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Our incredible luck weather-wise may be running out. We had thunderstorms & heavy rain in the early morning, but the skies broke a little & the rain let up by the time we got out. We’d thought we’d go to the Great Buddha on Lantau Island – preferably by harbor ferry – but it would be in the clouds at best, and drenching rain at worst. Instead, we headed for Central to catch the Star Ferry to Kowloon, where we could tour the Hong Kong Museum of History & stay out of any bad weather, for the most part. Then get some lunch, and see how things were looking.
The museum was excellent & deserved a lot more time than we were ready to give it. The Hong Kong exhibit covers its entire history, from the geological formation of the island through Neolithic populations to the reunification with China a decade ago. We never got to the rest of the museum. The history of the various dynasties, the Opium Wars, and the Japanese Occupation were particularly interesting. It’s easy to see how the latter would make an insular society even more so. There were also exhibits on the various tribal groups that settled Hong Kong over the centuries: their cultures, lifestyles, and so on. Our Hong Kong pictures (including of the museum) can be found here: http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=172069620/a=102868539_102868539/t_=102868539.
After a couple of hours, we were starving. We stopped at a Thai restaurant that was pretty good. From there, Dan took us to the Women’s Market at Monkok, farther north on the Kowloon peninsula. Basically, a big tourist bazaar. We picked up some stuff, but not watches, despite the chorus of “hallo sir, copy watch, bag, wallet, hallo?” But we didn't get the abuse we'd experienced in Yangshuo or Beijing. Hong Kong is much more regulated than the mainland. Vendor police patrol the market to prevent unlicensed hawking or abusive tactics. And you get a $HK 1,500 fine for spitting, with similar fines for eating or drinking on the MTR. Definitely NOT the story on the mainland.
We caught the MTR & an electric tram back to the hotel to drop stuff, rest our dogs, and regroup. Within a minute of getting into the room at 4:00, the skies opened up. It got worse for the next couple of hours, but then it calmed down and we went back to the Mid Levels for burgers, meatball subs & cheese steak sandwiches at Archie B’s… real New York style fare from a proprietor named Gupta. Big portions: Dan’s burger was so big that it made him feel sick. This from the kid who can eat pig hearts and fried bees.
We took the escalator to the top just to see how far it went. Then the long, long walk back down & a tram to the hotel a little after 10:00. Polish Pitch until 1:00AM, then bed.
The museum was excellent & deserved a lot more time than we were ready to give it. The Hong Kong exhibit covers its entire history, from the geological formation of the island through Neolithic populations to the reunification with China a decade ago. We never got to the rest of the museum. The history of the various dynasties, the Opium Wars, and the Japanese Occupation were particularly interesting. It’s easy to see how the latter would make an insular society even more so. There were also exhibits on the various tribal groups that settled Hong Kong over the centuries: their cultures, lifestyles, and so on. Our Hong Kong pictures (including of the museum) can be found here: http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=172069620/a=102868539_102868539/t_=102868539.
After a couple of hours, we were starving. We stopped at a Thai restaurant that was pretty good. From there, Dan took us to the Women’s Market at Monkok, farther north on the Kowloon peninsula. Basically, a big tourist bazaar. We picked up some stuff, but not watches, despite the chorus of “hallo sir, copy watch, bag, wallet, hallo?” But we didn't get the abuse we'd experienced in Yangshuo or Beijing. Hong Kong is much more regulated than the mainland. Vendor police patrol the market to prevent unlicensed hawking or abusive tactics. And you get a $HK 1,500 fine for spitting, with similar fines for eating or drinking on the MTR. Definitely NOT the story on the mainland.
We caught the MTR & an electric tram back to the hotel to drop stuff, rest our dogs, and regroup. Within a minute of getting into the room at 4:00, the skies opened up. It got worse for the next couple of hours, but then it calmed down and we went back to the Mid Levels for burgers, meatball subs & cheese steak sandwiches at Archie B’s… real New York style fare from a proprietor named Gupta. Big portions: Dan’s burger was so big that it made him feel sick. This from the kid who can eat pig hearts and fried bees.
We took the escalator to the top just to see how far it went. Then the long, long walk back down & a tram to the hotel a little after 10:00. Polish Pitch until 1:00AM, then bed.
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