Wednesday, February 11, 2004
HONG KONG
See photos of Ken and Judy's trip to Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is a city that invites superlatives. The best shopping, the most efficient transit system, the tallest buildings, the most islands, the most stunning views, the most outdoor markets, the most accommodating sales staffs, the most amazing bus drivers, the best roller coaster rides on a bus, and for us, the best temperatures and greenest trees and grass and flowers we’d seen in a very long time!
Our first and lasting impression of this city is that it is so orderly. We had a very complete set of instructions from our host about how to get from the airport to the apartment, and were somewhat concerned about the distance from the airport (Chek Lap Kok), which is on Lantau Island to Hong Kong, a different island to Ap Lei Chau, yet another island where the apartment is situated. A very modern rail system, the Airport Express, whisked us from the airport to our connection at Central, one of hubs of the very efficient MTR (Mass Transit Railway) where we followed the signs to ranks of waiting taxis kept in order by a courteous attendant who had us on our way in seconds. The cab driver spoke English, we had an interesting conversation about the Saturday races and what the weather was like in BJ, and soon we were at South Horizons and our friend’s apartment, where we would spend the next 10 days recuperating from our daily sight seeing and shopping excursions, getting to know our hosts as well as this marvellous city.
Our hosts were Kathy Davies from Mount Forest and Teresa Striker from the Durham/Chatsworth area - a bit of Grey County in HK. Both are primary teachers at two of the many international schools in HK. Kathy is at the Hong Kong International School, an American kindergarten to Grade 12 facility and Teresa is at the Canadian International School of Hong Kong which also accepts students at all grades. Both schools are showpieces of architecture, facilities and equipment. Beautiful gyms, swimming pools, indoor playgrounds, outdoor grounds, rooms full of computers and so on. Each school is situated high above the shore, giving stunning views from every window. Built as they are down the side of the mountain, there are numerous floors and stairs and elevators between levels. A good way to get your daily exercise, we think. Kathy and Teresa gave us many valuable tips on how and where to go, and joined us several times for meals and special shopping excursions. Since we are all teachers, Canadians and Grey County residents, we had much to discuss. They were very gracious hosts.
As we became more familiar with Hong Kong, we were even more aware of the well-organized transit system. Buses run regularly and frequently, most are double-deckers, and pick up passengers at well-marked stops. When we had doubts about where to get off, we asked the driver, who called to us when our stop came along. The MTR (subway to us) has many different lines which run along the north shore of Hong Kong, under Victoria Harbour and north, east and west on the mainland of Kowloon. At most stations, glass floor to ceiling panels separate passengers from the subway tracks, keeping them safe and almost eliminating the noise of trains moving through the station. When a train arrives, the train doors line up with the doors in the glass panels, which both open at the same time. Neat!
But what makes the entire transit system work so well is the Octopus Card. The size of a credit card, it can be electronically loaded with money and used in special readers on all buses, subway stations, ferry connections and even pop machines. The amount of the ride or purchase is deducted from the total. When the balance gets low, you reload it at convenient reloading machines in the subway or even at the 7/11 (Yes, HK has these too!). This is such a good idea, because you are never left trying to find the exact change or a token or ticket stashed in a pocket or purse. Paying is seamless and painless. We recommend that the TTC look into this immediately! (yeah, fat chance).
As well as the lush mountainous terrain of numerous islands situated within view of each other, and the magnificent skyscrapers climbing up the northern shore of HK island, there are numerous sights to see. Of course, we went to the Peak, a high (but not the highest) point of land on HK island. In fact, we went twice, once for dinner on Ken’s birthday to see the lights of the decorated buildings below and the fireworks set off regularly to celebrate CNY, and again during the day to make sure we hadn’t missed anything. There are very modern, recently constructed shopping arcades at the Peak, which also contain several restaurants and terraces to view the city. The second time we took the bus, which winds its way laboriously up the very steep incline, passing gates to expensive properties along the way. We were upstairs in a double decker, and that height gave us a better view of the long drops just inches away from the curb of the road -- no guardrails anywhere. We descended by tramcar, the incline so steep that we had the illusion of buildings being at a 45-degree angle -- it was us, of course! We found the trip up and down just as interesting as being at the top. In our travels, the Peak is a great TT.
