April was to be an exciting month in our household as accompanied by Mrs. C and Aunty Sarah, I headed off for a four-day visit to Hong Kong, better known as the "Pearl of the Orient."
This was also to be a trip of firsts:
The first time Mrs. C had actually visited Hong Kong.
The first time that Aunty Sarah had returned to Hong Kong since she had lived there some 35 years ago.
The first opportunity for us to visit cousin Michael, his lovely wife Elsie and their two boys Max and Charlie.
This was to be a truly exciting four days.
I was determined to record as many memories as possible. So, as we had decided to travel with hand luggage only, I decided to go all "Ninja" and take my beloved Fuji X100F with the Hyperion wrist strap for maximum portability and stealth.
We met Aunty Sarah in the business class lounge at Dubai Airport and following a very smooth flight to Hong Kong, courtesy of Emirates Airlines and a comfortable limo ride in to central Hong Kong, we arrived at the Novotel Century in Wan Chai just before midnight.
After a very efficient check-in the girls headed straight for the hotel bar as hydration was the order of the evening and we needed to discuss plans for the next day.
After a couple of Maghueritas for the girls and a vodka martini for me (shaken not stirred and served with a twist) all was very well in our world and we retired for a good nights rest.
The next day we decided to start where it all finished, well at least for the British Empire, and a visit to Golden Bauhinia Square which, in 1997, marked the handover of Hong Kong to China, by Prince Charles, on behalf of Her Brittanic Majesty's Government.
The Bauhinia is the floral emblem of Hong Kong and this image, flanked by the national flag of the Peoples Republic of China, perhaps reflects the modern day relationship between Hong Kong and its mainland parent.
Next stop was a trip to Lantau Island on a mission to visit the Tian Tan Buddha, or as we called him, "Big Buddha".
Three choices to get there; car, ferry or the MTR. We decided on the latter and headed off to Wanchai MTR Station to purchase 3 returns to Tung Chung.
How difficult could it be!?
In fact the MTR is a fantastic way to travel, clean, punctual and excellent value.
A return ticket to Launtau was approximately GBP 6 per person. After a 35 minute Journey we arrived at Tung Chung.
Now at this point I must stress that Mrs. C has two phobias, cable cars and heights. Well the only way we were getting on to Lantau was to take the Ngong Ping 360 cable car. This is a 25 minute cable car ride and at its highest point is 585 meters above sea level.....Ooops must have missed that during the trip planning stage! Fair to say Mrs. C was going to be out of her comfort zone and as a result we opted not to take the glass-bottomed cable car!!
Tip for young players, get there early as the queue can be up to an hour and if you can, avoid the queue and book your ticket in advance. We didn't do either!
The views from the cable car were dramatic with Hong Kong International Airport on one side and Tung Chung on the other.
Unfortunately we had a cloudy day and strong winds which made the journey "interesting" to say the least, which did not help Mrs C's nerves. To make matters even worse, there was a young man in the cable car who kept commenting about how high we were and how scary it all was, whilst the wind howled through the gaps in the doors and I precariously dangled the Fuji out the window to get a better shot of Tung Chung.
Lets just say that when we arrived at our destination, Ngong Ping village, had they served double gins then Mrs. C would have ordered a triple!.
Lantau is very popular with the tourists and on arrival at Ngong Ping village it was already starting to get busy. Meantime, I was rubbing the lucky drum as we still faced the return cable car ride!
Ngong Ping Village:
We then proceeded past the restaurants and souvenir shops to Big Buddha although the weather was proving to be a challenge with a great deal of low-level cloud / mist.
However, by the time we had climbed the 268 steps to Big Buddha we were grateful that it was not blazing sunshine, the mist had cleared and we stood in awe as the Buddha gazed solemnly down at us.
We were also presented with some tremendous views of the neighbouring Po Lin monastery.
As we walked around the grounds of the Po Lin Monastery it provided not only a sense of calmness and inner peace but also a burst of colour amidst the mist and blown-out sky.
Impromptu modelling photo-shoo with the girlst:
By the time we had walked around the grounds of the monastery and perused the various souvenir shops, it was time for lunch and noodles and a glass of the local grog,Tsingtao. A perfect end to a great mornings sight-seeing.
