On Shayne's last full day in Hong Kong, we were joined by our friend Vesper and Deb Tolsma who had recently arrived from Grand Rapids for two weeks. We decided to let Vesper show us another of the outer islands, so we all met at the ferry dock.
The ride over to Cheung Chau was relaxing as usual and upon arriving we found ourselves on the main walkway along the water.
As we walked along we saw shops of all kinds and even a few types we had not seen before.
It was a very hot day and we did a little hat shopping to protect us from the very bright sun.
Above most of the shops are the homes of the islanders and as is custom in most of Hong Kong hanging the laundry out to dry is the norm.
As we walked along the shore we saw several of the fishermen drying their catch in preparation for sale. It is really interesting to see how some things are still best done the old fashioned way.
We wandered along the area and spied a lovely Bed & Breakfast and some very nice shops.
After wandering along the shoreline for quite some time, we took a walk across the island (a very skinny part of the island) to the beach. And it was a wow! On the way we saw a statue dedicated to windsurfing and the only Hong Kong Olympic gold medalist. We even saw some potential ones at practice.
The beach was beautiful and netted off to keep away sharks. There hasn't been one spotted in years, but safety first! The swimming area is quite large so one lifeguard is posted on the water and I loved the way he patrols. Shayne even pot her toes in for a bit.
Following a short beverage break we decided to walk to the end of the island a explore a pirate's cave. The walk took us past the buddhist college, the fireboat station and some very nice homes.
We even passed a graveyard for dragon boats and we found one that was draggin'.
We finally reached the path to Cheung Po Tsai cave. Cheung Po Tasi was a pirate who plied the waters of Hong Kong in the early days and though no one knows for sure if he used this cave for his booty, it is named in his honor. The path gave some beautiful views of the coastline and we even saw some local fishermen - or where they pirates?
We didn't know what to expect from our cave adventure. My experiences have all been in caves with paths, lighting and tour guides. Here there was a very old man selling flashlights to those unprepared and giving hints as to how to best navigate. Now we were really wondering what was up. The cave is only 30 meters long but you get a true feel for caving. We entered and climbed down a short ladder. Once you hit bottom, there was absolutely no light (thank goodness for the little man with the flashlights). We walked along then came to a second ladder to climb out. The really exciting part of this whole experience was that Shayne and I were wearing dresses. Not a pretty sight for those following. Lucky for them no one else was following us. We were among friends.
We all thought the best part of the cave was the temperature. It was so nice and cool. Once out it was back into the furnace again. But we walked the shaded path and once again enjoyed the views.
After walking back to town we hopped the ferry and headed back so Shayne could pack (boo hoo).
Shayne and I signed up for a class in the art of Chinese Tea. There is a small Tea Ware Museum in Hong Kong Park and next door is a tea shop which offers classes free of charge. We signed up for a class and had a wonderful time.
We learned about the six types of tea: white, yellow, green, red, bluish green and black. We also learned the proper technique for Kung Fu tea making. (No, you don't fight with the tea leaves. Kung Fu means skilled.) Our tea master was a young man who has been studying the art for two years. He was delightful.
We enjoyed ourselves so much that the next day we returned and made some purchases. Shayne bought me a lovely clay tea set as my Mother's Day gift.
Following the class we met up with Ken and took the Peak Tram up to Victoria Peak to show Shayne some of the best views in Hong Kong. We arrived during daylight and Shayne was in awe.
From the peak you not only see the city below, but from the other side you can see the south side of Hong Kong Island and all of the outer islands in the South China Sea.
As the sun began to set...
...we headed indoors to see the shops and displays and have some dinner.
Following a feast at Bubba Gump we went for another look at the city below. The night view is incredible.
We caught the tram back to the city below and had a leisurely stroll back to the apartment. It was a great evening.
There will be a short break in my blogging as we are leaving for Shanghai in the morning. Blog sites are not accessible on the mainland. We will be back in Hong Kong late next Saturday and I will have lots more to show I am sure.
Ever since our arrival we have been told that if you have been to Disney in the U.S., don't bother with Hong Kong Disney unless you have little children. Instead the place to go is Ocean Park. We haven't made it to Disney yet (not sure if we will), but all the praise for Ocean Park is well deserved.
The park sits on the south side of Hong Kong Island and is accessible by bus. In fact, there is a bus terminus just for Ocean Park which takes you right to the door. So on Tuesday morning we slathered on the sun block and headed for the bus. The ride is fairly quick and we had our tickets in advance so we just walked through the gates.
Once inside you could tell it was a happy place.
The park is on two levels. The entrance level holds some exhibits and most of the kiddie rides. The second level is on a cliff overlooking the sea. There are two ways to access the cliff level - cable car and train.
Anxious to get started, we went up by train. Once there you realize there are multiple levels at the top as well. Shayne started off the day on a fun ride. I skipped it because of my cold; there were others I had my eye on.
