Travel Report Hong Kong / Macau

Travel Report Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Hong Kong / Macau
one stop on Wendy's & Joe's world tour 2004/05

Hong Kong, Macau
 

 
Journal Update 26th August 2004 / Hong Kong

Honk Honk in Hong Kong
Well we woke up this morning (v. late as we were out late last night exploring the dark depths of the city (well we went up the road a bit anyway). The view from our YMCA is spectacular at night with a vista of Victoria Harbor skyscrapers with neon lights that change colour every couple of seconds.

Hong Kong Harbor & Downtown Kowloon

The typhoon seems to be hitting today with very foggy skies and rain (but not too serious at the moment). I am making full use of the free internet facilities at the shopping malls they have free kiosks that anyone can use. I think we will be stuck here for a while yet so may have to decamp to Chunk King Mansions for a cheaper pad in a couple of days to sit out the storm with the rats and other vermin that inhabit the place.
 

Hi all
We are off to Macau tomorrow on the hydrofoil. Hopefully the weather will improve there as Hong Kong is looking just like a wet day in old London town. We spent last night in a pub watching the rain bucket down and you could have been in an old pub in SOHO, which was strange as we were in SOHO (Hong Kong that is!).
We have left the luxury of the YMCA overlooking Hong Kong island for a nice little guest house called Lee Gardens Hotel. The room is just a bit bigger than a broom cupboard but very clean. Also the place is run by a nice man called Charlie Chan who is very kind and took pity on us and lent us his umbrella.

We have had a good time in Hong Kong but it is so much like London it was a shock to the system! Especially walking in to a Levi's Store and seeing all those jeans hanging up. I got a bit of post traumatic stress disorder remembering being at work all those months ago.
Well that's it for now, we are looking forward to hitting all those shopping factory outlets in China (v. cheap you know). Ta Ta Wendy B

 
Journal Update 02nd Sept 2004 / Macau 

Hello from Macau
Don't be surprised if you don't hear from us for a while when we get into China as internet cafes are few and far between in these parts! We are currently in The Macau Cultural Center Library (where we have to wear sensible shoes and whisper to one another). I quite like it though as I have always had a thing for libraries. Joe is finding it hard not to fiddle and keep his voice lowered and he's letting a few curses fly around.

Macau is very interesting culturally as it was a territory of the Portuguese up until 1999 so it has a very European/Spanish feel to the place. We are staying in a decaying squat in the Centre of town. Joe was quite miffed at first as he had got used to the luxury of the YMCA, but when he woke up this morning he looked around and said fondly "this reminds me of my old house in Hedgehope Avenue, look it even has the same shitty brown, thread bare carpets".
Well at around a tenner a night we can live with it for a few days. The food update is that we are eating oodles of noodles (very dull) and some nice Portuguese cakes (yummy). The menu's make interesting reading with things like, pigs ears, frogs spleens, calves livers and cows bladders all fried up with vermicelli.
 

Journal Update 02nd Sept 2004 / Macau
Yesterday we had a jolly good time visiting the art deco Red Market which sells all sorts of mad food. Joe like the fish section as you get to see the fish murdered in front of your eyes. First they bonk them on the head with the cleaver then they pull out the hearts which they put on the side as it is still pumping blood. Then they de-scale it, cut of the head and pull out the brains. All in a matter of seconds then pop it in a bag and it is as good as dinner! Same thing goes for the poultry and live stock upstairs, as you can imagine I kept out of that section.

Whilst we were waiting for our pre-allocated time slot to use the internet at 14.15pm we went to have a look round the new Sands Casino. Total madness - The lights were dulled to lull you in to thinking it was midnight and all around were lots of Chinese people looking very angry because they were always losing.

Joe's eyes lit up with little Hong Kong dollar signs and he said wistfully, "Wow, I've never seen gambling before!" I had to shoo him out the door as I don't fancy loosing our cash and having to rough it back at Chung King Mansions.

We are off to Shenzen in China in the next few days (apparently it is the place to SHOP in China as all the factory surplus goes there). Hopefully Joe will buy a new pair of shorts as the ones he has worn for the last 5 months have become decidedly soiled.

Wendy Brierley

a further stop on Wendy's & Joe's world tour 2004/05