The Other Side

An April cruise-fly trip covering three Asian countries (Part 2)

Hong Kong, southern China and Macau

After Danang
We are at sea for two nights after leaving Danang where very slight listing of the ship from time to time suggests the waves are stronger, as borne out by the froth that could be seen from my porthole. It has been bright and sunny during the day and the jacuzzi at the stern of the ship and swimming pools in the mid-section are full of sun worshippers.

Twinkling lights to skyscrapers
Early the next morning, the presence of more passing ships and increasing presence of twinkling lights are first clues that we are approaching the outlying islands of Hong Kong. From my review of maps downloaded from the Internet, I can tell we are passing Lamma island, south of Hong Kong island.

As we sail around Lamma island, despite the early morning mist, Hong Kong hits you straightaway with its long Tsing Ma bridge in the distance and impressive skyscrapers dominating the Kowloon and Kong Kong island.

Costa Allegra is slated to berth at a cargo port at Kennedy town, on Hong Kong island which is opposite Kowloon, where the passenger terminal is, but supposedly occupied,. All passengers are treated to outstanding views of the tall skyscrapers built almost to the water’s edge, as the ship is assisted alongside the berth. Here again, the shipboard communication could have been improved, as a free shuttle run to Kowloon was available but not all passengers were aware of the service.

Hong Kong is a nice lower 20 degree Celsius around mid-April. Having made plans to go to Lantau island and take a ride on the much written about Ngong Ping cable car We quickly disembarked to take a cab, costing HK$40 from Kennedy port to Central station on Hong Kong island. From here, we board the MTR at the Tung Chung MTR line to its last stop, where else, but at Tung Chung, at Lantau island.


Ngong Ping: Impressive cable car ride
At Tung Chung station, a fair-sized shopping centre is good reason to do a tour of the place before we proceed to a neighbouring facility housing the cable car station. As we didn’t pre-booked tickets, we have to wait 45 minutes in an ever-growing queue because of the Good Friday holiday. It costs HK$107 round trip each for a normal cabin. The cable car ride is impressive going ever higher, taking about 25 minutes altogether.

It traverses a short stretch that takes one across a mid-point overlooking the airport and then makes a right angle turn to go all the way uphill to Ngong Ping village. Along the way, one can take in the panoramic views of the mountain and neighbouring seas. The sight of the long trail of cable cars at this stretch of the ride is equally breathtaking.

A large Buddha on top of a hill at about 500 metres height, where a monastery is located, is visible before one reaches Nong Ping village, located on a plateau, comprising a series low buildings in Chinese style architecture selling local artifacts, desserts, delicacies and fusion food. We had a satisfying lunch at Zen Noodle Café costing HK$190 for four persons which rounded up the trip to Ngong Ping village. The cable car ride is equally spellbinding.

On the way back, just one station away, we switch MTR at Sunny Bay to catch a dedicated train ride to Disneyland Resort. As there are no children in our group, we are not keen on getting into the resort so we just took a quick look of the view from within the station. All we see is an archway with the Disneyland Resort name but we understand subsequently that we have to walk out of the station for a few minutes to get to the entrance.

Good MTR network
A word about Hong Kong’s excellent integrated mass rapid transit of MTR. It is a very convenient and fast mode of transport that takes visitors close enough to most interesting sites at reasonable costs. Furthermore, we bought the Octopus cards which can be also be used on the tram service at Hong Kong island and some buses that ply along the touristy venues as well as the famous Star Ferry to Kowloon.

One needs to put HK$50 as deposit and initially pay another HK$100 upfront for transit fees, as the balance can be refunded at the last MTR stop before you leave Hong Kong.

One point to remember about MTR stations in the city is that there are many underground exits and it is important to remember the right one to use or you can end heading the wrong way.

Budget hotel on Hong Kong island
After taking the Tung Chung MTR at Lantau back to Central station at Hong Kong island, we take a cab back to the ship. Thereafter, I collect my luggage from my sister’s cabin as she and my dad are taking the full 14-day cruise, I disembark and take the same cab to check into a boutique hotel, Mingle on the Wing, at Hong Kong island, Wing Lok Street, which I have pre-booked. It’s a nine storey building with four rooms per floor.

