South-East Asia Cruise - Hong Kong, China, April 2010

Our next stop was Hong Kong. For me the name alone conjures up images of mystery and excitement.

Hong Kong was acquired by Britain from China in three stages. First the island, then the Kowloon peninsula, and lastly the New Territories (consisting of the mainland area adjoining Kowloon and 235 adjacent islands – all under a 99-year lease). Historically, until 1950, HK served as a staging post and entry port for trade between China and the West. Over the centuries, HK transformed itself from a cheap manufacturing base to a regional service and financial centre. HK is only 422 square miles with a population of 7 million people! 

I read once that HK is rushing through the present in anticipation of the future... Boy, is it rushing! Immediately upon our arrival we found ourselves surrounded by a sea of humanity – all rushing somewhere!

The first day our ship docked in Kowloon. We did not expect much of the place – we needed to purchase a couple items and wanted to take E to the Science Museum. Other than that, we had no agenda (no excursions booked).

























We began our discovery of Kowloon with a lunch at a small noodle hole-in-the-wall.  Really tasty – even E approved. And then we went to the museum.











After a couple of hours Eric had to carry the unwilling E out (kicking and screaming!).

In the afternoon, we slowly made our way through the bustling streets of Kowloon back to our ship taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of the place. We stopped by one of the freshly-squeezed juice stalls and I tried some juice made of bitter melon – quite BITTER!

Overnight our ship repositioned through Victoria Harbour closer to Hong Kong proper – and that is where we spent the following day. Victoria Harbour is ranked with Rio de Janerio, San Francisco and Sydney as one of the world’s most beautiful harbours. Modern skyscrapers and luxurious hotels hugging the harbour. 









After having consulted the guidebook we decided to meander through the streets of the Western District of the island. Narrow streets bustle with the activities of noodle vendors, fortune tellers, hair cutters, and bone-setters. An endless array of shops offering everything imaginable.

We visited the Mo Man Temple, too.

Also, for E’s benefit, we hung out for a few hours at Ocean Park, and saw a couple of  Giant pandas

and the Dolphin show.

Towards the end of our visit in the park, it started to rain – after purchasing a couple umbrellas of doubtful quality we continued our exploration of Fragrant Harbour (the exact translation of Hong Kong). 

Since it was overcast we decided to pass on the tram trip to Victoria Peak – at 1805 feet above sea level, the Peak is the highest point on HK Island and a great vista point for the city’s sky line. But we will be back in HK soon: the Tian Tan Sitting Buddha, located in Ngong Ping Village in Lantau Island, and Disney World are both well worth the trip.

As the Diamond Princess was slowly making its way out of Victoria Harbour and towards Taiwan, we saw the famous Light Show. To my disappointment, the daily performance turned out grossly overrated. Really, nothing to write home about.