I’m leaving Hong Kong today for New Zealand. It’s been a fun week, and as I mentioned I was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved the city. I imagine it’s a great place to live and work as there is such a lively atmosphere and it is definitely a city that does not sleep! But with regards to sightseeing one week is definitely enough time to see all the main sights, so in a way I am looking forward to moving onto New Zealand and a new adventure.
So Monday I visited the Peak. I did the very touristy thing of taking the tram up there which is worth doing. It was quite a hairy ride at some points though as the route up there is incredibly steep, but apparently in the whole time it’s been running, I think over one hundred years, there hasn’t been an accident which is good to know! It’s definitely worth it once you get to the top though as the views are stunning. Hong Kong often has quite a hazy atmosphere (I imagine it’s a combination of humidity and pollution) so sometimes is hard to see a great distance from the Peak. Luckily it wasn’t too bad when I went up so I got some good snaps. The size of the sky scrapers and the sheer amount of them still leaves me in awe, even after being here a week. It’s beautiful at night.
On Tuesday I went to Lantau Island and up to the village of Ngong ping, home to the Big Buddha and the Po Lin monastery. Again, I was very touristy and took the cable car up, and again it was so worth it. I did have to queue for over an hour for it though, but the views were amazing. Is definitely not for people who are scared of heights though, that’s for sure, as its 35 minutes of dangling above sea and mountains! Once at the top you can visit the little village, which is obviously set up for the tourist trade with lots of souvenir shops. You can also climb up the steps to the Big Buddha. There are a hell of a lot of steps, but I did it and I think my legs are the better for it. In fact Hong Kong in general is pretty hilly so my legs have has a real work out, that is when I haven’t been using the escalators. Normally where there are stairs there are escalators too, for the very lazy. Sadly not up to the Buddha though. Once at the top, the views are amazing. I was slightly sad though at how touristy this place is. There is actually a restaurant inside the Buddha! How gimmicky! But there were Buddhists visiting, and for them this was probably a real pilgrimage and I imagine it was somewhat ruined by all the people taking photos and posing with Buddha. Also for the monks that live in the monastery. Probably the reason the monastery was built up in Ngong Ping was to be away from all the hustle and bustle of the town below and to live peacefully with nature. That has most definitely been ruined by the easy cable car ride up there! Having said that, it was worth a visit and like I say, I got some great photos which I suppose makes me just as guilty of exploiting this beautiful village!
Yesterday, on my last full day in Hong Kong I went over to some of the markets in Mong Kok on Kowloon. I managed to pick up a couple of bargains at the Ladies Market and even tried out my bartering skills. I say this, but I didn’t have to do much to get the original price knocked down, just say I’d think about it, which makes me think that it wasn’t much of a bargain at all and in fact the price I paid was all it was worth anyway! Still it was fun, although as soon as I started to show some interest in anything, I was pounced on by the stall owner and before I knew it I was entering into some hard bargaining for something I didn’t really want. In the end it was easier to just keep walking.
So it’s been an exciting week in Hong Kong and as I said, although I’ve really enjoyed myself, I’m looking forward to New Zealand. From what people have said its very much like Britain, so hopefully might be like a home from home! I have a feeling I’ll be doing lots of walking, so thank god I bought more sensible shoes before I left. I’m also very much looking forward to the whole ‘campervanning’ experience, although four girls in a rather small space for three weeks may well be a recipe for disaster. I’ll let you know how it goes.
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