We went by ferry to the very mountainous Lantau Island to see the largest outdoor bronze Buddha in the world, part of the Po Lin Monastery. The Buddha is indeed huge, even from the ground. Along with many others on a cold and windy morning, we climbed the 268 stairs to the top to look Buddha in the eye, and also to see from above the terrain below. Our guidebook warned us that the site has become a miniature Disneyland rather than a place of quiet retreat, and we would heartily agree with this assessment. We did enjoy the bus ride through green, tangled forests full of ferns and palm trees, touched with mist as the low clouds drifted by. On our return to the harbour we had lunch in a DeliFrance. Eating our way through crab bisque and egg salad on french bread was a stark contrast to our surroundings and the Po Lin Monastery!
Hong Kong Park, located in the centre of the busy city, is a wonderful experience. Pots of chrysanthemums and dahlias lined the entrance stairs, and beyond we found ponds full of koi and turtles, waterfalls and fountains, gardens of flowers and trees in blossom, while all around us loomed magnificent glass and metal skyscrapers. The conservatory contained many varieties of orchids, cherry trees in blossom and desert plants carefully tended in a separate, extensive garden. The best part was the Aviary, a large netted space containing a huge variety of birds native to the area. We walked on a wooden deck about 20 feet above the ground, so that we were at a level to see the birds in the many trees, vines and lush plants of their environment. We were there about half an hour when two very serious looking guards began shooing us toward the exit, giving us an explanation in Cantonese. We walked as slowly as we could, but were eventually led through the door as another guard posted a sign which said that the HK Aviary would be closed until further notice because of avian flu. We were the very last people to be there for some time, we think. We consoled ourselves with a lovely Thai lunch at the outdoor restaurant on the site. And yes, it was warm enough to eat outdoors comfortably. Afterward we watched a bride and groom -- dressed in their wedding finery --have their pictures taken in the park. Apparently this is THE PLACE to have one’s wedding photos taken.
Because the city is built around and up the sides of mountains, which rise quickly from the shore, people speak of areas as “levels”. Many people live half way up the mountain -- at the mid-level. To get people down to work in the morning and back up again at night, there is a series of covered escalators which transport them. If you are going in the other direction, there are stairs which run beside the entire length of the escalators. Of course, we had to take the escalators to the top, forgetting that we’d have to walk back down! We stopped halfway to recuperate and have a bite of lunch, finding a small restaurant advertising dim sum, which were delicious. Because it was the middle of the afternoon and business was slow, the owner settled in for a chat. He had lived on Kennedy Rd. in Scarborough for 8 years and had only recently returned with his family to HK! Out of the 1.5M people who live in HK, we met the man from Toronto.
There has got to be a word beyond superlative to describe the shopping in Hong Kong. To reiterate the old cliché, it is a shopper’s paradise. There are the street and alley markets, the Stanley Market at the far end of Hong Kong Island; the Ladies’ Market, the Jade Market, the Flower Market, the Fish Market all in Kowloon; the Lanes in Central Hong Kong, the Temple Street Night Market in Kowloon, the Cat Market in the Central district where we bought the requisite Mao Tse Tung watch, his hand endlessly waving to mark off the seconds. This to say nothing of the silk and wool merchants who congregate at the Western market in a revitalized old building, the huge Times Square building in eastern Hong Kong near the Causeway Bay MTR station, where prestigious European shopping names are found in tier on tier of classy shops. With the Hong Kong dollar giving us the advantage of six to one we were in a land of temptation at attractive prices. What could we do but shop, and shop, then shop some more?
We shopped the lanes, where famous brand names on clothing, Versace, Hugo Boss, Hilfiger, and Polo were offered for very little. The merchants pulled down the temporary paper labels to show the real label underneath. They may have been just “knock offs” , but they looked good to us. We shopped for jade at the famous Kowloon market where there are endless stalls of old and new jade pieces. Thanks to the taxi driver, we made it there near to closing time. According to the guide books this is the best time for a good bargaining transaction, since the merchants have less packing up to do . After the required back and forth, we bought our pieces…all wonders to behold, as one might expect of non-lapidary experts.
