Trip to Hong Kong... Trip one - 2006, Oct 12-14

So, now we go back in time... Some photos have been removed from this one, as they weren't mine (and later ones of mine have been added), no longer certain how well the various hyperlinks work...

Trip to Hong Kong... Trip one - 2006, Oct 12-14

Thursday October 12, 2006

I’ve almost been here a week! Christie is not happy about going to work – mostly just exhausted. I have a quiet morning, since my only plans are to meet Ian (from the plane) for lunch. We are meeting up in the lobby at the Peninsula Hotel in Kowloon http://hongkong.peninsula.com/phk/photos.html http://hongkong.peninsula.com/phk/photos_restaurants_07.html - this is not where we stay for lunch. Head down the street to a place which has been recommended. Food is ok, but not stellar, and we spend much of lunch being ignored by the staff – and not having our orders arrive. Oh well… On vacation, not too upset. After lunch stroll around a bit, then Ian has to go meet up with another friend. So, back across on the Star Ferry and decide to make a pit stop on the way home - 3 guesses, 1st 2 don’t count as to where I am headed! If reflexology was $11 a shot in Vancouver, I’d go every day here too!

Head home afterward, and if I recall correctly, in bed pretty early… We’re off back to China tomorrow to pick up all the goodies.

Friday October 13, 2006

New surprise, I am on my own to go to Shenzhen – Christie has some errands to run, and will meet me there. Hmm, this ought to be interesting – let’s find out how much attention I was paying in my prior jetlagged stupor! I have a bit of a head start, as Christie makes sure I get on the right bus (after I run back and pick up my suitcases which I just left at Starbucks) – and I ride it to the end. She has assured me that everything will look familiar when I get off the bus – here’s hoping!

Sure enough, arrive at the station, manage to get on the right train, find the visa office, get my visa, go through customs… So, I can get to Shenzhen, finding the tailor is proving a bit more difficult (much wandering around on the wrong floors – to a chorus of ‘missy, missy… DVD? Handbag? Manicure?’). Luckily the tailors have a watch out for me, and while I am advised that I’m late, I do make it.

Try on everything – this is where I really start to think I ordered too much! Even with the AC on in the mall, changing in a corner behind a curtain is getting hot and sticky… However, about 85% of the stuff seems to fit perfectly on the first try. The rest get pinned and pinched and will be altered while we wait in Shenzhen. Part way through the process, Christie arrives.

Next, off for lunch at King Elephant again (if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!). At the end, we have more time to kill and I need the facilities; I’m not thrilled with the options in the mall, so we head across the street to the Shangri-la Hotel http://www.shangri-la.com/shenzhen/shangri-la/en/. Here we have an overpriced (by local standards) coffee, and kill some time.

When we come back, we have more time to wait, so off we go for the massage, foot massage, pedicure, manicure routine – starts off very cheap, but price increases as we go along. Ends up being about ½ the price of home.

In the end, the whole day was much easier than we had anticipated… However, Christie’s alterations got held up by mine, and I have ordered two more skirts and two more dresses. After discussion regarding having these items mailed to Christie, we negotiate that they can be ready for Monday, so, I’ll be back!

Even though the day has progressed pretty smoothly, we head home for a fairly quiet night – tomorrow is a new adventure.

Saturday October 14, 2006

We are heading to Lamma Island (one of the many outlying islands in the area). There is a birthday party which Noah is attending (well, really, we all attend), and Ron is lending us his apartment for the night so that I can visit Lamma. We head into Hong Kong, then walk through the IFC towers to access the ferry piers. http://www.12hk.com/sgt_lmma.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamma_Island http://www.hkoutdoors.com/outlying-islands/lamma-island.html Catch a hydrofoil across to Lamma – where there are no cars (well, virtually – see wikipedia link, they spell it all out better). http://www.asiacard.co.uk/ecard301.html http://www.asiacard.co.uk/ecard305.html http://www.asiacard.co.uk/ecard308.html We land in Yung Shue Wan (Banyan Bay), wander down the main drag (we see an ambulance, and a fire truck while on the island – picture 4ft high tonka toys!), pick up a few grocery items and then hike up to Ron’s place (it’s not that it’s far, or that it’s particularly onerous – but DAMN it’s hot – at least, by Vancouver standards!). Part way up I decide that once up and once down will be ample for this trip… I think it’s been about 29C and 90-95% humidity most of my visit – feels a couple degrees warmer on Lamma.

After a quick tour (I think Ron’s apartment might fit nicely into my livingroom), we head up to the roof and have some lunch. Apres lunch, it’s next door (pretty much) to the house where the birthday party is being held… Meet a bunch more people, have a drink, eat a bit, then Ron is off for the night. I proceed to watch the children & parents games, then after chatting a bit more Ian & I both head back to the apartment for naps… By the time I wake up, it is almost dark, and Christie has headed down to town to pick-up dinner. We have a pleasant quiet night of dinner and videos, then proceed to the battle of the airconditioner! Ian and Noah are sleeping in the bedroom, so they get to forgo aforementioned battle. I’m on the sofa, and Christie is on a cot (which I kept knocking the end off – hence why I’m not in it). I think in the end I lost the battle of the AC – was on when I went to sleep, woke up to it off and pouring sweat, turned it back on – which woke up Christie, who turned it off again… I think it is a good thing this is only for one night!