outside in the spring-like weather until we could check-in our bags at 13:30 and then went through to departures.

By the time we boarded our flight home we were starting to feel very tired and dirty, and the 5 hour flight felt much longer than that, but eventually we did arrive at Heathrow and were back home by 22:00, after over 30 hours travelling. We showered and went straight to bed - and Sally slept solidly for 13 hours!

Discovery Bay and New Year in Hong Kong Harbour

Beach at Discovery Bay

On the last day of 2010 we took the ferry to Discovery Bay. This is a slightly weird community of 16000 people on Lantau Island, originally conceived as a leisure resort in 1976. It's a little bit like 'The Truman Show' meets 'The Prisoner' with a bit of 'The Stepford Wives' thrown in - everything is a bit too perfect. Nobody is allowed to have a private car and the residents need to use public transport or buy a golf cart (which apparently cost as much as a new BMW).

Golf Carts at Discovery Bay

We had a walk around, went to the harbour and then back to the town centre where we had lunch before boarding the ferry back to Hong Kong.

Everyone had agreed that we'd have an Indian meal in the evening and, after making a few enquiries, Scott found a restaurant called Tandoor, in Central on Hong Kong Island, not far from where we'd be seeing in the new year.

After a hurried change, we hopped in a cab and set off.  As it was New Year's Eve many of the roads had been closed and the cab driver, thinking we were all tourists, tried to use this as an excuse to rip us off, by claiming that the other tunnel would cost $60 - luckily Laura spotted this and we only paid the $10 it actually cost. The cab driver wasn't amused, but as the rules they operate under are very strict and we could have called the police, he had no option but to accept this.

Charlotte and Laura at Tandoor Restaurant

It took a bit of time, but we managed to find our way to the restaurant in a closed street lined with police vans. When we went in we found that all the other customers were indian, and there was an indian band playing, so we were expecting the meal to be authentic. It was all a bit confusing to us, starters were brought to the table, but the main and dessert were from a buffet, but the food was fantastic; my favourite meal of the holiday.

We left the restaurant and caught cabs to Central ferry port where we boarded a boat (actually a re-purposed car ferry) to sail out into the harbour, where we'd be able to get the best view of the fireworks. It was all a bit frantic, jostling for the best position on the boat, but we did manage to get a place right at the front and waited as the boat became one of hundreds, of all shapes and sizes and many with loud parties, on the crowded waterway.

Fireworks on IFC Building in Hong Kong

With a minute to go until midnight, a countdown started, displayed in lights on the IFC (International Finance Centre), one of the tallest buldings in Hong Kong and overlooking the harbour. Everyone joined in the count at about 20, and when the clock reached zero, 2011 was displayed vertically on the building and it became the centre of a firework display co-ordinated across many buildings along the harbourfront. Fireworks exploded from the top, and ran up and down the sides of the building as the crowd did the usual 'oos' and 'ahs'.

New Year Toast in Hong Kong Harbour

When the short display was over, Scott opened a bottle of champagne and we toasted in the New Year. It was a fantastic and spectacular end to one of the best years ever for Sally and I.

Location:IFC Building, Hong Kong Harbour

A Hike to Lion Rock

View over Sha Tin from Maclehose Trail

Most places we've been here have been very crowded and very often we've had to queue for some time to get there, get in or get back. Today we thought it would be nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and go for a hike in the countryside. Laura found a trail in a tourist guide that she'd not yet done called the Maclehose Trail, which would take us past the the Kowloon Reservoirs to Lion Rock - in theory.

Kowloon from Maclehose Trail

In practice, we did have a few problems. Firstly, we struggled to find a taxi driver that knew enough english to understand where we wanted to go, or knew where it was. Laura did manage to find a helpful shop assistant that acted as a translater for us and she spoke to a taxi driver that did appear to know where we wanted to go, by pointing up. We set off in the cab which went uphill for a long time, until we came to a very windy one-way road and started to see some fantastic views. He dropped us off in a very pretty spot and we looked around to get our bearings - unfortunately we couldn't see any sign of the trail.

The Outdoor Life

Luckily, a group of hikers came along and their guide could speak english very well. He explained how to get to the trail by following the road until it came to a junction, and then turning right - so we set off. We immediately started going uphill along the road, taking photos of the marvellous views as we went, until we came to the Hong Kong Meteorological Observatory where a helicopter was making repeated deliveries from the city below. The road just kept on going and going for a very long way with no sign of the trail, but eventually we did come to a junction, where we did find the trail heading up a steep hill which we took for some time - until we realised it was headed back the way we'd come.

