DAY 5 30/12/10 (thursday)

Sweden

This has been a very long day. We raced the sun across the top of the world and, as we kept ahead of it, had about 14 hours of night. The flight from Hong Kong to Heathrow left around 11:30 pm so it was body clock sleeping time, very handy, we both managed to sleep quite well. The plane was a bit old and very noisy but that still didn’t keep us awake.

We had three breakfast meals in about 8 hours so our body clocks are a bit out of wack but we’ve stayed awake since we arrived in Sweden to try and readjust them. After a 2 hour wait we made our connecting flight to Sweden and arrived in Arlanda Airport (Stockholm) right on time. It was so good to see Monica and Evan’s smiling faces as we came out of the arrivals gate and what joy – s-n-o-w- !

I can’t explain the felling of coming home I had driving along the roads all covered in snow, looking out at the winter wonderland scenery. I’ve heard about Sweden all my life and we’ve had the Swedish rellies to stay with us so this just feels so right!

I am so happy, I can see my breath – the official Wendy-standard for cold enough. I do love to ‘see’ the air hanging heavy with cold in the evening. It is picture-post card perfect here I can’t wait to get outside with my camera. It's too late for photos now but I’ll have some yummy pics to share tomorrow to be sure. My rellies are just the best! We’ve been treated to wonderful food and we have such lovely accommodation, our own little room, t.v. area and bathroom which is all shabby chic – too die for gorgeousness!

We have been making plans all afternoon for the things we’re going to do and I think we have more than enough to keep us going for the next 7 months (hope they realise we’re only here for 7 more days).

I’m so excited by the new years eve plans. After a family get-together for dinner we’ll be off to see in the new year Swedish style. Outdoors for concert and fireworks, which at –20˚ should be interesting. Monica made MGM shop for thermal undies this afternoon and I think he’ll appreciate it tomorrow night.

Sending all my love to my cherubs who I’m missing even more now that we’re amongst family.

Day 4 29/12/10 leaving Hong Kong

(Thurs) Okay so I’m posting this late but I did write it on the plane on Wednesday…

Our last day in HK was spent in the shops (just had to force myself) with MGM holding his breath the whole time. I think he thought that if he turned blue I’d stop shopping (oops - not-so-much).

When we got back to the hotel I shuffled him off for some much needed time relaxing in the day spa while I did some homework (oh yay).     

I took this pic just before we were leaving of the hotel Lobby. the note-worthy thing about this pic is that this tree is made out of empty water bottles (which are a real problem in a city  of over 1 million not including tourists) stuffed with tinsel and lit from beneath.

We were driven to the airport in a private car and we arrived on the doorstep (very rapidly), looked at each other with absolutely no idea what to do next. Fortunately all airports are basically the same so MGM just followed his usual airport routine and we navigated quite well after the initial pause for thought.

We are flying to London first, changing planes then on to Sweden, this is our longest continual journey approx 17 hours ... See you in Sweden.

Three Things

3 things I love about Hong Kong

1. I am tall here.

2. It’s okay to be a night person here, just as much beautiful scenery after dark (and the shops stay open late).

3. The Chinese love to eat and they are loud about it, eating where the locals eat you have to shout to be heard – fantastic!

Day 3 - 28/12/10 Hong Kong

If you check your dictionary under ‘tourist’ you’d see something like “person on holiday taking in standard, commonly viewed sights”. I would now add a see-also reference, to wit…see also: M & W Allan.

We have been tourists in the truest sense of the word these last two days. We have whisked along at rapid pace to pack as much of Hong Kong in as we can. Today we ventured out to Lantau, the largest of the 266 islands that make up Hong Kong. It is also the least populated having been a fishing industry right up until about 15 years ago when the first skyscrapers went up – probably about the same time as the new airport opened up (on Lantau).

HK locals holiday here to get away from the hustle and bustle, swim on the beaches, hike, bike and possibly visit a monastery – which is what we did (visit the monastery – not swim). To get to the monastery you can walk or catch the cable car. You know the glass bottom cable car we have at the Three Sisters? well this is the same sort of thing only on a monstrous scale. In Australia the equivalent would be a cable car across the harbour over Kosciusko. If you’re afraid of heights avert your eyes now…                             

This is looking backwards, that’s the airport off the the left. The haze is ever-present smog that blankets Hong Kong and quite disconcerting until you acclimatise.

Over many more hills and breathtaking scenery we came upon our destination…

                            

It’s amazing, this enormous sitting Buddha, largest in the world. There’s 200 some odd steps up to this fella but we caught a break because we’d bought a package deal which included a bus to the top. It also included fast-tracking everywhere, cutting all queues, the queue for the cable car which was about two or three hours long…just walked straight past every single person in that queue – amazingly empowering!

Here is what he looks like front on

Right hand raised in blessing, the left reaching out to remove your pain what a lovely, benevolent deity but surprisingly this not a spiritual place, at least not for me. The Buddhists must have a different definition of sacred because there are markets and souvenirs stalls all over the place including inside (under the lotus flower upon which this big fella sits).

He’s also younger than me if you can believe that. Not the actual Buddha just this particular one – who was built in the 1970s. A brass covered steel frame (there’s pics of the building process). The Chinese are awe inspiring in the scale of the projects they undertake,

At the bottom of the hill is Po Lin monastery, even more commercial if that’s possible. Tourists wander at will snapping happily away with cameras and scooping up souvenirs like there’s no tomorrow, but it is very pretty and I’m sure when there is worship here the atmosphere would change.

