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| HONG KONG WELCOME |
Our Captain navigated our
entrance into Hong Kong with his usual efficient style as we stood on our
balcony and looked ashore at the breathtaking sight before us. We docked at the cruise ship terminal on
Kowloon with our balcony overlooking the terminal (Equivalent to the other side
of the tracks). Hong Kong is a sprawling landscape of high rise buildings on
what surely must be one of the most unique settings in the world. 
We visited Hong Kong 20 years
ago and the Hong Kong of yester year is no longer. It was as though we were
seeing it for the first time. As we eased into port a forest of high rise
buildings greeted us from the shore on either side. It was an awesome sight and for me, it was
certainly one of the most distinctive visuals to my memory bank. The view of
Hong Kong from the sea is, in my lowly opinion, spectacular. We had booked a tour from the ship and at 9AM we walked the approximate one mile to board our waiting bus and the sights of Hong Kong. It was a beautiful sun filled day as well as a holiday and the annual Dragon Boat races were in progress which did not bide well for getting about the city. Traffic was horrible. Our guide estimated the current population as 9 million which is increasing daily by 150 new imported Chinese. A gentlemen from the US who visits Hong Kong frequently said that the massive importation of immigrants into Hong Kong rivals the US borders for confusion and he suggested that Hong Kong has no idea what the population really is.
Our guide gave us a review of the
current political and economic status and touched on some of the problems associated
with Hong Kong’s assimilation into China’s system.
We were driven through the
tunnel that connects Kowloon to Hong Kong Island. We were told that it is really not a tunnel
but a tube that was prefabricated and dropped into the harbor in lieu of digging
a tunnel. He said the harbor floor is a massive rock that would have been
difficult and time consuming. Manufacture and installation of the tube was
quicker to accomplish and much more efficient.
Our first stop was at the tram to Victoria Peak where we were shepherded to the front of the line with a minimum wait time and ushered onto the tram for the five minute ride to the top. The view from Victoria Peak is spectacular and as breathtaking as the view from Table Top Mountain in Cape Town South Africa.
Our “look see” from Victoria
Peak completed, we boarded our bus for the spectacular ride down the hill past
the beautiful homes where the very rich reside.
We were told that the English colonists had chosen the Peak for reasons
of security and the beautiful views. Our
guide said that the first non-English person to have a home in that very
“elitist” area was a man by the name of Ho who was an opium dealer.
Our next stop was Stanley
Market, credited as the “place to shop” for souvenirs and gifts as well as it
is an area consecrated by beach seeking tourists who enjoy the beach and its
nearby venues. Our guide cautioned us
that the old axiom of bargain shopping is less relevant in today’s Hong Kong
than in years past. He suggested that shopping in China is better when it comes
to value shopping for souvenirs. By now
the heat had gathered “stream” (humidity) and I am still walking with a boot
that complicates my mobility. I decided to skip the heat, walk and crowds which
by now were extreme. Ken and Diane took the plunge and returned to congratulate
me on my “wise” decision.
Our final stop was, of course,
the high point for Ken’s ever present desire to visit the boats and his need to
see a town by rail, water or foot. We had a tour of the harbor by sand pan and
got up close and personal with the “boat people”. It was very interesting and
in addition to the relatively simple and frugal lifestyle exhibited there, the
yachts and boats that were docked there provided a stunning insight into the
disparity between rich and poor. The
guide had previously pointed out that the rich were getting richer and the
middle class poorer and certainly, one could only be in awe of the appearance
of great wealth that abounds in Hong Kong.
Sadly, we are back at sea and on
our way to Xiamen China where we hope to find the Hong Kong bargains that we
missed in Hong Kong. As we count down the remaining shipboard days our
reflections are positive in general. Too soon, we will be returning to a
lifestyle of normalcy and we will look back fondly on our many good memories.
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| HONG KONG AFTER DARK |
