Yes, I am still alive! I thought as it neared the end of the month it would be pretty shameful of me if two consecutive blog posts were my photo collages from my Twitter365 project!
I have been wanting to write about our trip to Hong Kong, China and Macau, but it has been hard to know where to start. I don’t want to bore with too much detail, but there are some things that must be shared! If a picture tells a thousand words, then there are many thousands here!
Hong Kong was amazing. Friendly people, the cheapest food (well in the places we ate at- we didn’t have truffled duck or anything!) and a total mix of east and west. 7elevens, Starbucks and McDonalds (the American Embassy!) on every street, but also noodle bars and tea houses where little English was spoken and menues were all in Chinese.
We stayed on Hong Kong Island which was a great move! Our first trip to Kowloon saw us greeted as we disembarked the ferry by people wanting to sell us suits or copy watches. In the end, I got one guy who asked me if I wanted a suit by telling him that no, I was chasing a copy watch! He saw the joke and smiled!
It was also in Kowloon we got caught up in the great Hong Kong Gold Coast Holiday scam! We were approached by a Welsh dude who wanted to ask us some questions about our holiday. I thought he must have been from the tourism board or something. For our troubles we got a scratch-it card. MIML™ won a t-shirt, but I had scratched 3 money bags which meant I was a big winner! We were told that only 6 of these prizes went out each week. There were 6 prizes pictured on the card. We were told the digital camera, camcorder and cruise had been won (the cruise by a lovely German couple who were going to Alaska!) but there was still US$1000 cash, a Sony laptop or a dream holiday available. But we had to go and collect it straight away.
We were told we would be put in a taxi at their expense and taken to the Hong Kong Gold Coast. There we would look around and tell our friends about the place- it was a word of mouth thing. In the cab we read the fine print- we would be required to attend a 90 minute holiday presentation. To cut a long story short, which they were clearly unable to do, 4 HOURS LATER we escaped! And no we didn’t spend the AU$40,000 for a week’s accommodation each year! And the prize- a dream holiday in Thailand- at one of their other scam places resorts.
Waiting for the shuttle bus back we met up with a couple from New Zealand who had been through the same experience and won the same prize. They weren’t happy either! But it was a trip out to the New Territories. And if you get a chance to visit the Gold Coast- go and get fitted for a suit or buy a watch in Kowloon! You won’t be missing much by not going out there!
Culture shock happened the day we went the Shenzhen, China. A train to the border then an hour to cross- 2 Swine Flu inspections, temperatures taken, numerous forms filled out and then we were allowed in. Greeted by locals wanting to show us the DVDs they had for sale in their shops (no thanks!) or wantint to take us on a tour (again, no!). MIML™ really wanted to go to the SEG electronics market. It was mentioned in our Lonely Planet guide and we just assumed people would know where it was!
First step to getting there we thought- train! So we head to the underground. Everything was in Chinese. We didn’t know what station it was near so we bought a map. Found it very hard to read (I don’t do maps at the best of times!) so I suggested we go and catch a cab. Excellent idea. In theory that is! We queue for a cab. There are 8 bays to queue in and we were in the first bay. 16 cabs pull in and people file into them and they file out. Well they try to. Except when 2 westerners get in, not speaking Mandarin or Cantonese and ask to go the SEG electronics market. Then show the guide book (in English) and think that the poor Chinese cab driver might understand the phonetic printing in our book. So I try and pronounce it and he looks. But he has pulled out a little and there are 15 cabs behind him beeping their horns.
So we go to get out and are met by 3 security guards (possibly police!). I tried to explain that we didn’t speak Mandarin and we were trying to get to the SEG electronics market. Then the guards started to laugh and said something to the driver who also started to laugh. Then pronounced where were trying to get to (saigee or something!) and the horns stopped beeping. A hair raising cab ride and about 15 minutes and AU$4 later we were there! MIML™ was able to get so many components he had only seen online or cost an arm and a leg over here. I was very popular as it appeared the men there weren’t used to bosoms! Everywhere we went they stared! Then smiled! And I wasn’t even wearing a revealing or tight top or anything, promise!
The toilets in China were also squats which was unexpected! And unwrapped used sanitary items were placed into open bins.
After buying lunch from a roadside vendor (who again spoke no English) we sat down and immediately had the local child care around us! Toddlers amazed at the westerners! The culture shock was wearing off (going into an official Apple store and seeing the prices were the same as over here helped!) and we had a ball! Even ate twice cooled lung soup for dinner!
After 9 days in Hong Kong (well with one in China in the middle!) we went to Macau. Wow! Perhaps it was the superb attention we received at the Sofitel, but for the 4 days wherever we went we were treated like royalty. And the Portuguese Custard tarts and Almond Cookies… well lots of work has been done in the gym to work them off!
From Macau we also took a day trip into China, this time Zhuhai. We didn’t venture much past the border market, but picked up some bargains none the less!
Perhaps the best bit of the trip was spending so much time alone with MIML™. We rediscovered what an awesome team we are. Whilst I missed the kids (a bit!) the time together was truly precious.
We definitely plan to return to Hong Kong, next time with the kids. We didn’t get to Disneyland after all!
Tips for those heading there… get an Octopus Card as soon as you get there! They are indispensible, not only on public transport, but in shops as well. If you have a wireless device, get a PCCW wifi card from 7eleven. I wish I had done this sooner!
I had planned to keep this a short post, but it has gotten away! Please feel free to ask questions or to comment on the flickr pics!
Next trip… Canberra in July for MIML™ to do an exam and then Melbourne in August for a reunion! Maybe even South Africa for Christmas!
Fiona | 
06 30th, 2009| 