That evening we met Cousin Michael and Elsie at the Star Ferry (more about that later) and they took us for a wonderful meal at a restaurant called Hutong on Kowloon side. We had a fabulous view of the harbour and Hong Kong Island but try as I might I couldn't get a picture because of all the lighting and reflection. It would seem that still need to work on my photographic skills or perhaps have one less glass of Shiraz or perhaps both?!
Now Michael and Elsie make a great team. Elsie is a dab-hand with the local lingo, primarily because she is from Hong Kong and proceeded to order a veritable banquet of great Chinese dishes. Meantime, Michael takes after his father, Big John, and specialists in hydration, ordering gin and tonics followed by a wonderful Shiraz. There is nothing like good food, good conversation and above all family, to complete a wonderful evening.
Day two was equally exciting as we had planned a visit to the Victoria Peak. Standing at 1,811 feet, this is the highest point on Hong Kong Island.
Over breakfast Mrs. C. and Aunty Sarah already had the map out and we decided to set off for a leisurely walk (a.k.a. one of Mrs. C's 30 minute route marches) along Hennesy Road. For me it was a great opportunity to undertake some street photography before eventually arriving at the Peak Tram Station.
The journey to the top of the peak takes a shade under 10 minutes and a return single is about 90 Hong Kong Dollars. It is well worth it as I understand the bus journey takes about an hour and trust me you definitely do not want to walk!
Arriving at the Peak:
Once at the top you can walk out on to the Peak Tower Sky Terrace and it is fair to say that the views of Hong Kong and Kowloon are absolutely stunning.
This was the second day that Mrs. C was outside her comfort zone and fair play to her, she was incredibly brave to walk out on the terrace. She even agreed to pose for a picture, which in itself is very rare. You can see below the girls posing on the peak terrace. My instructions were "chest out and your best Instagram pout please". As you can see, Mrs. C is being extremely brave and telling me to get on with it through gritted teeth whilst Aunty Sarah gets full marks for enthusiastic participation!
Sisters - Instagram Pout Please!:
After a refreshing afternoon's siesta and a couple of glasses of restorative Prosecco, we were ready for a great evening. In fact it was Elsie's birthday and we were to meet at the Hong Kong Cricket Club for a family dinner. So we decided to grab one of the many local cabs.
Now this was the only time that we had encountered a language barrier during our visit and the driver took us to Craig Haven Cricket Club, Hong Kong Football Association, Hong Kong Jockey Club and eventually, once we had run-up a sizable bill on his meter, we miraculously arrived at Hong Kong Cricket Club, at which point his English also miraculously improved especially when it came to asking for his fare!
HKCC would appear to be a focal point for the local Happy Valley community and most certainly the sporting and recreational facilities looked superb.
Pitch inspection at HKCC:
We were then treated to another sumptuous banquet rounded off with the most delicious Peking Duck. Once again the hospitality of La Famille Hurle was over and above the call of duty.
Following Dinner we jumped in to a taxi and headed off to the Hong Kong Jockey Club to catch the last three races of the evening.
Hong Kong Races - Throbbing!:
The girls had been studying the racing form in the South China Post all day and so my expectation of backing a few winners were high. Unfortunately, the only such thing as a sure bet is that there is no such thing as a sure bet.
After following the pundits predictions for the first two races we were never in the frame and also HK$ 100 down. So, I stepped in with a double or nothing bet on the aptly named "Midnight Rattler", a sure-fire outsider at 100-30.
Needless to say, the only time I saw Midnight Rattler was when they pushed him in to the starting gate. He never featured in the race after that, probably something to do with the fact that they forgot to un-hitch the cart!
Day three featured two treats, an exploration of Kowloon Island followed by a sumptuous afternoon tea at the Peninsula Hotel, courtesy of Aunty Sarah.
Rather than our usual route-march we decided to take a tram to the Star Ferry and our crossing to Kowloon Island. I simply love the Hong Kong trams; at HK$ 2.60 (about 26 English Pence) they are so inexpensive and there is no better way to travel whilst viewing town from a completely different perspective.
