The last two days have been packed with activity, after the relative chilledness of last week. Zoe’s two friends came armed with a list of stuff they wanted to do, so we have been merrily wading through that.
Yesterday we travelled over to Hong Kong Island, to meet one of the other gap year students for lunch. Matt is very cool and shared my penchant for random facts, so it was fab to meet a kindred. He was darting off to catch a plane to the Phillipines though, so it was a brief meeting. We had lunch in the IFC (International Finance Centre), which is a cool high tower overlooking the harbour. We ate bbq pork and roast goose with rice, which was extremely tasty. After the meal we went into one of the really posh hotels because said friends wanted to enquire about the price of a meal there. It was very swanky so we all felt a little out of place!!
After this, we jumped on one of the tall Island trams to Hong Kong Park. This is like a green oasis in the middle of all the high tech concrete and metal towers, so we appreciated the change in scenery. We walked through slowly, taking photos in the fountains and wandering through an aviary.
The park wound uphill swiftly, so we made our way up to catch the tram up to the top of the peak (one of the highest points in hk). It is 0.9 miles high, and the tram was near vertical on the 8 minute journey up. They crammed loads of people onto it, so it was a little scary, but a fab experience. We were right at the back, so gravity meant we were pretty much pressed against the back window. The drop was terrifying and all our ears popped but the view was astounding. At the top we mooched around some of the gift shops, drank coffee and then went up to the Peak tower where there is a viewing station over all the buildings below. It was dark by this time, so the skyline looked amazing. I was speechless.
After this, we caught a bus back down into the Central area. The Symphony of Lights was just beginning so lasers danced above our heads as we queued to catch the ferry back accross to the mainland. It was a little dizzying to be in a boat, after being up so high and descending quickly in a somewhat death-defying bus ride, but it was definitely a good view point. We grabbed some tea and then wandered along the harbour front and saw the Avenue of the Stars.
This morning we all managed to sleep in (we still wonder how both alarm clocks failed!!), but it was nice to have a relaxed morning. We then took the train and bus to a place called Shek O, on the South-East coast of HK Island. We weren’t really sure what to expect, but as the bus wound through the mountains and down towards the tiny village, we knew we were not going to be dissapointed. The view was lovely. The sea turquoise-blue, the sand pale white and the area quiet and unspoilt.
We alighted from the bus and walked onto the beach. I really cannot describe how lovely it was. We paddled in the sea a little before realising we were all hungry. We found a small chinese place and ordered different dishes to share between us. We had rice with octopus, squid, prawn, mussel (and other unidentifyable fish); Beef & onions in bbq sauce; rice with pork and egg; and oyster noodles in soup. The four of us delighted in trying the different fayre and it was the nicest meal I’ve had out here. The little old owner of the restaurant was really friendly too, so we had our photo taken with him!
After lunch it was back to the (breathtaking) beach. This time there was more opportunity for paddling, so I dumped my coat and bag and headed for the sea. It was 17 degrees on the beach, but the sea water was so cold it initially felt chilling to the bone. I soon acclimatised though, and was quickly up to my knees. I spent a good couple of hours just wandering up and down the shoreline by myself just thinking, praying, picking up shells and paddling around. It was lovely to be able to spend time doing that, and at the end of it I felt invigorated, relazed, refreshed and inspired.
The only bad point about the beach experience was the squat toilets there. I won’t go into detail but we were not very amused!!
After Shek O we got the bus back to Central and wandered around. The others wanted to visit a temple but it was shut. We bartered for some pretty bracelets and then went to see the ‘mid-level escalators’. These were, surprisingly, escalators, but we had never seen them so big or long before.
We then headed back to Kowloon, where the others wanted to buy suits. (There are loads of tailors here and they make you a really good, really cheap suit in 72 hours). We loved the tailors shop – it had over 20,000 different fabrics and smelt lovely – a mixture of fabric and polish.
After this the others went to find some tea and I went to find a supermarket. I was very proud that I managed to navigate there and back on my own, and find the items that we needed. I love visiting foreign supermarkets as I think they give a unique view of what life is really like somewhere, I am always intrigued by the different products and brands and labels.
After successfully reuniting with the others, we headed home. It has been a lovely couple of days and it is really odd to think that I only have two full days left here!
escalators – eeek
/ *faints*