Hi Guys
Just a 'quick' message as it's not long since the last one - but I have
found an excellent free email here so I'm making the most of it.....
First of all Kung Hei Fat Choi (Happy Chinese New Year [24 Jan]) - I am
nearly fluent in Cantonese now - well fluent in 7 words...only about 10,000
to go.... not that I knew it was New Year, in fact I only found out it was on the plane from Cape Town... and I was horrified - I thought the place would be packed...
I was intending to spend only a week here but I had so much fun that I have
spent nearly 3 weeks - I am leaving tomorrow for Bangkok - although I was
thinking of going to Bejing instead but it is very cold (-14C) there at the
moment so I'll have to do that another time....
It's not exactly warm here though - foggy and 15C ... I'm told that's about
as cold as it gets. Can't be much colder than that in UK.....
Since I've been here I 've also been to Macau (a Portuguese enclave until it
was handed back to China in Dec 1999) which is only 65km away by boat -
apart from that I have stayed put - strange not having a truck to take me
places.......
Plus Points
- Victoria Peak - the view of HK at night is superb. We got a slightly
better view by climbing up onto a higher part of the viewing roof than we
were 'probably' supposed to and then when security came round to lock up at
midnight we were still there - and so got locked out !!! Luckily they came
and unlocked us after 20 mins or so...
- New Year's Eve Flower Market - It's not just flowers but all sorts of
trees and total tat...... the locals ALL buy them as good luck for the new
year.... but it is total mayhem ! It's like Xmas shopping in Oxford Street
but with everyone waiting until Xmas Eve to buy their presents....and if you
thought that we buy tat at Xmas you should see the total c*** they buy -
basically any piece of plastic, cloth or wood that will bring them good
luck. You wouldn't catch me wasting my money on stuff like that....
- OK ... so I did buy one bit - it was the atmosphere ..... A small banner
saying (in Cantonese) 'Without Work you will have Money'. It seemed
appropriate. And then half an hour later I found HK$5 on the ground (about
50p)..... unfortunately the banner cost me HK$10 so it still has a bit of
work to do.......
- Partying on New Years Eve in a heap of clubs with all sorts of tabs going down.... until we got thrown out of the last one as it closed at about 11.30am next morning...
- The islands around HK are really nice - lots of mountains (up to 1000m)
and stuff like grass and trees which you just don't get elsewhere in HK.
- Macau - Very interesting place with loads of history, castles, temples,
views etc ... and loads of casinos ...no I didn't gamble everything away....
I was however just about the only (caucasian) tourist there - during my
day and a half there I saw no other !
- Visiting the largest Buddha (that is largest outdoor sitting bronze Buddah...) in
the world on a nearby island (22m high).
- Visit to 10,000 Buddhas Monastery - Actually there were 11,800 (so I was
told)- it seems good value to be able to worship all of them at once - a
whole lifetime of religion in one visit!!!!
- Daoism - what seems to be a really promising religion .... seemingly based
around 'Do nothing and something will happen'. I'm sure that must have been
what we practiced at NatWest....
Minus Points
- The backpacker accommodation is abysmal and not desperately cheap - but I
did manage to find a dorm that was at least clean and rat free - the
corridors outside were neither .... there are so many cats you think there
would be no rats... but there again the rats are bigger than the cats so
perhaps that explains it...
- The number of people on the streets of HK. At weekends just walking along
the street was like endlessly queuing for nothing in particular ......
- New years Eve fireworks in the harbour - the cloud was so low that most of
the fireworks whooooossssssed up into the cloud not to be seen again
(although we did here the BANGS!)
- The night markets - teeming with people, so lively, the real ambiance of
HK - So why do they all sell total c***.
- Guys on the street with never ending offers of a new suit ! Do I look
like I need a new suit.... well ..... maybe ..... but then it just
wouldn't match my rucksack !
- Not understanding the language - outside the posher end of the tourist
sector hardly anyone speaks any English - so if you want a cheap meal (there
are no english menus in the cheap places) - you have to guess and point.
I've eaten loadsa Chinese food ... but I haven't got a clue what !!
- In Macau it seems compulsory for all the locals to ride a scooter around
like complete nutcases - the cars are bad in HK ... the cars are worse in
Macau, but the scooters are in Macau are the limit - I only saw I accident
while I was there.......
Anyway enough of that...
I hope you are all well and enjoyed England's thrashing of Wales at rugby -
I watched it live here (starting at midnight)... not such a big planet after
all.....
Best Wishes
Pete
Tuesday 6 February 2001
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