"HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR FOR 2011"

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year

So far we have managed to see and visit a few new places but we start touring after Christmas both in South Island and North Island

Four Day Stop Off in Hong Kong 11th - 14th Nov 2010

Hope you are all keeping well and surviving the severe weather!   Weather in Hong Kong was good with temperatures around 28/34 deg.    Leaving the UK on the 10th November, we arrived in Hong Kong on the evening of the 11^th November on a lovely warm evening.   Our accommodation for the next four days was at The Excelsior Hotel overlooking Causeway Bay on Hong Kong Island. 

On our first evening walk around the Hotel area was just in excess of anything we had expected “Wall to Wall people” and shops and more shops, shopping malls, and food outlets of all descriptions

Today we were on our way to Lantau Island to visit the giant Buddha one of Hong Kong famous land marks.  Transport in and around was excellent either by underground, bus or boat all as “cheap as chips” especially for us seniors with concessionary fares half price.  

Taking the ferry to Lantau Island and bus up through the mountain terrain to the Buddha Temple, in a spacious but ornate setting which included many impressive statues lined down an avenue of trees to the central square, followed with over 200 steps to the base of the Buddha.   The total area is kept in immaculate condition, a credit as this is a major tourist attraction. 

This was an impressive temple with large ornate gold statues beautifully embellished with brocaded drapes surrounded with fresh flowers.

We returned to Tung Chung by cable car and had an extended lunch before travelling by tube to Kowloon.

Arriving in Kowloon early evening for a night market shop in Temple Street enjoyed an Indian meal beforehand.   The market was a truly fantastic experience, Kathy bought a Calvin Klein watch for $25, and we bought two Jimmy Choo hand bags for $25 each, “All genuine of course”.    

 

We walked back to the water front and caught the free ferry back to Hong Kong Island and a short walk back to the hotel.

“What a day”

To day off to explore Kowloon and the many shops as you can buy anything from a complete outfit: Two Suits, Shirts, Ties and Sports Jacket all handmade to fit for around £150.00.   Took a tour in to the back streets of Kowloon which was an experience but one we enjoyed.   

Lunch in a back street Chinese restaurant with wonderful atmosphere and an arrangement of foods you won’t get in Frampton Cottrell, ranging from raw fish to every array of rice, chicken, and meat dishes you can think of.

  Returning back to Hong Kong Island and the hotel, we arranged a visit to “The Peak” a shopping and restaurant complex pitched on top of a mountain with some spectacular views over Hong Kong at night.   The Funicular railway takes you to the top of the mountain and “The Peak”.    

Some fantastic restaurants, however, you pay through the nose for the view in the restaurant, without the views same food half the price and the beer was good!   We made our way back to the hotel totally exhausted after a wonderful day.

Today is our last day morning spent walking around the local harbour and park, another truly fantastic experience with hundreds of small groups of Muslim women dressed in colourful western dress and Muslim head dress all sitting on blankets spread on the open ground, involved in some form of religious ritual, this was for us an incredible experience. 

 Also in the park is a lake where the local men show off their prowess at racing model motor boats at high speed round the lake.  After lunch we made our way to the airport and departure to NZ.    Again this was made easy, free bus from the hotel to the tube station in Hong Kong. As you arrive at the tube station, you book your luggage in and the next time you see it is in NZ, leaving you all the time to sight see or chill out before catching the tube for a 20 minutes journey to the airport,  

 "The place to live and Work"