Don't feed the Monkeys

So we doubled back again and carried on down the road for a long way; it began to look like it was headed down into the city when we came across a 'proper' trail signposted to Lion Rock, with a sign warning about the dangers of Macaque monkeys (this worried Laura as she is convinced they are evil).

Lion Rock

Time was getting on but we took the steps up the trail, and up, and before heading into the jungle. We walked for a long way as the sun got lower and lower. Then there was a loud noise and I looked down the hill to see a large grey monkey running along the ground about 30 feet away - Laura said there were a few of them. This did put the wind up us a bit and we picked up the pace!

Just before the sun set we reached a sign that pointed down the hill toward the city - 1.3km away, and we started the walk down the steep hill. By the time we got there it was completely dark and we got a cab and the MTR back to the apartment.

We spent a lovely evening at Laura and Scott's for dinner.

Location:Lion Rock, Hong Kong

Macau and Cirque du Soleil

Ruins of St. Pauls - Macau

Laura and Scott had very kindly got us tickets to see Cirque du Soleil at the Venetian Hotel, Macau on Wednesday. Again, we had a rather late start, and Adam and Zara said they'd meet up with us later, as Adam was feeling a bit delicate after our late night in Wan Chai.

Sunset over Macau

As Macau is a different country we had to take our passports to the ferry port, and we boarded a hydrofoil for the hour long journey. I had no idea what to expect from Macau, apart from what Laura had told us. It was a Portuguese colony and so quite different in character from Hong Kong, but like Hong Kong, is a Special Administrative Region of The People's Republic of China. The first impression, from the hour long queue at passport control, wasn't good - but when we did get through, and got a taxi into the old part of town that started to change.

Don't ask!

As we walked around the old town we could have been in Portugal and the feel was very different from Hong Kong. We sampled the egg tart, a local speciality which is really delicious, and something which looks a bit like a sheet of beef jerky, but made of pork and beef and very sweet.

We visited the ruins of St. Pauls and the nearby fortress where we had fantastic views of the sunset and the city starting to light up. We were now running rather late and had to grab a meal as quickly as we could - Scott and Laura went on to the Venetian Hotel ahead of us as they had to pick up the tickets. After some delay we managed to get a taxi to the hotel and then navigated through the huge building, through the casino, and on to the Zaia Theatre, with about 5 minutes to spare before the Cirque du Soleil show started.

Cirque du Soleil

And what a show! The whole production was even more spectacular than I could have imagined, with performers flying in an out through the air in all directions. There were floating spacemen, upside down flying bicycles, acrobats, jugglers, giant globes, chinese dragons, fireworks - I can't even begin to describe it. If you get the chance, go and see it.

Grande Canal Shoppes

After the show, we strolled around the complex, through the 'Grande Canal Shoppes' upstairs, with a recreation of Venice, complete with canals and gondolas, and then back through the casino. The view of the hotel was even more spectacular outside in the dark.

Escalators to the casino

It was now 11pm and Sally and I decided to take the ferry back as the others went on into town. With a very late night the night before, and an hour long ferry crossing back to Hong Kong ahead of us, we were feeling a bit knackered. Our tickets were for a ferry scheduled for 12:45, but luckily we managed to get standby seats on the one leaving at midnight.

The Venetian Hotel

It didn't take long to get through passport control (although I think the guy on the desk didn't quite believe that the picture on Sally's passport was of her) and we caught a taxi back to the apartment. We fell into bed exhausted after a long, but very enjoyable day.

Location:Ruins of St. Pauls, Macau

Big Buddha and Wan Chai

View from the cable car

We had a late start on Tuesday as Scott's friends Adam and Zara overslept due to jetlag, and I took the opportunity to get a long overdue haircut, which was an experience it itself; Mikey's will never be the same again! Finally, around lunchtime, we took our longest trip so far on the MTR, to Tung Chung on Lantau Island. After a quick lunch here we took the cable car to Ngong Ping.

The buddha is the one in the background

The cable car ride is quite long and provides spectacular views of the mountainous landscape, and also the airport as we climbed up the first section. The ride is worth taking for its own sake, but when you get near Ngong Ping you get first sight of the Buddha, Tian Tan, sat on a hilltop in the distance - and its a very big Buddha.