Because it was the Chinese New Year and because we, as Canadians are of the European body style, ie. larger, we got into the final discounts in XL and XXL sizes. This is not because we are especially large people, but because the Chinese are very petite. It was to our advantage. Sales at Shanghai Tang, a very classy international store on Pedder Street featuring Chinese fabrics and lovely Chinese styles, drew our interest, then our Hong Kong dollars. The same could be said for the beautiful Chinese Arts and Crafts store in Kowloon, although we bought less there because we found the same products at lower prices at Kenki in the Amazon Plaza. And because the price was so acceptable Judy was moved to buy , not only the black silk embroidered coat, but a silk jacket covered with embroidered butterflies. This was followed next day by the purchase of a whole silk outfit, pants included. Oh to be a fashion showpiece.
Our mentors, Kathy and Teresa, noted our wish, or was it a need, for a Chinese wooden carved screen. We scouted out Dynasty Antiques Gallery, and Beijing Antiques in their big warehouse at Horizon Plaza , a short walk from the apartment and saw what we were looking for - a double sided, 4-panel carved screen. Next day, in the company of our two mentors, we arranged to buy it and send it door to door. Hong Kong merchants know how to do that. It is, after all, one of the greatest ports in the world. Night and day from the apartment window we could see in the Lamma Channel endless container loaded ships passing our windows. So just to help fill the container section we had paid for we added 4 carved shutter screens to the load. These were carved with the 12 Chinese zodiac animals. And because the buying mood was in the air, and prices were set at bargain level for the Chinese New Year, Teresa bought 3 beautifully crafted and designed pieces of furniture.
Were we shopped out? Did the merchants of the ancient Silk Road coming from Rome, or Italy, or Portugal ever say “enough, no more”? We think not. China ‘s one huge bazaar and for shoppers Hong Kong is its tempting showplace, not only for China, but for the world.
See photos of Ken and Judy's trip to Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is a city that invites superlatives. The best shopping, the most efficient transit system, the tallest buildings, the most islands, the most stunning views, the most outdoor markets, the most accommodating sales staffs, the most amazing bus drivers, the best roller coaster rides on a bus, and for us, the best temperatures and greenest trees and grass and flowers we’d seen in a very long time!
Our first and lasting impression of this city is that it is so orderly. We had a very complete set of instructions from our host about how to get from the airport to the apartment, and were somewhat concerned about the distance from the airport (Chek Lap Kok), which is on Lantau Island to Hong Kong, a different island to Ap Lei Chau, yet another island where the apartment is situated. A very modern rail system, the Airport Express, whisked us from the airport to our connection at Central, one of hubs of the very efficient MTR (Mass Transit Railway) where we followed the signs to ranks of waiting taxis kept in order by a courteous attendant who had us on our way in seconds. The cab driver spoke English, we had an interesting conversation about the Saturday races and what the weather was like in BJ, and soon we were at South Horizons and our friend’s apartment, where we would spend the next 10 days recuperating from our daily sight seeing and shopping excursions, getting to know our hosts as well as this marvellous city.
Our hosts were Kathy Davies from Mount Forest and Teresa Striker from the Durham/Chatsworth area - a bit of Grey County in HK. Both are primary teachers at two of the many international schools in HK. Kathy is at the Hong Kong International School, an American kindergarten to Grade 12 facility and Teresa is at the Canadian International School of Hong Kong which also accepts students at all grades. Both schools are showpieces of architecture, facilities and equipment. Beautiful gyms, swimming pools, indoor playgrounds, outdoor grounds, rooms full of computers and so on. Each school is situated high above the shore, giving stunning views from every window. Built as they are down the side of the mountain, there are numerous floors and stairs and elevators between levels. A good way to get your daily exercise, we think. Kathy and Teresa gave us many valuable tips on how and where to go, and joined us several times for meals and special shopping excursions. Since we are all teachers, Canadians and Grey County residents, we had much to discuss. They were very gracious hosts.
