"Check your propriety at the door.."
Hong Kong is terrific. So much better than Tokyo in that this city has a genuine feel for its traditional roots, mixed nicely with the urban, "pursuit-of-the-dollar" look of a great international cities. Coming into the area surrounding the harbor, with its green islands and sandy cliffs, I can only imagine the thoughts running through the mind of Marco Polo when he first came here so long ago. "What in God's name will I find out here?" We arrived three days ago and the fog has not burned off enough for any of us to see the sun, but the air has been warm and hospitable enough that we don't need to wonder around in jackets. During the day most people from the boat walked around all the shopping area close to the pier and while my friends and I did spend a little time there we also struck out into the city via taxi to the University of Hong Kong. We toured the campus and tried to find a t-shirt but to no avail.
In the days leading up to our arrival I had so many things I wanted to do in mind but when we got here I realized I wouldn't be able to do most of them. I wanted to check out the HK central library but they didn't open until 1pm ("What kind of communist country doesn't open their library until...oh, yeah"). Also the Horse Track certainly would have been a place we'd spend our time but they don't race until the weekends and we pull out Friday.
All the time we were there the scenerey made me think that any minute Jackie Chan would run by being chased by several nondescript Chinese guys. We were told not to go anywhere out in town alone but I couldn't help myself. On the first night I left my friends at the bar early, went back to our hotel (The Metro Park Plaza, under the name Jasper McQuinn) and struck out into the night like I enjoy doing in Tokyo, to walk around aimlessly, seeing what they do in Hong Kong when nothing is happening. I went first into Victoria Park, a great grassy lawn with a statue of the Queen and much recreational infrustructure. From there I tried to work my way down to the harbor to find that junk boat neighborhood Angelina Jolie hides in in Tomb Raider 2. Didn't find it but I got a great picture of the huge tower she jumps off of. I skirted the harbor until I got to the planetarium and then worked my way back through the city among the massive buildings (whose placement along such a fragile coastline really are a feat of British engineering) to my hotel, all the while taking pictures of things I thought warranted the film. In fact I was even able to get them developed at a photolab near the hotel. The little Chinese develeopers had great compliments and asked me what kind of camera I had and things like that. I was really flattered.
Today I have duty section and have to stay on the boat and keep an eye on the helicopter and make sure the hangar doesn't burn down. Tomorrow I'll have a chance to go back out into the city one last time before we pull out on Friday. I'm sitting here in the aviation shop, watching Hitchcock flicks and chomping at the bit. Our next port will be Korea and unless I can go to Seolle I really don't think I'll get off the boat. So that is that. I'll get the pictures put into the photobucket as soon as I can get them scanned but that won't be until the end of next month. Hong Kong has been great and I'm glad I saw it. I know there are a great many cities over here worth the effort to see but really I think I'll be happy if I can leave this hemisphere after I see Sydney.
Good luck with the wife, Wallace.
In the days leading up to our arrival I had so many things I wanted to do in mind but when we got here I realized I wouldn't be able to do most of them. I wanted to check out the HK central library but they didn't open until 1pm ("What kind of communist country doesn't open their library until...oh, yeah"). Also the Horse Track certainly would have been a place we'd spend our time but they don't race until the weekends and we pull out Friday.
All the time we were there the scenerey made me think that any minute Jackie Chan would run by being chased by several nondescript Chinese guys. We were told not to go anywhere out in town alone but I couldn't help myself. On the first night I left my friends at the bar early, went back to our hotel (The Metro Park Plaza, under the name Jasper McQuinn) and struck out into the night like I enjoy doing in Tokyo, to walk around aimlessly, seeing what they do in Hong Kong when nothing is happening. I went first into Victoria Park, a great grassy lawn with a statue of the Queen and much recreational infrustructure. From there I tried to work my way down to the harbor to find that junk boat neighborhood Angelina Jolie hides in in Tomb Raider 2. Didn't find it but I got a great picture of the huge tower she jumps off of. I skirted the harbor until I got to the planetarium and then worked my way back through the city among the massive buildings (whose placement along such a fragile coastline really are a feat of British engineering) to my hotel, all the while taking pictures of things I thought warranted the film. In fact I was even able to get them developed at a photolab near the hotel. The little Chinese develeopers had great compliments and asked me what kind of camera I had and things like that. I was really flattered.
Today I have duty section and have to stay on the boat and keep an eye on the helicopter and make sure the hangar doesn't burn down. Tomorrow I'll have a chance to go back out into the city one last time before we pull out on Friday. I'm sitting here in the aviation shop, watching Hitchcock flicks and chomping at the bit. Our next port will be Korea and unless I can go to Seolle I really don't think I'll get off the boat. So that is that. I'll get the pictures put into the photobucket as soon as I can get them scanned but that won't be until the end of next month. Hong Kong has been great and I'm glad I saw it. I know there are a great many cities over here worth the effort to see but really I think I'll be happy if I can leave this hemisphere after I see Sydney.
Good luck with the wife, Wallace.