After disembarking from the cable car we walked through Ngong Ping (which is basically a tourist trap full  of shops) to the base of the hill that the Buddha sits on. Laura, Scott, Adam and Zara climbed the long flight of steps to the top, but I stayed with Sally at bottom as her back was playing up. We also visited Po Lin monastery, before making our way back to the cable car for the return journey, where we found a huge queue of people waiting. It took over an hour to get on the cable car and we had a quite surreal ride back as the cable car had no lights.

Tian Tan

We were now running quite late, and we only had a few minutes at the apartment before we had to go back out, as we were having an evening meal in the Wan Chai district on Hong Kong Island. The meal was really good; Sally said it was the best chinese meal she'd ever had.

Afterwards we went for a drink in this slightly seedy area, and after a few more, the girls decided to go back and leave the boys to have another drink. It was nearly 4 o'clock before we got back and that's why this post is a day late.

Location:Tian Tan, Lantau Island

A Day Trip to Stanley

View from the 6X on the way to Stanley

The original plan for today was a trip to the races, but Scott and Laura's friends Adam and Zara arrived from the UK early in the morning and weren't really up to it, so Sally and I had the day to ourselves. Laura had told us that Stanley Market was a good place to visit, so I Googled 'how to get from Kowloon to Stanley Market' and off we went.

We walked to TST and got the MTR to Central; there we found the bus terminus and boarded the 6X (good choice) to Stanley Market. Being some of the first in the queue we managed to get the front seats on the top deck of the bus to get the best view, although we did have some reservations about this after the 'ride of terror' down from The Peak a couple of days ago. We needn't have worried; we had a really enjoyable ride and got to see some amazing scenery.

The promenade at Stanley

On the beach at Stanley

When we arrived we found that Stanley is a bit like an English seaside resort, except it's busy, very clean and well kept-up - and sunny. We took a stroll along the front, visited Tin Hau Temple (which was interesting but filled with incense smoke) and then continued our walk along to the Sea View Terrace. Here Sally spotted a sign warning of snakes and that put her on edge for the rest of the walk, but we did descend onto the beach and enjoyed some absolutely beautiful views.

Sally in Tin Hau Temple

After an extortionately-priced beer and coffee we walked back to bus stop and caught the 973 back to TST. This is a much longer route but we wanted to see as much as we could - and we managed to get the top front seats again. Being a long route it was rather more expensive and set us back the grand sum of £1.20 each!

We decided that we'd go grocery shopping on our way back as we both fancied an evening in. Hong Kong is in many ways, much more well-organised than the UK; but one thing they seem to have hopelessly wrong is supermarket checkouts - they are incredibly slow and inefficient and the queues stretch up the crowded aisles. The locals must have infinite patience (although they appear to have no manners) to put up with this; I'd almost lost the will to live by the time we got served.

Waterfront view of TST on walk back to apartment

Afterwards we walked back to the apartment and had beans on toast (which we thoroughly enjoyed!) followed by fresh fruit and Haagen-Dazs lollys, and then watched a movie before going to bed.

Location:Stanley, Hong Kong

Boxing Day

Morning view from our apartment

We woke up to a glorious sunny morning in Hong Kong and, after having a bit of a tough time getting Sally out of bed, we joined Laura, Rod and Charlotte in a taxi ride to Hong Kong Football Club at Happy Valley, where Scott was playing football. We sat in the bar area and watched the match in the warm sunshine with a few drinks. It was a special Boxing Day match between England and Scotland and finished 5-1 to Scotland. If England had scored a lot more goals and let in a lot fewer goals they would have won.

Relaxing at Happy Vally

Night view of Hong Kong Island

After a good lunch Sally, Laura and I took a bus back to our apartments and we had a bit of time relaxing. In the evening Rod, Charlotte and Scott went for a chinese meal, but after spending 3 weeks eating chinese food, Sally and I decided to give it a miss, and, with Laura, went to McLovin's where we went on our first night here. Here we had a more international choice of food, live (very entertaining) music and a view across the waterway to Hong Kong Island. Unfortunately, I forgot how expensive the drinks were and had three of them, which helped towards clocking up a bill of £80!

Location:Happy Valley Sports Club, Hong Kong