As we became more familiar with Hong Kong, we were even more aware of the well-organized transit system. Buses run regularly and frequently, most are double-deckers, and pick up passengers at well-marked stops. When we had doubts about where to get off, we asked the driver, who called to us when our stop came along. The MTR (subway to us) has many different lines which run along the north shore of Hong Kong, under Victoria Harbour and north, east and west on the mainland of Kowloon. At most stations, glass floor to ceiling panels separate passengers from the subway tracks, keeping them safe and almost eliminating the noise of trains moving through the station. When a train arrives, the train doors line up with the doors in the glass panels, which both open at the same time. Neat!
But what makes the entire transit system work so well is the Octopus Card. The size of a credit card, it can be electronically loaded with money and used in special readers on all buses, subway stations, ferry connections and even pop machines. The amount of the ride or purchase is deducted from the total. When the balance gets low, you reload it at convenient reloading machines in the subway or even at the 7/11 (Yes, HK has these too!). This is such a good idea, because you are never left trying to find the exact change or a token or ticket stashed in a pocket or purse. Paying is seamless and painless. We recommend that the TTC look into this immediately! (yeah, fat chance).
As well as the lush mountainous terrain of numerous islands situated within view of each other, and the magnificent skyscrapers climbing up the northern shore of HK island, there are numerous sights to see. Of course, we went to the Peak, a high (but not the highest) point of land on HK island. In fact, we went twice, once for dinner on Ken’s birthday to see the lights of the decorated buildings below and the fireworks set off regularly to celebrate CNY, and again during the day to make sure we hadn’t missed anything. There are very modern, recently constructed shopping arcades at the Peak, which also contain several restaurants and terraces to view the city. The second time we took the bus, which winds its way laboriously up the very steep incline, passing gates to expensive properties along the way. We were upstairs in a double decker, and that height gave us a better view of the long drops just inches away from the curb of the road -- no guardrails anywhere. We descended by tramcar, the incline so steep that we had the illusion of buildings being at a 45-degree angle -- it was us, of course! We found the trip up and down just as interesting as being at the top. In our travels, the Peak is a great TT.
We went by ferry to the very mountainous Lantau Island to see the largest outdoor bronze Buddha in the world, part of the Po Lin Monastery. The Buddha is indeed huge, even from the ground. Along with many others on a cold and windy morning, we climbed the 268 stairs to the top to look Buddha in the eye, and also to see from above the terrain below. Our guidebook warned us that the site has become a miniature Disneyland rather than a place of quiet retreat, and we would heartily agree with this assessment. We did enjoy the bus ride through green, tangled forests full of ferns and palm trees, touched with mist as the low clouds drifted by. On our return to the harbour we had lunch in a DeliFrance. Eating our way through crab bisque and egg salad on french bread was a stark contrast to our surroundings and the Po Lin Monastery!
Hong Kong Park, located in the centre of the busy city, is a wonderful experience. Pots of chrysanthemums and dahlias lined the entrance stairs, and beyond we found ponds full of koi and turtles, waterfalls and fountains, gardens of flowers and trees in blossom, while all around us loomed magnificent glass and metal skyscrapers. The conservatory contained many varieties of orchids, cherry trees in blossom and desert plants carefully tended in a separate, extensive garden. The best part was the Aviary, a large netted space containing a huge variety of birds native to the area. We walked on a wooden deck about 20 feet above the ground, so that we were at a level to see the birds in the many trees, vines and lush plants of their environment. We were there about half an hour when two very serious looking guards began shooing us toward the exit, giving us an explanation in Cantonese. We walked as slowly as we could, but were eventually led through the door as another guard posted a sign which said that the HK Aviary would be closed until further notice because of avian flu. We were the very last people to be there for some time, we think. We consoled ourselves with a lovely Thai lunch at the outdoor restaurant on the site. And yes, it was warm enough to eat outdoors comfortably. Afterward we watched a bride and groom -- dressed in their wedding finery --have their pictures taken in the park. Apparently this is THE PLACE to have one’s wedding photos taken.
