Weather clearing as the fog lifts as we dock in Hong Kong at the container terminal. Temperature is in the low 70’s. We were greeted by a young group of Dragon dancers and drummers on the pier and it looks like it will be a beautiful day.
It turns out the fog was really smog. There is a pervasive haze over all of Hong Kong that is so bad that I felt exhausted at the end of the day even though we didn’t do much walking. Breathing it all day was clearly a problem for me if not for Chris.
In any event, we had a wonderful time in the city. First we visited a temple and got to walk and see the shrines. Our tour guide explained how the Chinese use the shrine to pray and ask for help. Chris and I wandered through an area of small shops and we purchased some small items that were very inexpensive. Contrary to media impressions, the American dollar is still valued and accepted at all our stops. We have been able to avoid expensive exchanges into local currencies by using dollars for small purchases and credit cards for large purchases.
After the temple we were driven to the top of Victoria Peak and on the way got to see a bird’s eye view of the City, even though the haze limited any good pictures. At the top of Victoria Peak there were shops and we shopped some more then took the tram down to the bottom – it really is a funicular. We were taken to the Harbor in the Aberdeen section and after a sampan ride around the fishing fleet we were taken to the floating restaurant where we had a great lunch at the open air top.
After a leisurely lunch we took a boat back to our bus and were taken to the Stanley Market. Then we toured a little of the downtown by bus and returned to the ship for some rest and dinner – the waiters have all gotten the word and are addressing us as Duke and Duchess of North Dakota – I’ve got to find a way to get even.
The evening’s entertainment was local folklore music and entertainment. There was a woman playing a instrument that looks a little like a balalaika and dragon dancing, as well as ribbon dancers and a wonderful exhibition of the art of face changing dancer. I was so exhausted I went to sleep immediately after the theater.
It turns out the fog was really smog. There is a pervasive haze over all of Hong Kong that is so bad that I felt exhausted at the end of the day even though we didn’t do much walking. Breathing it all day was clearly a problem for me if not for Chris.
In any event, we had a wonderful time in the city. First we visited a temple and got to walk and see the shrines. Our tour guide explained how the Chinese use the shrine to pray and ask for help. Chris and I wandered through an area of small shops and we purchased some small items that were very inexpensive. Contrary to media impressions, the American dollar is still valued and accepted at all our stops. We have been able to avoid expensive exchanges into local currencies by using dollars for small purchases and credit cards for large purchases.
After the temple we were driven to the top of Victoria Peak and on the way got to see a bird’s eye view of the City, even though the haze limited any good pictures. At the top of Victoria Peak there were shops and we shopped some more then took the tram down to the bottom – it really is a funicular. We were taken to the Harbor in the Aberdeen section and after a sampan ride around the fishing fleet we were taken to the floating restaurant where we had a great lunch at the open air top.
After a leisurely lunch we took a boat back to our bus and were taken to the Stanley Market. Then we toured a little of the downtown by bus and returned to the ship for some rest and dinner – the waiters have all gotten the word and are addressing us as Duke and Duchess of North Dakota – I’ve got to find a way to get even.
The evening’s entertainment was local folklore music and entertainment. There was a woman playing a instrument that looks a little like a balalaika and dragon dancing, as well as ribbon dancers and a wonderful exhibition of the art of face changing dancer. I was so exhausted I went to sleep immediately after the theater.
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