Considering the weekend is a Good Friday and Easter Monday, and obviously the peak season for hotels, I manage to get a room for about HK$550 a night for three nights. Although very compact, the room has a modern bathroom and comes with free Internet cable connection.

We only found out that our hotel is less than five minutes from one of the many underground MTR exits at the end of the second day! Until then, thanks to the cool weather, we enjoy taking the longer roundabout surface route to the nearby MTR Sheung Wan station, one end of the Island line traversing Hong Kong island, west to east.

Waterfront
We find we can walk to the waterfront in the cool April weather in less than 15 minutes. To cross major road between the waterfront and interior roads, we quickly learn to use overhead bridges and MTR tunnels, with the help of map of the neighbourhood map downloaded from the Internet. We find our way to upmarket Times Square shopping complex housed within the International Finance Centre.

Located at the waterfront is the row of piers to catch ferry rides to various islands, including the turbojet ride to Macau, which I will be using in three days time.

And of course, the well-known Star Ferry is available to cross over to Kowloon, which is over all too soon, just five minutes.

Although we heard about the light show at the waterfront, we are too early, but just the rows of the buildings lighting up one after another at mainland Kowloon is a sight to behold. It’s an experience unique to enjoy the Hong Kong harbour with its tall brightly lighted buildings jam-packed at the waterfront.


New and old
There is no lack of places to eat on Hong Kong island. On the first night, dinner is at one outlet belonging to a chain of a new fangled food joints but the highlight in our search for eateries is cap by our success in locating a traditional Chinese dim sum restaurant. Located at 188 Des Voeux Road, it is just 10 minutes walk from our hotel. For two mornings, it is dim sum breakfast, ala Hong Kong style, comprising congee and three plates of dim sum costing around HK$85 at Sportful Garden Restaurant.

Another worthwhile experience is walking around the older part at the western fringe of the commercial area and shopping streets of Hong Kong island, where buildings stand cheek by jowl.

A part of the area is marked by steps and slopes leading to the residences at the mid-level. The roads are narrow but the different businesses and road-side stalls selling everything from fruits, household knick-knacks, antiques to Chinese medicine, snacks, desserts, drinks, eateries and other items made for an interesting walking tour.

We did find our way to the famous Lan Kwai Fong street where pubs bring their speakers to the front doors to blast their very loud renditions of music and songs, enough to justify a hasty retreat to the more peaceful but nonetheless busy and narrow streets.


Southern China
On the second day, after an early lunch, we decide to catch up with a relative who works in Dongguan. The trip starts with the MTR at Central station - the Tsuen Wan line that runs north to Kowloon. A switch to a different line is required and at Mongkok station, we change to the Kwun Tong line. It takes us to Kowloon Tong station, where we again change trains, this time taking the East Rail line which is headed for Lo Wu, the final station straddling Hong Kong’s border with southern China.



After getting down from the MTR at Lo Wu, and passing through Hong Kong’s immigration counter first, we then cross a short stretch within the same building where we find ourselves again presenting passports but, this time to China’s immigration authority. It is a surreal experience crossing from one country to the next and all located within the same building! As a special administrative region, I suppose there is a need for separate immigration stamps!

Lo Wu is the southernmost transport hub with mass rapid transit and train connections heading north into China. It is massive complex with buildings forming a U-shape and my first glimpse of the China and a quick lesson on how everything is scaled up to cater to its big population. There is a big bus interchange at road level underneath one of the non-airconditioned shopping centres and equally big open public area, presumably for community gatherings. The shopping centre is replete with vendors selling clothes, fashion accessories, bags and luggages with restaurants taking the bigger units at the corners of the buildings.

Dongmen : Ladies market
A subsequent short MTR ride north to Dongmen or East Gate was a quick introduction into China and its teeming population! The sight of pedestrians within the shopping precinct fully occupying the side roads with scant regard for cars and motorcycles sharing the same space is an educational experience.



Amidst the busy streets and pavements, shops take their one ups-man-ship seriously as some station their staff on ladders outside the shop front to draw attention to the offerings within.