Because the city is built around and up the sides of mountains, which rise quickly from the shore, people speak of areas as “levels”. Many people live half way up the mountain -- at the mid-level. To get people down to work in the morning and back up again at night, there is a series of covered escalators which transport them. If you are going in the other direction, there are stairs which run beside the entire length of the escalators. Of course, we had to take the escalators to the top, forgetting that we’d have to walk back down! We stopped halfway to recuperate and have a bite of lunch, finding a small restaurant advertising dim sum, which were delicious. Because it was the middle of the afternoon and business was slow, the owner settled in for a chat. He had lived on Kennedy Rd. in Scarborough for 8 years and had only recently returned with his family to HK! Out of the 1.5M people who live in HK, we met the man from Toronto.
There has got to be a word beyond superlative to describe the shopping in Hong Kong. To reiterate the old cliché, it is a shopper’s paradise. There are the street and alley markets, the Stanley Market at the far end of Hong Kong Island; the Ladies’ Market, the Jade Market, the Flower Market, the Fish Market all in Kowloon; the Lanes in Central Hong Kong, the Temple Street Night Market in Kowloon, the Cat Market in the Central district where we bought the requisite Mao Tse Tung watch, his hand endlessly waving to mark off the seconds. This to say nothing of the silk and wool merchants who congregate at the Western market in a revitalized old building, the huge Times Square building in eastern Hong Kong near the Causeway Bay MTR station, where prestigious European shopping names are found in tier on tier of classy shops. With the Hong Kong dollar giving us the advantage of six to one we were in a land of temptation at attractive prices. What could we do but shop, and shop, then shop some more?
We shopped the lanes, where famous brand names on clothing, Versace, Hugo Boss, Hilfiger, and Polo were offered for very little. The merchants pulled down the temporary paper labels to show the real label underneath. They may have been just “knock offs” , but they looked good to us. We shopped for jade at the famous Kowloon market where there are endless stalls of old and new jade pieces. Thanks to the taxi driver, we made it there near to closing time. According to the guide books this is the best time for a good bargaining transaction, since the merchants have less packing up to do . After the required back and forth, we bought our pieces…all wonders to behold, as one might expect of non-lapidary experts.
Because it was the Chinese New Year and because we, as Canadians are of the European body style, ie. larger, we got into the final discounts in XL and XXL sizes. This is not because we are especially large people, but because the Chinese are very petite. It was to our advantage. Sales at Shanghai Tang, a very classy international store on Pedder Street featuring Chinese fabrics and lovely Chinese styles, drew our interest, then our Hong Kong dollars. The same could be said for the beautiful Chinese Arts and Crafts store in Kowloon, although we bought less there because we found the same products at lower prices at Kenki in the Amazon Plaza. And because the price was so acceptable Judy was moved to buy , not only the black silk embroidered coat, but a silk jacket covered with embroidered butterflies. This was followed next day by the purchase of a whole silk outfit, pants included. Oh to be a fashion showpiece.
Our mentors, Kathy and Teresa, noted our wish, or was it a need, for a Chinese wooden carved screen. We scouted out Dynasty Antiques Gallery, and Beijing Antiques in their big warehouse at Horizon Plaza , a short walk from the apartment and saw what we were looking for - a double sided, 4-panel carved screen. Next day, in the company of our two mentors, we arranged to buy it and send it door to door. Hong Kong merchants know how to do that. It is, after all, one of the greatest ports in the world. Night and day from the apartment window we could see in the Lamma Channel endless container loaded ships passing our windows. So just to help fill the container section we had paid for we added 4 carved shutter screens to the load. These were carved with the 12 Chinese zodiac animals. And because the buying mood was in the air, and prices were set at bargain level for the Chinese New Year, Teresa bought 3 beautifully crafted and designed pieces of furniture.
Were we shopped out? Did the merchants of the ancient Silk Road coming from Rome, or Italy, or Portugal ever say “enough, no more”? We think not. China ‘s one huge bazaar and for shoppers Hong Kong is its tempting showplace, not only for China, but for the world.
All text and photography © copyright Harkaway, 2003 - 2004
