New Zealand trip 2008
It's all coming back to me now. After the boat ride to Lantau Island, we got on a bus to the centre of the island, where the Big Buddha is located. The bus ride was... interesting. The driver insisted on going pretty fast round lots of winding roads. Whereas Hong Kong Island was uniform and built-up, Lantau Island was much more rural and unsullied. A poor young boy on the bus could not handle this and vomited in the aisle. As the mother cleared that up, we noticed that there were two young children nearby who had just had a McDonald's and were looking very anxious indeed, as the smell of fresh vomit wafted across the bus, McDonald's paper bags held up to their mouths. After we spent time around the Big Buddha, we then hopped on a bus to the west of the island, where there was a small fishing village called Tai O (I think). It was noticeable mainly for dwellings on sticks in the water.
It was clear that this was a relatively poor area, but it was also very peaceful.
Here comes the local public transport. All aboard!
Lynne posed on one of the main streets.
There was some idyllic scenery.
Well, we were hungry, and it was time for some food. This was pretty much the only time during our visit to Hong Kong that we had Chinese food (partly because it had been a long holiday and we wanted something simple, but also because lots of menus were in Chinese), but we were enticed by a busy little cafe on one of the streets. Here is a great indication of the many (two) faces of Lynne. With and without food.
See how she hints with the chopsticks in the first picture, and then unconventionally attacks her meal in the second. It was a combination of rice, pork and egg, and she thought it was lovely. Char Sui Foo Yung, she reckons. Mine was superb too, something like chicken in black bean sauce. We also got a pot of super spicy sauce. Woo yeah! Here are the chefs in action.
It was just one of those great local places. The meal was ridiculously cheap. Possibly something like £3, so we put a plentiful tip in. Anyway, we moved on and found a sweet shop. This was back at Ngong Ping, where the Big Buddha is - there was nothing anywhere near so commerical at Tai O. Lynne looks ever so slightly guilty. Perhaps she is stuffing some into her pocket.
Big Buddha update: still waving. From the side this time, though.
Right then, I know you don't like heights, Lynne, but do you fancy going on this? I probably didn't get a wholly positive reply.
Well, d'ya know, she only went and gave it a try. See the dead giveaways. Fearsomely tight grip on the rail. Check. Completely fake smile at request. Check. Unwillingness to move from seat. Check. Lack of conversation. Check.
It wasn't clear how far the Ngong Ping Cable Car went for as we ascended to the top of a hill.
But it was now - it was a fantastic sight. It seemed to stretch for miles.
It occasionally swayed in the wind, which Lynne definitely did not appreciate. And it went on.
And on.
And on. By this stage, Lynne was not amused, despite it being near the end. As we came down towards the sea, we got a good view of the nearby airport.
I was cool as a cucumber, though. Well, just plain enjoying the ride really. And vaguely trying to reassure Lynne. In between amusing myself at her reaction, of course.
Lynne couldn't be happier to have made it. No. More. Cable. Cars. Please.
It was so stressful that Lynne felt she needed to go to another sweet shop.
It must be love. Which is all you need. That's its power. Et cetera.
Here's a weird shot with some local beer (mmm, Tsingtao), with another sculpture in the background, of the number 8. And a sign saying the Forum in the background. This was back on Hong Kong Island.
Not sure who these porkers were. (The statues, that is, not the couple in between.)
Oh god, is there no escape from Hello Kitty?
Later that evening, we went to a bar with an interesting selection of ales. Here we have the classic Kwak, in its inimitable holder.
And another beer, which is less well known, not least because of the witty correction.
We popped to the nearby fancy burger joint for our tea, another classic Chinese staple. Lynne were reet happy, and the burgers were pretty pink.
For some reason, we decided to head up and up the walkway, which was the quick and easy way to get up the slope. We didn't really know what we were heading for - we were just exploring. This was sort of our last day (Friday 28th) in Hong Kong so we thought what the hey. (In fact, we flew that night.)
And it was with great surprise that we found that Doylie had got there before us. He'd also been to New Zealand before us too, the rotter.
On the way back down we found a zoo, as you do, otherwise known as the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens. Look at this big boy. Or girl, who knows.
More animal action.
An impressive fountain awaited us at the end of the zoo tour. We rested here and wrote postcards, if I remember rightly.
Back in the centre, this shot gives an indication of how crazily hectic the main thoroughfare was.
This is Hong Kong Central Library, which I snapped as I wandered round, while Lynne did some last minute shopping.
A picture of the neon-strip style of Hong Kong at night, complete with, er, an Ikea.
We noticed some cannons by the coast. They weren't operational.
Well, that wasn't a fitting way to end our long journey, but it's what I am finishing on, cos it's more or less the last photo. Later on we headed to the airport for our 1am flight, landing in Manchester (via the newly opened Terminal 5) at about 9am, including a 12 hour flight between Hong Kong and London, which was less than enjoyable. We were both perched on middle seats as every other passenger had somehow booked all their seats way in advance. The standard two hours wasn't good enough. To make matters worse, all the food shops had shut at the airport by the time we got there (well, not quite, but we wasted a bit of time and the next minute they closed, at about 11pm - we hadn't really had tea after a big pizza lunch).
Anyways, that's the boring stuff. The holiday's over, let it go.
Back to the Secret Portal.