She's up there somewhere. We took the viewing tower to see where everything was and we certainly got some great views.
Along with all of the rides, Ocean Park is an educational center for marine life. In conjunction with this there are shows and exhibits scattered throughout the grounds. We saw most of them. First up were the sea lions.
We also saw a great dolphin and seal show.
Ken went out of his comfort zone and actually did a few "upside down" rides. He and Shayne did the Witch's Wheel and we all did the roller coaster on the edge of the cliff.
You know the ride called "Tower of Terror?" It's the one where you are pulled up a very tall pole and then dropped back down. Well Shayne and I did that one. I have done it before, but this was something special. First of all the tower was much taller than it looked. Secondly, it is situated at the edge of a cliff. It is difficult to imagine how high up you feel. We wanted to watch for low flying aircraft! The view was worth the plunge and we loved the experience.
The day was probably one of the hottest since we have been here and my cold was getting bothersome. We took the opportunity to see some of the indoor exhibits. There was one on the Chinese sturgeon and the exhibit on jelly fish was like walking through Avatar. It may be one of the most beautiful aquarium exhibits I have ever seen. Unfortunately, the heavy air conditioning put me over the top with my cold and I started to fade.
Shayne had one last ride on her favorite - the swings!
After finishing up the cliff area we headed back down to the entry level. This time we took the cable car.
When we got to the bottom we took a rest while watching a high diving show. Ken thought it odd that China has so many wonderful divers, but the crazies that jump from high places into tiny tanks of water were all westerners. Wonder what that says?
There were a few more things we would have liked to see, but I really needed my bed. So off we went with a good reason to return.
Ken took a few vacation days while Shayne was here; so on Monday we decided to go to Macao. Macao is another S.A.R. and the Las Vegas of Asia. Some of the biggest casinos in the world are in Macao. It is only a bit over 28 sq. km. with most of it dedicated to tourism. It has a very long and rich history and was the center for British trade with China prior to the acquisition of Hong Kong.
We are not gamblers but upon arrival we were hungry so we decided to take the shuttle to the Venetian. It seems to be the most popular casino in Macao and thus a good place to start. On the ride there we saw some interesting views and sights.
Since it was July 4th, we had hamburgers and french fries for lunch. Afterward we strolled through all of the canals in the Venetian.
After checking things out there, we took another shuttle to City of Dreams. What attracted us to this property was the water show they were advertising. Unfortunately it was sold out for the night but we still saw a smaller show in the Bubble Theatre.
This theatre is one where you stand and the entire dome is a projection screen. What separates it from most are the chandeliers and central waterfall that can change color and cascade water in different patterns and then disappear into the dome. The show was about four dragons and it was very interesting and beautiful. There were even a few fireworks (for the 4th).
This casino is set up differently from most in the US. The casino floor is City of Dreams, but there are three hotels attached to it instead of one. Here the Crowne and Hard Rock were two of the three (can't remember the third).
Another feature at City of Dreams was an extensive exhibit of costumes and personal artifacts from Madonna. It included costumes from tours, music videos and movies. Since the exhibit was spread throughout the property, it was like going on a scavenger hunt.
The last is a recreation of the balcony scene from Evita.
After leaving City of Dreams we headed to the newest casino in Macao, Galaxy. This casino opened a few weeks after our arrival in Hong Kong. The towers and the glass are coated in gold and it shimmers in the sunlight. Inside it is very elegant and vast.
We would have like to do some of the historical tours, but by this point my cold was wearing me down and we had a bust day planned for Tuesday. So we headed back to the ferry and Hong Kong. One of the added bonuses of this trip was more stamps in our passports, though waiting in the lines is not always fun. Luckily, the lines that evening were not too long and we made it back to the apartment where I crashed.
After our wanderings on Lamma Island and in Sai Kung, we decided to spend Sunday a bit differently. We went to the Stanley Markets. Stanley is on the south side of Hong Kong Island and is accessible by bus. Several buses serve Stanley but we were told that the #6 was the most scenic route. They were not lying. We crossed the spine of the island with views of Happy Valley and the county parks. We then descended into Aberdeen and passed by Repulse Bay which is possibly the most popular beach on the island. After heading out to the end of the peninsula we came to Stanley.
The market area is not overly large, but it is jam packed with almost anything you can imagine. It is also home to many market stalls that have been in business there for thirty years or more.
Luckily much of the market area is under cover as it was an extremely hot day. The shop owners are not aggressive as they are in some of the markets (especially on the mainland) and we were able to browse and come back to do a bit of shopping.
Just outside of the markets is a boardwalk along the seaside lined with restaurants.
We checked out all of the menus and picked one that served both Asian and western cuisine. The tables were outdoors, under awnings and with fans and air conditioning running. It provided a very pleasant break. After several hours we headed back to Central and the coolness of our apartment.