Styling hair at own expense
One notable trait about shopping in China, which is also practised in Hong Kong, is that shop staff are required to pop into a saloon to have their hair styled and the cost is taken off their salary! Also, a treat to shoppers is the lively environment and interaction between sales staff. Every so often, a staff is heard declaring in Cantonese - to the best of my knowledge – about a sale made or an impending trip to the store-room, which almost immediately invites a chorus of response from others, an endearing shopping experience.



Old habits : New facade
The modern façade within the shopping belt belies the disparity in living standards of its people, typical of a country that is as big as China. Along the roadside, one can spy an occasional parent toilet training their young charges in full public view doing what comes natural over grating-covered storm drains by the pavement. Public toilets appear to be hard to come by and may be another reason for turning a grating-covered drain into a public toilet.


Zhang Mo Tou and Dongguan
Getting back to Lo Wu after Dongmen, we hop onto a train, not an MTR, which travels at fast clip of 160 kmh to the next town, Zhang Mo Tou, a journey of 20 minutes. There we are driven to the next town where our relative works in Dongguan, a half hour trip.

Along the way, we see blocks of four or five storey apartments that are obviously abandoned and all dark, the consequence of factories retrenching staff, who have since left for their home towns and villages. The abandoned buildings are a rude awakening of the consequence of the global recession. But the bleak sight takes a turn for better when we pass by strawberry farms by the roadside when we are out of town.

Having myself visited factories and process plants in different sectors in my work, I am impressed by the tour of the factory, in which our relative is in-charge. It makes pressure vessels for hot water systems of buildings, among others. We have dinner at a hotel-cum restaurant at Dongguan which is sumptuous and surprisingly at very reasonable cost. The meal of Peking duck, scallops, broccoli and stuffed bean curd skin cost a total of CNY180 or about US$26.



With energy fully topped up, we are driven back to Zhang Mo Tou to catch a train back to the border town of Lo Wu where we go through immigration formalities in reverse, presenting our passports in China, then at Hong Kong, before taking the MTR back from Kowloon to Hong Kong island. It is almost midnight when we get to Central station which is followed by a 20-minute walk back to the hotel.



More Hong Kong itinerary : Victoria Peak
Having head so much about the bird’s eye view of Hong Kong, we made a beeline on an internal road at Pier 7 where bus 15 picks up passengers for a trip to Victoria Peak. Rather than take the funicular train, we decide the trip by normal bus will provide breathtaking views, as it wends it way uphill, which proved to be right.

At the top, the bus stop under a building and we gain access into what is a three-storey neighbourhood shopping centre. Here there are shops selling knick-knacks and eateries from coffee joints to restaurants offering fusion food. A viewing gallery at level three provides a nice view of neighbouring peaks and apartments built atop the hillsides. Unfortunately, the clear blue sky we are hoping for is nowhere to be seen and the view is of skyscapers being masked by a layer of fog that refuse to dissipate in the two hours we are at Victoria Peak.

Getting out of the shopping centre, a short walk brings us to another smaller building, this one housing the funicular train station which also has eateries within. We wander to an access road on one side of the building that leads to a track going slightly downhill allowing one to to get to the mid-levels. We decide that a return trip on the scenic bus ride is a good choice and bus 15 brings us back to the waterfront pier, after which we walk back to the hotel.



With half day left of our four days in Hong Kong, we take a tram ride to Wanchai where we imbibe in the flavour and sights of the traditional shopping streets. Subsequently, we catch the MTR back to Sheung Wan where we exchange the balance of money left in our Octopus cards for cash. Then it is back to the hotel to check out and off in a short taxi ride to the Hong Kong-Macau ferry.




Cosplay
At an earlier trip to Mongkok shopping street in Kowloon in the evening, there is a male and female dressed up in costumes to do with some local TV series. The streets in the vicinity are closed to traffic. Standing on chairs, the 'actor' and 'actress' will move and act out their parts when shoppers put some money on the road beside them.

Labels: Asia, cruise, culture, Dongguan, Dongmen, Hong Kong, Lo Wu, photography, southern China, travel, vacation, Vietnam

posted by Ek Heng @ 10:06 AM