We woke up quite sprightly at around 7am local time - we were all so tired it counteracted the jet lag so slept through the night. After a great hotel breakfast (I love someone else cutting up lots of fruit), we headed out, walking along the harbour front promenade towards the southern tip of Kowloon. I have bought a new holiday buggy, which is very easy to transport, but is so small it could be mistaken for a doll's. But it was good enough, so with Jemima either running ahead or being wheeled at her leisure, we wandered past various morning exercisers (including two old people walking backwards), soaking it all in.
It is winter here, so mid-twenties with a fresh breeze. There was a haze over everything, whether pollution or the weather, we weren't sure. But you could still see the glittering skyline across the bay, and the boats puttering back and forth - everything from tiny traditional sampans to sleek Sunseekers. There was a lot of construction too, with bamboo for scaffolding. Along the promenade we had some fun in the monument to the Hong Kong film industry, and also one of the many extremely well-equipped children's playgrounds, where Jemima continued her tradition of making friends in a foreign country through hugs. Then we turned inland along Nathan Street, the Oxford Street of Hong Kong (the UK Colonial legacy: English street names and plug sockets).
My goodness, the shops. Not only the usual palatial Chanel/ Armani/ Gucci; but entire blocks of posh watch shops; all interspersed by jewellery shops, with enormous rocks on show, tens to hundreds of thousands of pounds each, plus complicated gold confections. At the other extreme, Kevin was carrying some jeans he wanted taken up, and we ran the gauntlet of polite but persistent men in suits trying to take us to their tailor shop, not far, promise. We found one with premises just off the main drag in the end, and left the jeans with him - without ordering the suit he was so keen for Kevin to have.
Next, lunch. We found a little cafe with set menus (with pictures! I'm a tourist in trainers, god help me, who finds pictures on a menu helpful). And it was delicious - beef rendang with biryani for Kevin, hainanese chicken with vegetables, rice and soup for me, a bit of both for Jemima. And for less than two glasses of wine at the hotel Italian.
By this time, we were beginning to feel a little tired - Kevin said he thought the jet lag had been a bit too easy. So our mission became: stay awake at all costs. So no going back to the hotel for a lovely lie down, but off to nearby Kowloon Park for more wandering, and another playground, followed by a meander through the back streets to the Star Ferry.
This has been running between Kowloon and Hong Kong island since 1888, and is a traditional tourist activity here, as well as being used by residents. And who doesn't like a boat trip? Lovely, if brief. Off the boat, and after a short wander (more people looking business-y than in Kowloon, but the same snazzy shops), we headed onto a tram - mainly to keep delaying our inevitable crash.
It was skinny and cute, and Jemima loved playing "find us on the map", which she did accurately, by luck, some of the time. It was a good vantage point as well - underneath the office buildings you could see tiny shops and restaurants carved out, at odds with the modern metal above. One section had lots of shops with sacks of large yellow twisted something or other, we later found out was dried sharkfins.
And that was it - we crashed. Kevin picked Jemima up as she fell asleep, and we staggered off the tram (25p each) and into a taxi home. A quick stop off at the hotel buffet, and a grateful collapse into bed.
Room with a view:
Morning Tai Chi below our hotel room:
The Garden of [Hong Kong Film] Stars:
Playground pals:
Lunch:
The Star Ferry to Hong Kong Island:
A bit of sight-seeing and map reading:
Out for the count:
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