Thursday 31 May - Hong Kong

Off to Shenzen, a special economic zone of China, for shopping. You'd think that given we were going into a city we'd never seen before we'd have spent the day looking around it. However, we would only make it 100 metres or so over the border - today's mission was all about shopping, and we need not go any further than the Luohu Commercial City, which sits as close to the border as it possibly could.

The shops here are pretty dodgy. Standing in the first shop that we visited, out of nowhere the staff starting hiding a lot of their stock. Turns out that the police (or similar) were walking up the isle towards their store and thus the goods had to be hidden until the danger passed. We actually never saw any officialdom walk past, and after a minute or two the usual selling resumed.

When in a shoe store, we were asked to follow the staff member to their 'other' store, which strangely didn't sell shoes. It did, however, have a fake wall, in which a door existed to the real store out the back. When I'd found a pair that I liked, they had to head off to their 'other warehouse' to find the right size, which took them around 20 minutes. Libe found a pair that she liked (surprise surprise!) and made sure that the staff got something out of us.

In this store, like most others, a 'secret warehouse' existed in the ceiling. To access this, staff would push aside a loose roof tile and climb up inside it. A number of others had hidden shelves in the walls, which were opened via suction cups (no handles used given the secrecy of these compartments) to reveal wallets, watches, etc.

Bargaining was the theme of the day. Managed to acquire a carry-on suitcase for HKD 100 (about AUD 16), a couple of handbags for Mum & Caitlin (cost withheld!), a watch for Mum, a couple of pairs of shorts for HKD 230 (AUD 36), a Diesel Bag for HKD 155 (AUD 25), three cufflinks for HKD 160 (AUD 26) and another belt for HKD 80 (AUD 13).

Then, on the way home, just to complete the shopping day, I found 3 good suits and promptly parted with about AUD 200 each for them.

The Chinese people is certainly a race of small thin people. It felt weird being on the KCR East Railway looking down on everyone else - a bit like big Mick Lester would feel I suppose.

Given how good Chinese food is too - roast duck and barbeque pork on rice has been most of the week's meals - it's a wonder how they're not larger around the girth.

Of all the public transport we've used during our travels, the Honkers subway system might be the best in the world. It's quick, efficient, on time, clean, very regular (every 3 minutes or less), air conditioned and generally not crowded.

Pictures - http://picasaweb.google.com/milky42


Friday 1 June - Hong Kong

Went and had a walk around Happy Valley racecourse, stupidly in the middle of the day, thus finished my lap of the track drenched in sweat. The middle of the track, as I've mentioned previously, is full of sporting fields. In this city, any space where such facilities can be built has had to be taken advantage of.

It was very interesting to see the track staff repairing the track after Wednesday night's races. The staff were sitting on the ground, digging up holes and divots, cutting out pieces of turf with a spade to fit the hole and putting them down along with sand. Fair to say the staff at the GRC never went to this level of detail.

Late in the afternoon we made our way (again) out to the markets in Tung Choi St, Mong Kok & Yau Ma Tei (aka the Ladies' Markets), this time to load up on some more ties, belts and shoes. I made the crucial decision not to buy an automatic card shuffler that I'd been looking to buy from two stalls... I might have to head back there for this tomorrow I think.

We finished up the night with Libe buying a bit of jewellery - to be precise, a gold necklace and bracelet, both 21 carats. Fair to say that if we could sum up our visit to Honkers with one word, it would be 'shopping'.

Learnt today while watching a bit of CNN that 2,000 are shot dead in the US every year. For the US school year to date, no less than 28 kids have been shot or stabbed to death in Chiacgo alone. I think I speak for the everyone else who are not Americans, and also a lot of Americans themselves, that the ability to freely purchase firearms is just a joke. Here's hoping that this changes but I can see the 'guns don't kill people, people kill people' argument reigning supreme for a while.

Pictures - http://picasaweb.google.com/milky42


Saturday 2 June - Hong Kong

Ah, our last day in Hong Kong, and the last day of our trip. I'm certainly not ready for it to end, and neither is Libe.

This has been probably the greatest experience of my life & possibly Libe's too. I already know that I'm a different person for having seen and experienced so many places in the last 5 and a bit months.

No doubt the travel bug has bitten a fair bit. I'm sure back in Australia we'll be reloading our finances, and possibly our leave balances, to explore other corners of the world, which can't come too soon.

Myself & Libe both had different goals for today so we took a leave pass from each other in separate directions. I jumped on the KCR Railway and headed north to Sha Tin, hoping to be able to access Penfold Park. which sits in the middle of the racecourse there. Unfortunately my efforts were about as useful as a one-legged man in an arse kicking contest as the park was closed, therefore the views of the track were very, very limited.

I said in yesterday's blog that I'd have to head back to the markets in Tung Choi street, so I did. This was the final chance to load up on more ties and belts, and that automatic card shuffler I've just so needed in my life for years. Upon packing my bags tonight, I was a little shattered to realise that I could have comfortably squeezed more into my bags, and thus had undershopped.

We've used what's called an Octopus Card to get around in Hong Kong and London on public transport. These are like debit cards that you can load up with cash and use for trams, buses, trains, and even in stores such as 7-Eleven. The sooner something similar gets implemented into Australia and particularly Melbourne the better.

To finish off in HK, we had a few drinks with Edward and Edwina at a bar two doors up from our hotel. We were at this place on Thursday night too, and both times saw the same cover band performing the same songs. Finished up just after midnight, leaving us only four hours sleep before getting up got the flight tomorrow, but tomorrow can take care of itself.

Pictures - http://picasaweb.google.com/milky42