{"id":12359,"date":"2013-05-29T12:59:11","date_gmt":"2013-05-29T02:59:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.linke.com.au\/TB\/?p=12359"},"modified":"2021-11-18T11:37:32","modified_gmt":"2021-11-18T01:37:32","slug":"2013-hong-kong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.linke.com.au\/TB\/asia\/2013-hong-kong\/","title":{"rendered":"2013: Hong Kong"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

29 May to 2 June 2013 <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Day 00<\/h4><\/div>
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A place we\u2019d wanted to visit in a while was Hong Kong. The blend of cultures, the old and the new. So in the middle of 2013 we popped over for a quick visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The journey\nwas smooth, through Sydney, boarding a Qantas 747. We spent some time in the\nfirst lounge before heading off on the seven hour flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flying into\nHong Kong was amazing, the tall buildings lining the hilly countryside was a sight\nto see. We landed at the new airport, basically a manufactured island off the\ncost of Hong King island. Moving through the airport was a breeze, new airports\nbuilt in one go are much more efficient than those airports that have evolved\nover decades. The train trip and busy trip to our hotel was well organised and\nsmooth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We arrived\nat our hotel, the Icon, mid-afternoon and unpacked and got settled in. The\nweather was hot and steamy. We were staying in Tsim Sha Tsui on Kowloon, with a\nview of Victoria Harbour across to the Hong Kong Island. The hotel was attached\nto the school of hospitality at the nearby university and was a learning hotel\nfor students wishing to enter the industry. Not that you\u2019d notice. Everyone was\nskilled and professional.\n\nThat first night we spent some time in the executive\nlounge overlooking the harbour. The hotel offered sweeping views of Kowloon and\nthe island. The nighttime light display was in full swing every night.\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Day 01<\/h4><\/div>
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After a\nlazy breakfast in the hotel we headed out. But first breakfast. The Icon has\none of those dining rooms that offers just about anything and everything. Breakfast\nwas a lavish and expansive experience. Traditional Asian cuisine, western delights,\nand everything in between. We sampled dumplings, donuts, cereals, eggs (every way),\nmeats, noodles, croissants, yogurts, freshly squeezed juices and some delicious\nmuffins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we headed\nout we walked the local area and looked around the shops and markets nearby. We\nthen caught the ferry across to the island and looked around Central, the main centre\nof town. We visited an Apple store, mainly to use the WiFi, so we could work\nout where to go and what to do next. We were looking for the Peak \u2013 a tram ride\nwould take you to the top for a great view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We locate\nthe tram ride after walking around for a while. It\u2019s hot and steamy again. The\ntram, a funicular type of tram, hauls us to the top in a slow and steady\nmanner. Although you are standing level, you are inclining at a descent rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We reach the\ntop and wander around the shops and explore the view from all angles. Its\nimpressive to see the number of buildings, mostly high rise, built against and\ninto the mountainous terrain. We locate our hotel back on the other side of the\nharbor and take some photos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After our visit,\nwe make our way back to our hotel and enjoy dinner at the restaurant.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Day 02<\/h4><\/div>
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we\u2019ve stayed\nin touch with. He\u2019s a vet and later today he has arranged for us to meet the SPCA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But first, breakfast,\nanother marathon and we fuel ourselves for a big day. Stephen has planned a\nvisit to the Giant Buddha. We meet Stephen at our hotel and start the journey,\ntrek, to the giant Buddha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We ride in\nhis car to the start of the trip, a very long cable car ride. We start at Tung\nChung cable car station. The cable car takes us across a Tan Chung Bay in the\nnew territories to the Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island. Its quite a long\njourney on the cable car, but worth it when we get there. We look around the village\nand then walk the hundreds of steps up to the Buddha. At the top we can certainly\nfeel the heat, humidity and it is taking its toll on us. We rest for a while,\nStephen introduces us to a delicious fruit drink, which cools us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We make the\nreturn journey, which takes in a wonderful view of the new airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We then\nvisit the SPCA. Stephen arranges introductions as we tour the facility. We discuss\ncat and dog welfare and the different social conventions and attitudes towards cats\nand dog here and in Australia. They certainly have a complex role to play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We spend\nthe evening with Stephen as he shows us around and we enjoy dinner in a traditional\nChinese restaurant. Stephen does all of the ordering.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Day 03<\/h4><\/div>
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We spend a\nbit of time in the hotel pool, relaxing. Me swimming and mucking about, Mardi\nreads and relaxes. It a nice lazy morning after another wonderful breakfast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We then walk\nthe promenade along Vitoria Harbour. It runs for round six kilometres from our hotel\nall the way west to the heart of Kowloon. It\u2019s a wonderful walk as we explore\nsculptures, sights and the activity in the harbor. We pass the Avenue of the\nStars, a tribute to China\u2019s film industry, an old English clock tower and\nseveral restaurants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We turn around\nand make the return journey, but head into some shops on the way back to cool\noff. The fresh cool air of the inside give us goosepimple as we move from the\nheat to the cool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We wander\nthrough the grounds of the Hong Kong Museum and Science Museum, they\u2019re both\nclosed today. But we explore the gardens and grounds around the buildings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We enjoy\ndinner in, enjoying the view from the Executive Lounge of the hotel.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Day 04<\/h4><\/div>
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We have a\nlazy morning, packing and enjoying our last breakfast before heading out to the\nAirport.\n\nThe return journey is as easy as getting here, with\nour bags being dropped off well before we get to the airport proper. er enjoy\nsome time in the lounge before heading home.\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n