day 2 Hong Kong

Holiday Day 3 – Hong Kong Day 2. June 30th

After getting our monies worth from the buffet breakfast, the girls went back their room for a rest and some diary writing and Brian and I went to look for a Laundromat. With the hot wet weather we were churning through the clothes. In a little back street we found a local laundry – HK$25.00 for 7lbs of washing – perfect. We then walked through a local food market – bananas were AUD.25c each.

After getting that sorted out we once aging headed down Nathan Road towards the Harbour – shopping along the way. The girls each purchased a funky pair of Le Coq Sportif runners. Today was the first day of the Hong Kong Shopping Festival and all the shops had sales on. After boarding on the underground train crossed under the harbour to Hong Kong Island – our destination The Peak. We walked through the pouring rain past all the designer shops. The locals love a sale and an absolute frenzy was taking place in some of the usually more refined establishments. We headed up towards the Mid-Level escalators. These are a very long succession of escalators that take you up through the Ex-pat area of Soho.

Once we reached the top and then proceeded to walk down the hill again – in the rain, and eventually we found the cable car terminal. I think we must have gone straight past it on the escalators.

The cable car takes you up a very steep incline to The Peak. This has all been re-developed and now a rather spectacular building houses a lot of shops and several restaurants. Normally the view from here over Hong Kong and Kowloon is very spectacular, but unfortunately it was still raining lightly and very misty. But through the mist you could still see quite a bit of the island and Kowloon. We had intended to stay for the sunset, but as there was no sun, we headed back down on the cable car, boarded an open top double Decker bus and headed for the underground that took us back to Jordan street station, which is near our hotel. The underground stations have more than one exit, and when we came up onto Nathan Road we had no idea which direction the Hotel was. It would have helped if one of us had remembered what number Nathan Road it was. After a family conference we set out in the direction we though it was – wrong!!! Fortunately we found someone who spoke English and a quick u-turn later we back at The Majestic.

We changed clothes and set off for the Temple Street market. I failed bargaining again and Courtenay paid about HK$40.00 too much for a handbag, but Rebecca was starring in the bargaining department. Her HK$180.00 handbag was eventually purchased for HK$75.00. It was pouring with rain and business was very slow, so obviously there were bargains to be had. The Temple Chilli crab beckoned again for dinner. It was still raining heavily and the outside awnings had a lot of holes in them. Consequently you got a little damp as you ate. The wait staff all wore gumboots!.
Rebecca ordered Chicken and corn soup which arrived in a very large bowl. The 4 elderly Chinamen sitting on the table next to us we most amused as she set about devouring it.

Back to the hotel, and the end of another busy day. 17664 steps!