 

From Po Lin we went to a traditional stilt fishing village, Tai O. There’s not  many of these left and I felt like I was part of a Star Trek away party observing an alien culture without my cloaking device, voyeurism gone horribly wrong. No English here apart from the tourists.

A wee bit stinky weaving down the tight streets through the fish vendors who were selling obviously fresh product (still swimming in large tubs) which you take around the corner and someone cooks else it for you (or they would if we’d made any purchases). Can’t imagine the smell in summer when there’s crowds and 35degrees/99% humidity no rain.

We took a ferry ride for about 50 mins back to Hong Kong island arriving after dark, oh my, Hong Kong is beaUTiful at night.

From there another Ferry to Kowloon, where we’re staying. A one-stop ride on the subway and MGM’s in public  transport
overload.

We did some shopping, everything stays open really late here my kind of place! We struggled a bit to find some dinner, staggered back to our room around 10pm. MGM has touch footy legs without the footy. I never thought I’d bless the amount of walking I do every day at work but it is certainly paying off now.

It was too late to skype my cherubs, boo. Missing them dreadfully, how will I manage four more weeks without them!

Some of you have asked so if you’re wanting to comment, dear reader, I think you only have to click on comment at the bottom of the post, in the comment box write your comment, comment as: choose open ID from the drop box if you don’t have your own blog and contact the guru if these instructions don’t work.

three things

I love about MGM…

1. He always sits with his back to the view when we’re at a restaurant because when I sit opposite him I get to see all the good stuff.

2. He always takes a jacket but is never then one to get cold.

3. He enabled  sykpe on our phones so I can talk to the kids. It’s great. I can see my craft room, see whomever answers the call and even what’s going on in the background.

Day 2 Hong Kong

After a refreshing sleep and a hearty breakfast we spent the morning in the room being boring (I have to spend part of each day with my books and writing to keep up with uni).

In the afternoon we went on a tour to see a temple - Man Mo - in the middle of a stand of high- rise buildings. Man Mo temples were once common as they honour the gods of commerce and literature. Apparently there is a god for almost every need, students pray to the god of literature for good results and the god of commerce for lots of money.

Here is the god of literature hiding behind a little lady I caught by surprise...

These coils in the centre of the building are all burning - the aroma is quite intense. The worshipers write their prayer on the red tag and the smoke from the burning coil takes the message to the spirit world.


I learned a lesson at Man Mo, not a profound one I'm afraid...use Maccas loos 'cause HK public toilets are still squat-to-pee ... aiming away from my jeans, NOT falling over whilst precariously balancing the weight of my camera hanging around my neck, and then making my knees work to stand me back up? an adventure I don't need.

From Man Mo we took a ride on the Peak Tram - not nearly as steep as the scenic railway - but provided spectacular views of Victoria Harbour.

Victoria Peak is 7,360km from Sydney.

From Victoria Peak we went to a little floating fishing village via sanpan. Once upon a time the fishermen and their families were considered not worthy of land, they lived their entire lives on their boats.

Hong Kong is truely a vertical city. 84% of the land is hills so with 16% of plains they make use of the only space available - up. Even the roads seem to go through buildings!

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Next we visisted a jewellery workshop but as it's a public holiday there was only one jeweller working and he was just resizing not creating. The showroom was gorgeous, could have done some serious bank-card damage but restrained myself (with MGM's enthusiastic help).

Our last stop of the day was Stanely markets where we did not have nearly enough time. I think this might have been the plan all along but poor MGM it backfired becasuse we are definately going back - so much fun, so many bargains!

Day 1 Hong Kong

Well we're off on our adventure! We flew out of Kingsford Smith without any hitches (unless you count me getting all weepy as I wlked away from my girls) this morning and arrived after an 8 hour flight in Hong Kong. Anyone who says they get bored on long fights just isn't trying. I read 2 journal articles, one chapter of my holiday book (The Historian), watched 2 movies (Salt & Eat, Pray, Love), took a little nap and ploughed my way through 2, four course meals (breakfast and lunch)! The flight was a bit bumpy (MGM's not a fan of turbulence) but it didn't bother me - how is it that I get sick as a dog reading even a map in a car but I can do all that reading etc. in a plane no worries - go figure the human body!

We arrived not feeling tired at all so we set off for a walk down Nathan Rd which reminds me a bit of George St. We felt oursleves drawn down this road and there perched on a hill was St Andrews Anglican Church - services conducted inEnglish, perfect!

Colonial rule is still evident here in the anglicised street names, architecture and in even English language services. We attended a pretty full service that was led by an Aussie, with a Pom doing the readings and an Irishman preaching the sermon. We felt right at home in the very familar communion liturgy (although they used real wine) and we even sang shout to the Lord and The Servan King!

Still no jet lag as I write this but am feeling the long day now so that's all for today see you tomorrow.

3 more sleeps

 

itinerary in pictures (not mine)

 

  

posting my own pics of these wonderful places soon – hooray!

6 more sleeps

In the long list (longer than Santa's naughty or nice list) of things I have to do before this holiday can begin, starting a blog was right on the top so that it'll be ready for lots of lovely snowy pictures.

see you soon with actual pictures I've taken myself.