We then arrived at the Star Ferry for our trip to Kowloon. The history of the Star Ferry dates back to 1888, when a Parsee merchant, Dorabjee Naorojee Mitaiwala founded the Kowloon Ferry Company. In 1889 the British businessman Sir. Cathick Paul Chater bought the then fleet of four ferries and the Star Ferry Company was born.
Since that time the star Ferries have been a regular daily sight as they ply their trade across Victoria Harbour. I would say that they are one of Hong Kong's great traditions and iconic tourist attractions and no trip to Hong Kong would be complete, whether on business or on holiday, without a crossing on the Star Ferry.
To me, Kowloon is what Hong Kong is all about. I love the madness and hustle and bustle of Hong Kong street life. Following a spot of retail therapy in one of the large and very plush malls we headed off to Kowloon Park.
An Oasis of serenity:
This is truly an oasis of calmness and serenity and allowed us a moment of respite and calm before once again stepping out in to the wonderful frenzy which is Kowloon.
Back to Reality:
As we made our way along Hankow Road, I took the opportunity to try and record local street activity.
Hankow Road:
I also tracked down veteran shirt make and tailor, William "Sandy" Cheng & Son.
My dear friend Ralph Shipley first took me there some 15 years ago and I had shirts made by Sandy, which were subsequently delivered to Dubai within a week! Now that is what I call service.
Had we not been on a mission to arrive early for our afternoon tea appointment then I would have popped in for a fitting. However, I fear that he would have needed a little more material than was required 15 years ago!
Finally we turned the corner in to Salisbury Road and came across the Peninsula Hotel, a little 5-star pub that allegedly serves a very nice afternoon tea.
As we walked in to the lobby it was clear that the Peninsula was definitely my sort of establishment.
Our charming waiter, Jason, showed us to our seat and we were subsequently treated to a glass of chilled Peninsular Champagne followed by the most delightful afternoon tea.
What else does one do in Hong Kong on a Thursday afternoon!
After all that food and drink we headed off back to the star Ferry which once again provided many opportunities for street photography and vistas of Hong Kong Island.
If all that excitement wasn't enough, our Thursday evening would then include a night out in Lan Kwai Fong, led by our Hydration Coach Michael.
We had noodles and Dim Sum at one of the local restaurants followed by cocktails at the old prison (more of that later) before ending up the evening for even more cocktails at the roof-top terrace-bar (40 stories up) at the Hennessy in Wanchai. Mrs. C was out of her comfort zone for a third day running although suitably anesthetized from the evening's libations. I am afraid I don’t have any Images from this soiree as they seem to have been mysteriously deleted from my computer!
Our final day involved a return to Lan Kwai Fong so that we could record everything in daylight. It was great to walk along the bustling streets full of street vendors, tourists and of course workers, as they travelled along the series of mid-level escalators.
They apparently travel in a down direction in the morning as they travel to work and then reverse during the afternoon for the journey home. It all seems very sensible to me and they are free.
I then wondered in to what I can only assume was the "Medical District" of Lan Kwai Fong. There seem to be many establishments offering "traditional massage Lah'…presumably with happy ending?
We then continued our journey to the old Hong Kong Victoria Prison. Established in 1841 and located in the aptly named "Old Bailey Street" this was Hong Kongs longest running prison.
It may have once been a prison but now serves a great Martini!
I understand that one of its most famous "guests" was the Vietnamese Revolutionary Ho Chi Minh who was an inmate between 1931 to 1933. Our visit to the cells showed how very tough the environment must have been back in those days.
Victoria Prison was officially decommissioned in 2006 and following an extensive renovation was re-opened in 2018 as the Tai Kwun Centre for Heritage and Arts. A great place to while away a couple of hours.
Sadly our visit to Hong Kong had drawn to a close. What an exciting time we have had.
We send our thanks to the lovely Michael and Elsie for their kind and generous hospitality and extend open invitations to Dubai and Plymouth respectively.
Like all nations Hong Kong continues to face the stresses of change as its mainland parent increasingly flexes its political muscles and influence. Nevertheless, it is clear that the Hong-Kongers are adaptable, resourceful and resilient and to my eyes, Hong Kong continues to be a welcoming and wonderful place to visit and remains The Peal of the Orient!