Sunday 26 September 2010

Hong Kong

ok, got to be honest, not everwhlemed by hong kong. we got there on the first day and had the whole day free so after a shower we all took the subway then the cable car to a giant budda. the subway is really woerd over there, its like one giant long carriage, like a really really really long bendy bus so when you look down its almost like a wierd optical illusion. the gian budda was good, there was a monestry there which was very pretty.
The next day we had the morning to ourselves, then in the afternoon visited victoria peak which is the highest peak on hong kong island and where all the english settled as it was to hot for them down by the harbour. from there you can really appriciate the landscape, with the mountains just appearing from the ocean, and the high rises didn't seem as big from where we were. we then went on a sanpan or water taxi around aberdeen fishing villiage, and all got confused as to why there were boats in the middle of the water, with no one on them. did the people have to swim to shore? then we realised: sanpan... water taxi... thats how they get to shore. we vitisted stanly market after that which was ok then went out for a chinese meal. that was very good, some dishes were unlike anything you would get in the UK. after dinner we went for a ferry ride back to our hotel then saw a laser light show. the buldings on the other side of the harbour all lit up and there were lasers and music, but honestly it was crap.
Our last day was basically a drive to a buddist temple then a walk around a place full of fortune tellers then a visit to the jade market before heading to the airport.
Hong Kong is only 200 years old, and for 150 years was a birtish colony so it wasn't very 'Chinese.' There are 7million people crammed into a tiny area of land, as no one wants to emmigrate to China, even though Honk Kong is now Chinese the people of Hong Kong still need a visa to go there. It was just full of modern high rises and had very little character. the Budda was only 18 years old showing that its main tourists attractions are very young. Having said that it wasn't all bad. the people were friendly, the views of the mountains and the harbour were beautiful and at night when the city is all lit up it looks stunning, just not enough character or culture for me.  It was also good to get to know my fellow travellers, the atmosphere was a bit like freshers week all over again!!!

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